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Saturday, July 07, 2007

ESPN: Stark: Handing out midseason awards

NL Rookie of the half-year—Hunter Pence, Astros

After seven years of making some of the worst rookie-of-the-year predictions in the history of the internet, we might finally have gotten one right this year. It definitely seemed risky, back in spring training, to pick a member of the Round Rock Express to win any kind of award in the major leagues. But there was just something about the energy units Pence emitted all spring that caught our eye. Now here we are, three months later, and this guy is making a charge at leading the league in hitting and slugging. And if he can maintain his .347 batting average, it would be the highest by any first-year National League hitter since the immortal George Watkins in 1930. So Hunter Pence isn’t just the rookie of the year. He’s the future of the Astros. Apologies to: Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton, Troy Tulowitzki.

And more Stark…Injuries, box score lines ... and funny quotes.

Repoz Posted: July 07, 2007 at 06:51 PM | 19 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: July 07, 2007 at 07:20 PM (#2432196)

What the heck does John Maine have to do to get some recognition for the fine season he's having. I have no issue with Stark's choice of Penny. Young and Peavy are certainly deserving of honorable mentions. But Cordero, Smoltz, and Hamels are not more deserving than Maine. I shouldn't care this much about a Stark article.

2. DCW3 Posted: July 07, 2007 at 07:55 PM (#2432207)

By BPro's numbers, Brendan Harris is leading all AL rookie hitters in VORP. But since I haven't seen him mentioned as a ROY candidate anywhere, I assume he's not eligible--he had only 110 ABs prior to 2007, shy of the cutoff, but played in 52 games. It would have been pretty cool, though, to have a guy win the Rookie of the Year with his fourth major league team (fifth if you count the Expos and Nationals as separate).

3. danup Posted: July 07, 2007 at 08:04 PM (#2432210)

Who knew that A-Rod would continue to get jobbed out of MVPs for his team sucking when he moved to New York?

4. AJM Posted: July 07, 2007 at 08:35 PM (#2432220)

Matt Holiday?

5. TVerik, AKA Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog Posted: July 07, 2007 at 08:47 PM (#2432223)

Stark, in the other article linked in the intro, does remind me of my favorite Ichiro! quote:

First prize: On the prospect of meeting his countryman, Daisuke Matsuzaka, for the first time in the big leagues: "I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."

6. rdfc Posted: July 07, 2007 at 08:58 PM (#2432225)

Maine deserves to be mentioned among the NL Cy Young candidates, though he's only really impressed me the last few weeks.

I find major fault with only two of Stark's picks - the ones for the NL MVP and NL LVP. While Holiday has been good enough to make my ten-place ballot, he's not a reasonable MVP candidate at this choice. I see only two players who deserve consideration - Barry Bonds and Chase Utley. As for the NL LVP, I'll never understand what about Pat Burrell inspires such irrational hatred - while obviously he's been disappointing, he's not even a particularly negative force for his team. The obvious choice for NL LVP would be Adam Kennedy.

7. Kiko Sakata

Posted: July 07, 2007 at 09:21 PM (#2432237)

While Holiday has been good enough to make my ten-place ballot, he's not a reasonable MVP candidate at this choice.

Why not? He leads the National League in Runs Created (per BB-Ref) and has the same WARP1 as Bonds (5.2) v. 6.0 for Utley. Most (but not quite all) of Utley's lead is in fielding - if you don't trust BP's fielding ratings, it seems pretty reasonable to see Holliday as a viable MVP.

8. Los Angeles ALBERT F. PUJOLS of Anaheim

Posted: July 07, 2007 at 09:28 PM (#2432242)

As good as Okajima has been, I don't see how a guy who's only pitched 40~ innings should get the nod over someone like Jeremy Guthrie. Since his first start, he's pitched through the sixth inning in every start this year, and has only given up more than 3 earned once. Right now, there shouldn't even be a discussion as to who the best rookie in the AL is.

9. Corn On Ty Cobb Posted: July 07, 2007 at 09:36 PM (#2432247)

Russlan,

John Maine: 109.2 IP, 3.78 FIP
John Smoltz: 105.2 IP, 3.17 FIP

Maine has been fabulous and definitely deserves a mention, but Smoltz is plenty deserving himself.

10. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 07, 2007 at 09:59 PM (#2432258)

Travis Buck deserves at least an apology in the AL ROHY discussion.

11. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: July 07, 2007 at 10:16 PM (#2432278)

John Maine: 109.2 IP, 3.78 FIP
John Smoltz: 105.2 IP, 3.17 FIP

FIP is a good tool to predict how a pitcher will do in the future, not how he has done so far this season. Maine has been better than than Smoltz in the first half. Will Smoltz have better numbers at the end of the year? Likely, although Maine continues to make me look bad for doubting him.

12. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 07, 2007 at 11:09 PM (#2432419)

Jayson Stark Midseason awards? Overrated.

13. Miko Supports Shane's Spam Habit Posted: July 08, 2007 at 12:16 AM (#2432610)

Right now, there shouldn't even be a discussion as to who the best rookie in the AL is.

Matsuzaka's recent success has brought him fairly even with Guthrie in VORP.

14. pkb33 Posted: July 08, 2007 at 01:55 AM (#2433099)

Okajima has added 3.2 wins in WXRL while Guthrie has a VORP of 32.9. So, while you could argue it either way I definitely don't think it's outside the level of a good discussion.

I'd think Dice K is still the favorite when all is said and done, though.

15. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: July 08, 2007 at 01:59 AM (#2433116)

It would have been pretty cool, though, to have a guy win the Rookie of the Year with his fourth major league team (fifth if you count the Expos and Nationals as separate).

Lou Piniella won the 1969 AL RoY for the Royals after being drafted by Cleveland then bouncing through Washington, Baltimore, back to Cleveland, to Seattle, and finally to Kansas City getting cups of coffee with Baltimore and his 2nd stint with Cleveland.

16. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: July 08, 2007 at 02:14 AM (#2433169)

Matsuzaka's recent success has brought him fairly even with Guthrie in VORP.

Where are Pedroia and Willits in VORP? I don't think you see rookie hitters with OBPs over .400 very often.

Also, just for the record, you can buy Okajima T-shirts.

17. pkb33 Posted: July 08, 2007 at 02:19 AM (#2433192)

Also, just for the record, you can buy Okajima T-shirts.

You think Stark does research for his pieces? C'mon.

18. Cooper Nielson Posted: July 08, 2007 at 02:49 AM (#2433318)

And, of course, how do you spell O-k-a-j-i-m-a?

What's this supposed to mean? Aren't Japanese names easy to spell? In their English transliterations they're more or less phonetic (OK, "Daisuke" isn't that obvious).

19. Cooper Nielson Posted: July 08, 2007 at 02:59 AM (#2433351)

Obviously there's no point in quibbling with these half-season, just-for-fun choices. (Stark once voted for Shannon Stewart in REAL LIFE.) Matt Holliday strikes me as a pretty wacky MVP choice, but at least he's having a good season. But in Stark's runners-up...

Adrian Gonzalez?

Did he write this column in May? Gonzalez is now at .265/.338/472, and is on pace for 27 HR, 98 RBI, 87 R and 0 SB. I know Petco is a hard place to hit, but come on... those aren't MVP numbers.

And where's John Lackey?

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ESPN: Stark: Handing out midseason awards

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