BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: projo: McDonald: Monumental season puts Red Sox’ Pedroia in leadoff spot for A.L. MVP

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

projo: McDonald: Monumental season puts Red Sox’ Pedroia in leadoff spot for A.L. MVP

Hey...can we ban McDonald?

He’s a unique player, one who plays the game right every single day. He wants to win and because of that the Red Sox do win. He’s a good hitter who becomes a great hitter in big situations. He’s a good base runner who becomes very good in key spots.

Defensively, there aren’t many balls that get by him. Actually, he’s probably helped the Red Sox win more games with his glove than his bat.

Pedroia is the all-around player. He just simply knows how to get the job done. Sure he has a chip on his shoulder, but he wouldn’t be successful if he didn’t given his stature.

...The best part about Pedroia’s career is that it’s only just beginning. He’s only going to get better — barring injury — and he will have another season like he had in 2008.

At 3 p.m. this afternoon Dustin Pedroia will be named MVP.

Repoz Posted: November 18, 2008 at 12:59 AM | 27 comment(s)
Related News: General, Boston, Awards

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1. Hugh Jorgan Posted: November 18, 2008 at 12:11 AM (#3011324)

Sure he has a chip on his shoulder

Let's hope its not too big, it'll crush the poor, little guy! boom-tish!

Geez, I hate those kind of statements. Pedroia...MVP, yeah I can see that. Was he the best in the AL? Was he the best on his own team? I'm a sox fan and if I had my pick of players, Mauer would be top of the list this year.

2. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: November 18, 2008 at 12:13 AM (#3011325)

But does he lift the entire team up on his shoulders? Is his love of the game infectious? Does his true greatness never show up in the boxscore? Is his sweat bottled and shipped anonymously to hospitals, to cure childhood leukemia?

3. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: November 18, 2008 at 12:49 AM (#3011332)

Calling kevin, kevin report to the thread...

4. nick swisher hygiene Posted: November 18, 2008 at 12:51 AM (#3011333)

will kevin return if Petunia gets the nod? he'd surely be tempted....

5. Benji Posted: November 18, 2008 at 01:13 AM (#3011336)

I hate Dustin Pedroia. I want to slap him every time the Sox are on. I laugh when he strikes out or makes any kind of mistake.

But he's the 2008 MVP. I'd vote for him, hate him or not.

6. Halofan Posted: November 18, 2008 at 01:26 AM (#3011341)

Was it kevin's first suspension for his posts testing positive for steroids?

7. Biff uses the power of mental thinking Posted: November 18, 2008 at 01:26 AM (#3011342)

But does he lift the entire team up on his shoulders?

I think he would be crushed under their weight pretty quickly.

I still can't believe he stole 20 bases. Dude is seriously slow.

8. Al Kaline Trio Posted: November 18, 2008 at 01:56 AM (#3011350)

projo: McDonald: Monumental season puts Red Sox’ Pedroia in leadoff spot for A.L. MVP

Pedroia isn't a leadoff hitter and leadoff hitters don't normally win MVPs...

FAIL

9. Crispix Attacks is in the best shape of his life. Posted: November 18, 2008 at 02:02 AM (#3011352)

Does the article say anything about being a leadoff hitter? I don't see it.

10. Dr. Leo Spaceman Posted: November 18, 2008 at 03:50 AM (#3011361)

Al Kaline Trio Posted:

Clever handle. Nice.

Does the article say anything about being a leadoff hitter? I don't see it.

He's just making a play on words from the title.

Also, just for the hell of it, I'll mention that it's my 20th birthday today. Thankfully I'm Canadian so I can still go out and celebrate.

11. Snowboy Posted: November 18, 2008 at 04:24 AM (#3011362)

Such purple prose from the local MSM...gives me that eerie feeling. Like maybe tomorrow might be the height of Zoilo Pedroia's career.

12. Non-Fat Listachio Ice Cream Posted: November 18, 2008 at 07:40 AM (#3011372)

Such purple prose from the local MSM...gives me that eerie feeling. Like maybe tomorrow might be the height of Zoilo Pedroia's career.

I thought that last year. I also thought he was proving his mediocrity around May 31st of this year. I'm learning not to think that way any more...

Little dude can hit.

13. Shooty Did Not Kill McGurk

Posted: November 18, 2008 at 07:47 AM (#3011374)

I like Mauer, but I think in the AL this year, your preference works as a Rorschach test as several of the candidates are pretty even in value bu radically different players from each other. If others think Sizemore or Pedroia or Cliff Lee or Halladay should win, I can't lob bombs at them the way I could and the non-Pujols voters. Let's hope the writers don't/didn't go for Morneau again.

14. Random Transaction Generator Posted: November 18, 2008 at 08:55 AM (#3011410)

15. Shooty Did Not Kill McGurk

Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:05 AM (#3011414)

Back in early May, I had Pedroia and Kinsler on my fantasy team.
I needed some depth elsewhere, so I decided to trade Kinsler.
He went on a monster tear for about 6 weeks right after that, and I was positive I traded the wrong guy.

In my DMB keeper league I traded Pedroia for draft picks that would become Mark Ellis and Jon Lester, but then I dumped Jon Lester after his struggles earlier in the year. I am not bright.

16. DKDC Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:05 AM (#3011415)

He's a very good player who had a great season, and he'll be elected MVP largely because of a dearth of viable candidates on playoff teams. This award will probably make him even more insufferable, but he'll be a former MVP for the rest of his life.

Congrats, little guy.

17. JPWF13

Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:19 AM (#3011422)

This award will probably make him even more insufferable,

Like maybe tomorrow might be the height of Zoilo Pedroia's career.

I hate Dustin Pedroia. I want to slap him every time the Sox are on. I laugh when he strikes out or makes any kind of mistake.

is this about Petunia or Kevin?

I don't think he was necessarily the MVP, but no one seriously stood out IMHO, so Petunia wouldn't be the worst MVP in recent years, personally I'd take Mauer over him, and Sizemore and possibly Youkilis, but it's not a huge gap like in the NL

18. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:36 AM (#3011431)

I see the gap as plenty big.

Player      WAR
Mauer       8.9
Lee         7.7
Sizemore    7.4
Halladay    6.4
Lester      6.3
Rodriguez   5.9
Hamilton    5.9
Youkilis    5.8
Matsuzaka   5.6
Petunia     5.4

Roberts     5.3
Markakis    5.3
Morneau     5.3

Frankly, I hope Morneau wins. He and Petunia would be equally bad choices, but people would be properly outraged by a Morneau win, while there seems to be a consensus that the garden gnome has a valid case.

19. JPWF13

Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:45 AM (#3011438)

Frankly, I hope Morneau wins. He and Petunia would be equally bad choices, but people would be properly outraged by a Morneau win, while there seems to be a consensus that the garden gnome has a valid case.

where are you getting your numbers?
Petunia's Warp1 is 9.8, Mauer's is 9.6
Petunia's winshares are 26, Mauer's 31

Mauer hit .328/.413/.451 in 633 PAs, Petunia hit .326/.376/.493 in 726 PAs.
Petunia hit .389/.450/.547 in hi leverage situations, Mauer hit .376/.492/.473

I see Mauer on top, given that he's a catcher and all, but I don't see an enormous gap.

20. Tropical Storm Davis aka Quilvio "Ebola" Veras Posted: November 18, 2008 at 09:57 AM (#3011454)

Actually, he’s probably helped the Red Sox win more games with his glove than his bat.

I suppose if they played with no second baseman, then yes, they would give up quite a few more runs.

21. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM (#3011456)

where are you getting your numbers?

For position players: batting runs adjusted for base-out state, ancillary baserunning, position adjustment (relative difficulty of playing a position, not the position's offensive average) and fielding relative to position, adjusted to a .380 replacement level and park-adjusted using player-specific park factors*.

For pitchers: pitching above replacement (.380 for starters, .470 for relievers) adjusted for bullpen and fielding support, park-adjusted using player-specific park factors. Batting and baserunning are also the minor-est of minor factors in the AL.

* Based on the number of plate appearances for a player in a given park rather than a blanket team factor.

22. Superunknown Gary Geiger Counter Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:05 AM (#3011461)

Doesn't the MVP get announced at 2 PM? Well, maybe it's 3 according to the BTF clock.

23. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM (#3011462)

Doesn't the MVP get announced at 2 PM?

You and your East Coast bias. I tend to think of it as 1 p.m. :)

24. Repoz

Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:08 AM (#3011464)

Doesn't the MVP get announced at 2 PM?

And hopefully Ed Price will have a new look up and running!

25. sunnyday2 Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:09 AM (#3011466)

It would be hard for the voters to go really really wrong (I hope). Or, IOW, there are many ways to go more or less right. I would find it hard to criticize Mauer or Sizemore or Pedroia or Lee or even Hamilton, if only because nobody really spread-eagled the field. A-Rod or Morneau would be slightly less good choices, though maybe that's just my bias against previous winners. Anybody else, no.

I crunched the numbers twice with slight variations and came up with A-Rod once and Mauer once. OK, I ran 'em the second time because A-Rod won the first time, I admit it. Pedroia was second both times,

If I had a ballot: Mauer, Pedroia, Sizemore, Lee, A-Rod.

But Cliff Lee was quite clearly the most effective regular ML baseball player of 2008 when on the field.

26. Superunknown Gary Geiger Counter Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM (#3011475)

And hopefully Ed Price will have a new look up and running!

Yeah, that was kind of a neat cameo appearance.

27. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: November 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM (#3011479)

I've got Mauer #1 as well - but very little difference among the top several.

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

projo: McDonald: Monumental season puts Red Sox’ Pedroia in leadoff spot for A.L. MVP

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