I think America got collectively dumber due to this article.

See, we don't have the context. For all we know, this could have been submitted for a contest where the goal was to see how long an article you could write while making every sentence stupider than the previous one.

I'm guessing this one set the world record.

This year, nobody outside St. Louis talked about Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick, but one could argue that his 37 home runs, 113 RBIs and 40 doubles were more valuable to the Redbirds than Pujols’ 37 homers, 116 RBIs and 44 doubles.

Uh.....what? How does this make any sense in any way? Ysing the ridiculously simple and dumb "traditional" way of evaluating value, how is the guy with the same number of homers, less RBIs, and less doubles the more valuable guy?


This article was incredibly dumb.

The "No ____, no playoffs" argument means that almost everybody who played for the White Sox this year is MVP.

I know lots of folks love the "debate" and "analysis" awards elicit, but 99.9% of even the "professional analysis" over MVP, etc. is dumber than a Yahoo NFL message board thread. Maybe award madness is good for something...it serves as a black hole into which almost all the crap columnists can be sucked. Still, the logic-defying rationale for dismissing Pujols in this column is certainly beyond Yahoo NFL message board stupid. Which would have to place this column high in the runnin' for stupidest worldwide.

Look at the difference between last year's Rockies and this year's Rockies. And why? Because of injuries to Troy Tulowhjioo and Todd Helton. Those are your co-MVPs, people. Having them healthy could have added another 15 wins to the Rockies' season.

The "No ____, no playoffs" argument means that almost everybody who played for the White Sox this year is MVP.

Yep, and in this case, without Ethier, the Dodgers don't make the playoffs. Without Lowe, the Dodgers don't make the playoffs. Without Martin, the Dodgers don't make the playoffs. Etc.

Why are Manny's two months more valuable than full seasons from the other guys?

I heartily support Cooper Nielson's proposal to expand the award to the top 250 MVPs of the year.

Sweet Jesus. That's one of the dumbest articles I've ever seen.

I read the article before reading any of these comments, and my first impression was the same thing. This is a really dumb article. I've noticed that a large sector of our society, including educated people, have no understanding of logic as a concept. I think logic can be taught, but certainly not as easily as some of the other things that are currently being heavily funded like "self esteem".

In consecutive sentences, he mentions Sabathia's playoff-clinching complete game against the Cubs, and then talks about how the Brewers were unable to stay in contention (for the division, but still) with CC on the mound.

Astounding.

The "No ____, no playoffs" argument means that almost everybody who played for the White Sox this year is MVP.

Jim Thome had the GWRBI in game 163. AL MVP. Just like Jamey Carroll should have been the 2007 NL MVP.

Jim Thome had the GWRBI in game 163. AL MVP.

They wouldn't have gotten that far without Dewayne Wise. Plus Griffey helped in that one game before that.

No Duster Mails, no 1920 World Series: that's why he was more valuable than Tris Speaker (or any of a hundred other examples ...)

Babe Ruth saved baseball. No Babe no baseball. Vote Babe for MVP every year!

The graphic last night said the Dodgers were exactly .500 when Manny joined the team. They were on pace for 81 wins. They finished with 84. That makes Manny worth about 3 wins. (It's overly simplistic, sure, but so is this article.) Other players in the National League were worth more than 3 wins. (Of course, the D'Backs had 82 wins, so I guess that argument wouldn't hold water with this guy).

Maybe then it would have had to be Adam Dunn.

Just to see how many brain cells could be killed without drinking- I clicked on the link...

one could argue that his 37 home runs, 113 RBIs and 40 doubles were more valuable to the Redbirds than Pujols' 37 homers, 116 RBIs and 44 doubles.

Sure you can argue that :-), but what about Pujols' 342 Total bases, 301 times on base, 364 outs, compared to Ludwick's 318 total bases, 231 times on base and 398 outs?
How about Pujols hitting .339 with runners in scoring position, and slugging .638 with men on base, compared to Ludwick hitting .308 with RISP and slugging .554 with men on?

He was 2-2 in six September starts. Yes, CC had a 2.11 ERA in those starts, and yes, he often went on three days' rest, but in the end all that matters are wins and losses. In his first two starts against the Cubs, with the division still in question, the Brewers did not win.

ok, but you also say:

Ramirez hit four home runs in his first seven games with the Dodgers, two of them against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who Ramirez lit up for five homers and 12 RBIs overall

The Dodgers lost one of those game she homered in...

In just 53 games in L.A., Ramirez had 17 homers, 53 RBIs, 36 runs and 139 total bases. He batted .396 and slugged .743 (150 points above his career percentage). Ramirez was clearly a big key to the Dodgers' run to the postseason.

Some will say Ramirez should not win the award because he was in the N.L. for just two months. That's irrelevant in this case: His numbers debunk that argument.

Ok he was more valuable than Ryan Howard, but Andre Ethier hit .368 and slugged .649 over the same time period- AND he had value to the Dodgers before that- which Manny didn't. By your logic Ethier is the MVP.

Manny had the highest VORP of any Dodgers hitter
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/team_audit.php?team=lan

If Andruw Jones hadn't stunk so badly, the Dodgers wouldn't have traded for Ramirez in the first place. Andruw for MVP.

Only because Andruw ate the southern tip of Ulaanbaatar. Ulan Bator for MVP.

Andruw had nine more plate appearances this year than Manny had with the Dodgers. I didn't realize the Dodgers gave him as many chances as they did.

I also didn't realize that Wily Mo Pena had basically the same year Andruw did.

If A-Rod hadn't switched to the Yanks at the last minute, he would have signed with the Red Sox, and Manny would have been gone long ago to the Dodgers where he would have excelled for a short while before starting to pout, assaulting clubhouse staff and becoming a team cancer. With the Dodgers destroyed by Manny in 2008, no NL West team would have threatened the D-Backs, who would therefore have never bothered to get Adam Dunn, would not have beaten the Cubs in the NLDS and would have left the Cubs to face Brad Lidge in Game Seven of the ALCS, a game in which Lidge would suffer an Albert Pujols flashback, hang a slider to Alfonso Soriano (who was 0-39 going into the at-bat) and put the Cubs into the World Series where they would be defeated by the Manny-less Red Sox in a series in which A-Rod hits 11 solo HRs and is declared Series MVP.

Which just proves that Adam Dunn should be 2008 National League MVP.

Manny had the highest VORP of any Dodgers hitter
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/team_audit.php?team=lan

47.6
Billinglsy had 51.6 and Lowe 49.7

On the Cubbies Dempster had 57.5

On the Phillies
Utley 62.2
Hamels 56.3

Ok even if you disqualify anyone not on a division winner, and all pitchers, and do not take defense into consideration- Manny still doesn't win (he's close though :-)

If you still stick to that 3 team, no pitcher pool... by winshares above bench:
Utley 16
Ethier 14
MANNY 14
Aramis Ram 13
Soto 13
Rollin 12
DeRosa 12
Howard 12....

Well that was one hell of a 1/3 of a year... close but no cigar...

Seriously, had Manny played at level for 80-100 games for the Dodgers, I'd say yes, he's serious MVP candidate (still not as good as Pujols), but 53 games????????????

Just to see how many brain cells could be killed without drinking...

The Dodgers lost one of those game she homered in...

Manny may have long hair, but he'd sure make an ugly woman. You sure you haven't been drinking?