2001 Ballot

1) Barry Bonds - best season we have seen in the MMP voting
2) Sammy Sosa - 3 full batting wins behind Bonds
3) Alex Rodriguez - now a Ranger
4) Randy Johnson - best pitcher, huge postseason
5) Jason Giambi - small postseason bump
6) Bret Boone - good glove, small postseason bump
7) Luis Gonzalez - small postseason bump
8) Curt Schilling - huge postseason, lousy hitting from Johnson and Schilling this year
9) Rich Aurilia - good glove
10) Larry Walker - great fielding season
11) Shawn Green
12) Scott Rolen - great fielding season (Chavez was better though)
13) Chipper Jones - good postseason
14) Roberto Alomar
15) Mike Mussina - modest postseason bonus

16-20) Albert Pujols, Eric Chavez, Todd Helton, Cliff Floyd, Javier Vazquez
21-26) Jim Edmonds, Greg Maddux, Phil Nevin, Paul Lo Duca, Lance Berkman, Joe Mays

Note the late close and on a Monday instead of a Wednesday.

My vote as I would have voted in 2001, using what I knew then. (This is the last year I’ll do that - the line of postseason memos dies out.)

1. Barry Bonds (there can be no doubt about this choice, no matter what methods you use)
2. Sammy Sosa
3. Alex Rodriguez
4. Jason Giambi
5. Luis Gonzalez
6. Randy Johnson
7. Roberto Alomar
8. Jim Thome
9. Bret Boone
10. Manny Ramirez
11. Albert Pujols
12. Chipper Jones
13. Rich Aurilia
14. Edgar Martinez
15. Carlos Beltran

A fun and comparatively easy ballot, largely because there was only one superstar pitcher for WAR to overrate (Randy Johnson). In fact, except for pitchers, there was surprising consensus between Win Shares and WAR. I cut Curt Schilling a break, so he could go on the ballot. He was tied for 16th place with Chipper Jones, right behind Larry Walker. I gave him Walker's slot. My methods have Mike Mussina as the best AL pitcher, but he's nowhere near the ballot. Anyway, here they are, without further ado:

1. Barry Bonds
2. Sammy Sosa
3. Jason Giambi
4. Bret Boone
5. Luis Gonzalez
6. ARod
7. Roberto Alomar
8. Shawn Green
9. Ichiro
10. Rich Aurelia
11. Lance Berkman
12. Albert Pujols
13. Randy Johnson
14. Phil Nevin
15. Curt Schilling

1. Barry Bonds

2. Randy Johnson - 372 K's in 249.2 IP, plus post-season puts him slightly ahead of all-time great (roid-fueled?) offense by Sammy and Giambi
3. Sammy Sosa
4. Jason Giambi
5. Luis Gonzalez - huge offense plus post-season heroics

6. Curt Schilling - post-season bonus
7. Bret Boone - slight bump for ALCS
8. Alex Rodriguez
9. Larry Walker
10. Todd Helton

11. Mike Mussina - slight bump for post-season
12. Albert Pujols
13. Roberto Alomar
14. Rich Aurilia
15. Shawn Green

Special honorable mention for J.D. Drew who amassed 5.6 WAR and hit 62% above league average in only 109 games!

16. Ichiro Suzuki
17. Lance Berkman
18. Cliff Floyd
19. Jim Edmonds
20. Chipper Jones

21. Greg Maddux
22. Corey Koskie
23. J.D. Drew
24. Joe Mays
25. Carlos Beltran

26. Scott Rolen
27. Eric Chavez
28. Phil Nevin
29. Jim Thome
30. Mike Cameron

2001 Ballot

1. Barry Bonds, LF, San Francisco Giants: the year Barry broke baseball- 259 OPS+ and 230 runs created
2. Sammy Sosa, RF, Chicago Cubs: 203 OPS+ and he's not even close to first place
3. Jason Giambi, 1B, Oakland Athletics: a 199 OPS+ to lead the AL
4. Alex Rodriguez, SS, Texas Rangers: 160 OPS+ and 159 RC for his new team
5. Luis Gonzalez, LF, Arizona Diamondbacks: 174 OPS+ in the desert
6. Randy Johnson, P, Arizona Diamondbacks: best pitcher in baseball with a 188 ERA+ and 249 IP
7. Bret Boone, 2B, Seattle Mariners: 153 OPS+ to go with +12 fielding
8. Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado Rockies: a nice follow-up to his incredible 2000 season
9. Roberto Alomar, 2B, Cleveland Indians: a 150 OPS+ this year, but watch out for that cliff, Roberto!
10. Larry Walker, RF, Colorado Rockies: 160 OPS+ and +14 fielding
11. Curt Schilling, P, Arizona Diamondbacks: overshadowed by the Big Unit but 157 ERA+ in 256 IP isn't too shabby
12. Jim Thome, 1B, Cleveland Indians: 170 OPS+ though a dreadful -9 fielding
13. Rich Aurilia, SS, San Francisco Giants: a career year out by the bay
14. Lance Berkman, LF, Houston Astros: 5th in NL OPS+
15. Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta Braves: 160 OPS+ from the hot corner

16. Albert Pujols, 3B/LF, St. Louis Cardinals: just missed this year but I'll think we'll hear from him again
17. Mike Mussina, P, New York Yankees: a nice debut for his new team while leading the AL in FIP
18. Shawn Green, RF, Los Angeles Dodgers
19. Greg Maddux, P, Atlanta Braves
20. Joe Mays, P, Minnesota Twins: has an argument for the top AL pitcher
21. Manny Ramirez, LF, Boston Red Sox
22. Phil Nevin, 3B, San Diego Padres
23. Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Seattle Mariners
24. John Burkett, P, Atlanta Braves
25. Freddy Garcia, P, Seattle Mariners

2001 Ballot

Using a WAR framework based on value added runs and only 60% of the normal replacement runs (WARR); Adjustment for post season based on Baseball Gauge's World Series Wins Probability Added (WARR adj)

1. Barry Bonds 10.22 WARR What more can you say
2. Sammy Sosa 9.84 WARR
3. Randy Johnson 9.42 WARRadj+ Post season adjustment moves him ahead of Giambi
4. Jason Giambi 9.38 WARR adj-
5. Curt Schilling 8.23 Adj +
6. Jeff Bagwell 7.80 WARR
7. Alex Rodriguez 7.60 WARR
8. Lance Berkman 7.58 WARR adj - post season adjustment drops him below ARod
9. Roberto Alomar 7.5 WARR adj -
10. Carlos Beltran 7.33
11. Luis Gonzalez 7.18 WARR adj -
12. Ichiro Suzuki 7.14 WARR adj +
13. Todd Helton 7.13 WARR
14. Shawn Green 7.03 WARR
15. Mike Mussina 6.65 WARR

Rest of the top 20
Eric Chavez
Albert Pujols
Larry Walker
Scott Rolen
Phil Nevin

2001 MMP ballot.
One of the more memorable seasons. Runs per game were finally down,
but several NLers such as Bonds, Sosa, and L. Gonzalez all had career
years. The top-rated pitchers, teammates Johnson and Schilling,
match common sense, and each gets bumped up a spot due to playoff
performance. Joe Mays led AL pitchers. A-Rod played 162 games for his
new team, while Ichiro won a batting title in his new country. Giambi
had his best all-around year. Alomar and Boone battled for top 2B.
LoDuca was the best catcher with an OPS of 142+ (but with a reduced
catcher bonus for only playing 99 G as a C). Nevin and Cameron make the
ballot a full team, representing 3B and CF. Aurilia was tops amongst NL SS.


1. Barry Bonds
2. Randy Johnson
3. Sammy Sosa
4. Alex Rodriguez
5. Jason Giambi
6. Curt Schilling
7. Roberto Alomar
8. Bret Boone
9. Luis Gonzalez
10. Ichiro Suzuki
11. Paul LoDuca
12. Joe Mays
13. Phil Nevin
14. Mike Cameron
15. Rich Aurilia

Official 2001 MMP Ballot (no postseason bonuses):

1) Barry Bonds: Best ML player and left fielder by a mile - we haven't seen a MMP season like this since Wagner in '08.
2) Sammy Sosa: Best ML right fielder.
3) Jason Giambi: Best AL player and ML first baseman.
4) Alex Rodriguez: Best ML shortstop.
5) Luis Gonzalez:
6) Roberto Alomar: Best ML second baseman.
7) Ichiro Suzuki: Best AL right fielder.
8) Phil Nevin: Best ML third baseman.
9) Rich Aurilia: Best NL shortstop.
10) Shawn Green:
11) Jim Edmonds: Best ML center fielder.
12) Randy Johnson: Best ML pitcher.
13) Bret Boone:
14) Lance Berkman:
15) Jim Thome:

Best AL pitcher: Javier Vazquez

Final ballot and Comments:

1-Bonds-At the time, the record for adjusted OPS+
2-Sosa-64 homers coupled with decent baserunning and fielding lands you number two. It's tough to play in Barry's league
3-Johnson-188 ERA+, 372 K, 13.4 K/9, great postseason
4-Giambi-47 2b, 38 HR, 129 BB and a 199 OPS+
5-Schilling-157 ERA+, 293 K, 1 unearned run, 7.51 K/W, great postseason
6-Arod-52 HR at SS, poor year with the glove
7-Boone-37 HR, 153 OPS+, plus baserunner, plus fielder at the pivot, 2/1 postseason
8-Gonzales-57 HR, decent glove
9-Walker-.350 BA, 38 HR, plus fielder, decent runner
10-Roberto Alomar-34 2b, 12 3b, 20 HR, 30 SB, 113 R, 100 RBI, 80 BB, .36 BA and a 150 OPS+

The Best of the Rest, in order-Chavez, Green, Moose, Cameron, Pujols

No ballots yet from Tubbs, caiman, Michael Binkley

2001 MMP final ballot (number in parentheses is WAR/rate-based salary estimator divided by $1M):

1. Barry Bonds, lf, SF (35.495)
2. Sammy Sosa, rf, ChC (23.535)
3. Randy Johnson, sp, Ari (22.663) - MMPitcher
4. Jason Giambi, 1b, Oak (20.722) - AL MMP
5. Alex Rodriguez, ss, Tex (18.158)
6. Bret Boone, 2b, Sea (16.123)
7. Curt Schilling, sp, Ari (15.194)
8. Luis Gonzalez, lf, Ari (14.887)
9. Mike Mussina, sp, NYY (14.067) - AL MMPitcher
10. Roberto Alomar, 2b, Cle (13.703)
11. Shawn Green, rf, LAD (12.971)
12. Ichiro Suzuki, rf, Sea (12.778)
13. Rich Aurilia, ss, SF (12.666)
14. Larry Walker, rf, Col (11.675)
15. Todd Helton, 1b, Col (11.552)

16-25. Albert Pujols, Phil Nevin, Lance Berkman, Javy Vazquez, Jim Edmonds, Chipper Jones, Mike Cameron, Mike Piazza, Carlos Beltran, Roger Clemens.

Final ballot-no postseason credit but some small credit for playing for a Division-contender
1. Bonds--easy & obvious #1, it's a shame that the player, the era, and the circumstances kept this season being celebrated
2. Sosa--his best overall season due to excellent BA & OBP
3. Giambi--Jason of course not Jeremy haha, excellent OBP & power > AL MVP Ichiro's high BA/Gold Glove/base running
4. Randy Johnson--underrated Koufaxian peak
5. A Rod
6. Bret Boone--edges out Suzuki
7. Ichiro Suzuki
8. Luis Gonzalez
9. Schilling--Drysdale to Big Unit's Koufax only Schilling was better than Drysdale.
10.Larry Walker--just ahead of his teammate
11.Helton
12.Roberto Alomar
13.Thome
14.Pujols--hey, I think this guy's gonna be good
15.Berkman

Ballot is closed