Tag: MVP

I’m Having Impure Thoughts About These Pics of Mookie Betts in the Gym

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What do you do after you win the MVP? You get back in the damn gym and keep grinding. I love it. Mookie is listed at 5’9″ so he’s not a big guy to begin with and especially wearing baggy baseball jerseys every day it goes unnoticed, but dude is low key YOKED.

A lot of people probably still think of him as the scrawny guy he was down at Pawtucket,

Not the Adonis you see before you today.

Getting a little flustered if we’re being honest.

This is exactly what you want to see out of your best player though. Not resting on his laurels and falling back into the trappings of a professional bowler lifestyle. Nope, dude is getting after it because he wants to be the best Red Sox highest paid player of all time.

JD Martinez Hits Like Ted Williams When He Plays Left Field

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JD Martinez has been crushing it for the Red Sox all season, regardless of what position he’s been playing. Martinez has made it clear that he likes playing the field and wants to play the field. What you might not realize, though, is how much better his production is at the plate when he does play the field.

JD Martinez has played 70 games as a DH this season and 45 games as an outfielder (30 in left field and 15 in right field). As a DH, Martinez’s slash line is .305/.372/.643, with an OPS of 1.015. As an outfielder, Martinez’s slash line is .376/.449/.694 with an OPS of 1.143.

Part of the variance is due to Martinez’s insane .452 batting average on balls in play as a left fielder. His career batting average on balls in play is .346, which means he may be getting a little lucky in a small thirty-game sample this season. He’s also only been hit by pitch four times this season, but three times came when he was the right fielder. Either way, it’s still obvious that Martinez hits even better when he’s playing the field. He doesn’t seem to be the type of hitter who needs to watch his at bats on iPads while his team is in the field.

So what does this mean? Jackie Bradley’s slash line this year is .218/.305/.387 with an OPS of .692. He’s been hitting a little better as of late with a .250 average this month, but if Martinez hits even better when he is in the field, doesn’t it make sense to put Martinez in the field and DH someone like Steve Pearce? I’d swap Pearce’s bat for Bradley’s glove. Pearce’s slash line with Boston so far is .310/.425/.634 with a 1.059 OPS. It’s a small 25-game sample, but Pearce is playing the best baseball of his career. Plug in JD in left field, make Pearce your DH, and JD wins the Triple Crown and MVP award in a run away. Boom. Everyone wins.

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You can start planning the parade now, Alex. You’re welcome.

Mookie or JD for MVP? Who Ya Got?

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In some ways, this is going to be reminiscent of the 2012 AL MVP race, when Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown. but Mike Trout was the more valuable player because of his base running and defense on top of his extraordinary hitting.

Cabrera won the award. I don’t think Martinez has a real shot this year unless he wins the Triple Crown as well, and that’s going to require him making up some ground in the batting race. (Betts is at .350 right now, Martinez at .333).

In the end, I think Betts wins the award without much suspense. And I’m not especially concerned about Betts and Martinez splitting the Boston vote. Right now, it’s Mookie’s award to lose.

I’ve got no issue with Chad Finn’s column yesterday. Finn says the AL MVP award is Mookie’s to lose at this point, and he’s right. But that doesn’t mean I don’t take issue with the way BBWAA members vote for this award.

Let me get this straight. JD Martinez has more home runs and more runs batted in than Mookie Betts (and every other player in the game for that matter), but Mookie Betts should be the MVP because he plays the field more often and steals more bases?

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Both players are having phenomenal seasons. I just don’t understand how someone could think the leadoff hitter is more valuable than the slugger hitting cleanup. The lineup is built around JD Martinez. Coming into 2018, he was the only real difference in the lineup from 2017. Last year’s team scored 4.85 runs per game. This year’s team is scoring 5.46 runs per game. Last year’s team hit 168 home runs. This year’s team has hit 168 home runs through just 121 games. Isn’t it logical to assume the new guy is a big part of the reason why? Wouldn’t that guy be a logical choice for MVP?

It’s true that Mookie’s WAR for 2018 (8.1) is higher than JD’s (5.6). But I think the reason why Mookie will probably beat out JD for the MVP award is much simpler than the formula for Wins Above Replacement. It’s the position that JD plays (or, does not play as the voters would likely point out).

The bias against designated hitters baffles me. It’s been a legal position for 45 years. Why shouldn’t a DH win the MVP? American League pitchers don’t hit but they’ve won MVP awards since 1973. And if fielding is so important, how come the MVP isn’t a gold glover every year? The last MVP to win a Gold Glove the same season was Dustin Pedroia in 2008. Daivd Ortiz was very valuable to the Red Sox for 14 years. Would he have been even more valuable playing below average defense at first base, and leaving a worse hitter in the DH spot? I think not.

If Mookie’s numbers and JD’s numbers are roughly similar at the end of the season, sure, give the MVP award to the guy who plays the field more. But right now it isn’t really close. JD gets my vote.

An Ode To The GOAT On His 40th Birthday

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I’ll admit it: I was a Bledsoe guy. Drafted 1st overall in 1993, as I became a conscious human being, the rocket-armed Washingtonian was the prototype of a QB1 and the guy I was sure would lead us to a Super Bowl Championship, getting us to the big dance once in 1996.

So, needless to say, when Mo Lewis, contracted by the football gods, landed the shot heard ’round the universe in 2001 and caused a near-death (seriously) Bledsoe to hand the reigns over to a young back up out of Michigan, I was none too pleased. More specifically I figured we were fucked. My guy was out and our season was over.

Well I was wrong. I’ll take that one. That’s on me. That backup, chosen in the sixth round the year before Bledsoe went down, was Tom Brady, and all he has done is rack up 5 Super Bowls, 4 Super Bowl MVPs, 12 Pro Bowl appearances, 2 MVPs, and 2 Offensive Player Of The Year Awards. He now also is both the winningest QB overall and winningest QB for a single team (208 wins). This is further astounding when factoring in the bust of a 2002 season when Brady was getting used to life as an official starting QB and that his 2008 season was ended half a quarter in. Oh and a quick side note: Did I mention he’s handsome as fuck and married to a kajillionaire Brazilian super model who seems like she’s a down ass PIC as well?

Now reread all the accomplishments I listed above, personal and professional. Take a glimpse into the California-sized chip taken out of #12’s shoulder in April 2000 and you’ll see a list of accolades and achievements that transcends modern football’s standards for longevity and consistency, especially when you consider those MVPs, etc. would probably be double in number if the media that voted on them didn’t quietly hate Brady for ruining their “Peyton Manning: America’s Golden Boy” narrative they had pre-written 20 years worth of stories for in 1998.

Reread all that Tom Brady has done, all that he has earned through skill and grit, patience and perseverance, and then think of this: He did all that before he turned 40. Every last thing listed above happened before Brady reached his 5th decade. That changes today. Today, he turns 40 – coming off his fifth Super Bowl win but seemingly as competitive and driven to win as ever. He has a restocked arsenal with which to work, as Brandin Cooks, Mike Gillislee, and Dwayne Allen have been added to his toolbox. He works with a guru of sorts with whom he monitors every last work out down to the smallest of motions and every last meal down to the tiniest of morsels. Make no mistake about it, Tom Brady isn’t still here to just win, or even to be considered the GOAT, a title which, although earned, he has stated he is uncomfortable with. No, He is still coming for complete and total domination. He wants no corners of the map unconquered and no prisoners taken. He wants it all.

So Happy 40th Birthday to Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, the guy who replaced my guy, the 7th QB taken in 2000, destined to ride pine while Bledsoe played for another 5 years, at least.. For 16 years we’ve watched you prove you belong, then that you are great, then excellent. The only gift we can give now is to end the ever-changing perceptions of what we are observing and simply state – you are the Greatest of All Time.

 

Now can someone give him a fucking high-5.

 

 

Patriots Super Bowl Parade Recap

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What a time to be alive. Another Super Bowl victory lap for the New England Patriots with millions of fans coming out in a bitterly cold and miserable day. And seeing 5 Lombardi trophies all together at once is rarer than getting all of the Dragon Balls together.

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Jacoby Brissett rocking the Tom Brady jersey, Gronk sacrificing and partying for the fans, every single RB shouting out James White, Ninkovich getting AFTER IT, Brady and Belichick cementing themselves as GOATs and the fans capping it all off with the chant of “We Want Six.”

Despite a Red Sox Loss, Mookie Betts Putting Himself in MVP Consideration

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Seriously though, can we start talking about Mookie for MVP yet? Or are people still not sold on him yet? After 3 HRs in the first game against the Orioles and then another 2 HRs last night he is absolutely smoking hot. It seems like he hit the national stage for real last night though when ESPN went to a split screen during the Dodgers game to show Mookie’s at-bat live. 5 HR in 2 games will have that affect.

I think the best part of this past couple of days is not the number of dingers, but the swagger Betts clearly is developing. Last night after his first inning HR, and 4th in two games, the Orioles were apparently a little burnt up about it and Mike Wright threw a clearly intentional fastball right over Mookie’s head. Major league pitchers don’t miss high over a guy’s head, that was a purpose pitch. So what does Betts do? Oh just proceeds to hit an absolute piss missile out of Camden Yards. And no one loved it more than Big Papi.

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Betts now has 14 homers, 1 behind Ortiz for the team lead, and is hitting .288 with 42 RBIs and 51 Runs – batting leadoff for christs sake! He’s on pace for 43 HR, 128 RBIs, 34 doubles and a measly 156 Runs. Now obviously he’s not going to stay this red hot and hit 40+ dingers, but if Betts is even close to this pace the rest of the year he has to be in the MVP ballot. And that my friends is how you find what was projected to be a dogshit team sitting in first place in June.

Steph Curry Wins Back to Back MVPs: LeBron James Not Impressed

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ESPN – One day after Curry was voted the first unanimous winner in 61 years, James, who finished third behind Curry and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, said the honor can be interpreted in different ways…”I think sometimes the word ‘valuable’ or best player of the year you can have different results,” said James, a four-time MVP. “You know, that’s not taking anything from anyone that’s ever won the award.”

Another quote in a long line of them from LeBron that just come off as salty at best. Do you think LeBron was playing semantics when he won back to back MVPs? Winning the award four times (09,10,12,13) I’m pretty sure LeBron would be bullshit if people tried to say he was merely a valuable player, not actually the best player in the league.

Steph Curry is on a historic run and is just decimating teams, albeit in an unconventional way jacking 3’s from half court. Curry is the best player in the league hands down. May not be the best defender, shot creator, whatever you want to nitpick, but is the best overall player in the NBA? Hands down. Hell, even NBA2k had to apologize for not making his video game character good enough. Just more sour grapes coming out of Believeland.