The First Halfies of 2012!

Post #1 » by **Da Schwab** » Sun Jul 8, 2012 9:20 pm

I like making this thread every year to discuss our first half award winners and disappointments, so here we go...

NL Cy Young
AL Cy Young
NL MVP
AL MVP
NL ROY
AL ROY
NL MOY
AL MOY

NL LVP
AL LVP

Surprises? Weird factual stuff? Second half predictions?

Post #2 » by **dockingsched** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 1:26 am

AL Cy Young - Jered Weaver
AL ROY - Mike Trout
AL MVP - Mike Trout

Hamyltowne · Post #3 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 5:18 am

NL Cy Young — R.A. Dickey

AL Cy Young — Justin Verlander

NL MVP — Joey Votto

AL MVP — Josh Hamilton

NL ROY — Bryce Harper

AL ROY — Mike Trout

NL MOY — Clint Hurdle

AL MOY — Buck Showalter

NL LVP — Tim Lincecum

AL LVP — Adrian Gonzalez

Edit: I was wrong on AL and NL MVPs.

New AL MLP — Trout
New NL MVP — McCutchen

Post #4 » by **Da Schwab** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 8:09 pm

NL Cy Young - RA Dickey

This really isn't even a question, IMHO. I know Matt Cain, James McDonald and Johnny Cueto are doing pretty well for themselves, but RA Dickey is making people look stupid this season and he's 37 years old.

AL Cy Young - Jered Weaver

If he stays healthy for the rest of the season, it's his to lose. If he can't stay off the DL, then Verlander will get another one.

NL MVP - Andrew McCutchen

The guy is almost single-handedly making the Pirates a first place team. He IS the Pirates offense. I understand Joey Votto is doing something really special right now, but what McCutchen is doing is ridiculous. If he could just draw more walks, he would be the perfect five-tool player.

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton

I know Mike Trout is doing something special and wants to be in the same line as Ichiro and Fred Lynn, but Hamilton is hitting everything. And, now that he's figured out a way to keep the bat from flying out of his hands, I'm sure his production will find a way to be even better. I will also say that it's a damn shame Paul Konerko doesn't put up the pretty numbers, because he should've been in the top three in voting this year and he should be again this year.

NL ROY - Bryce Harper

I thought I was going to hate this kid, but I was wrong. He embodies everything that this game should be and he looks to be having a lot of fun doing it.

AL ROY - Mike Trout

I don't think anyone would disagree... Maybe studcrackers.

NL MOY - Clint Hurdle

I don't think a lot of people would've expected the Pirates to be alone in first place by the All-Star break, but Hurdle has coached em up. His pitching staff has been all sorts of terrific (even AJ Burnett) and his offense is slowly gaining steam. I hope we can see the Buckos make it to October.

AL MOY - Robin Ventura

Same can be said for the White Sox as I did the Pirates. I think everyone thought the Tigers would have run away with the Central by now, but Robin Ventura is making an impressive run during his rookie season as a skip. A lot of people will be saying this belongs to Uncle Buck, but the O's are starting to slide a bit.

NL LVP - Rickie Weeks

Good lord did the Brewers blow a chunk of money on him. He's below the Mendoza line and he is struggling to do anything right. The Freak is a close second, but Weeks is just atrocious.

AL LVP - Chone Figgins

He's worse than Weeks. He's batting .186... .186!!!

My favorite statline from the season thus far, one that I mentioned in the game thread...

AJ Burnett on May 2nd vs. St. Louis
2 2/3 IP, 12 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 1 HBP, 72 pitches

Yet, he's having a great season for Pittsburgh and I hope he keeps it up.

Finally, a bold prediction for the second half of the season: I have this odd feeling that the AL West will come down to the last weekend and that the A's may make a big run. They're young and super talented, and they have a rotation and bullpen that can get stronger with the length of the season. They remind me an awful lot of the '03 Marlins.

Hamyltowne · Post #5 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 9:01 pm

Da Schwab wrote:NL MVP - Andrew McCutchen

The guy is almost single-handedly making the Pirates a first place team. He IS the Pirates offense. I understand Joey Votto is doing something really special right now, but what McCutchen is doing is ridiculous. If he could just draw more walks, he would be the perfect five-tool player.

Plate-discipline is not one of the five tools.

Sabermetricians believe it is a tool; they consider it the sixth tool. It is not, however, one of the original five tools.

Hamyltowne · Post #6 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 9:08 pm

Da Schwab wrote:NL ROY - Bryce Harper

I thought I was going to hate this kid, but I was wrong. He embodies everything that this game should be and he looks to be having a lot of fun doing it.

I agree completely.

I didn't anticipate hating him, I expected to hate him. He almost confirmed it when he threw his batting helmet off on his way to legging out his first major-league double. Then, in the same game, he threw a strike to home plate and I realised just how wrong I had been. Now, I've all but converted to Mormonism for this kid.

Hamyltowne · Post #7 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 9:11 pm

Da Schwab wrote:AL LVP - Chone Figgins

He's worse than Weeks. He's batting .186... .186!!!

Schwab, Figgins was awful last year so I'm not sure he should merit the LVP.

A-Gon, on the other hand, had an MVP-caliber season last year and is all but replacement level this season. No one saw it coming. Couple that with the amount of money he's making and it's got to be AL LVP.

Post #8 » by **Da Schwab** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 9:32 pm

Hamyltowne wrote:
Da Schwab wrote:NL MVP - Andrew McCutchen

The guy is almost single-handedly making the Pirates a first place team. He IS the Pirates offense. I understand Joey Votto is doing something really special right now, but what McCutchen is doing is ridiculous. If he could just draw more walks, he would be the perfect five-tool player.

Plate-discipline is not one of the five tools.

Sabermetricians believe it is a tool; they consider it the sixth tool. It is not, however, one of the original five tools.

I never said plate discipline was one of the tools, I was just saying how if he was more disciplined it would make him an even better five tool player.

Hamyltowne · Post #9 » by **Hamyltowne** » Mon Jul 9, 2012 9:34 pm

Da Schwab wrote:
Hamyltowne wrote:Plate-discipline is not one of the five tools.

Sabermetricians believe it is a tool; they consider it the sixth tool. It is not, however, one of the original five tools.

I never said plate discipline was one of the tools, I was just saying how if he was more disciplined it would make him an even better five tool player.

Ah. I understand, now. He's already a five-tool player, so the discipline would just be the cherry on top.

Hamyltowne · Post #10 » by **Hamyltowne** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 3:39 am

Da Schwab wrote:AL MOY - Robin Ventura

Same can be said for the White Sox as I did the Pirates. I think everyone thought the Tigers would have run away with the Central by now, but Robin Ventura is making an impressive run during his rookie season as a skip. A lot of people will be saying this belongs to Uncle Buck, but the O's are starting to slide a bit.

Isn't it supposed to be awarded on the basis of if the season were to end today?

I know Robin Ventura deserves a mention, but his squad wasn't slated to finish last (those honours went to Minnesota), so his story can't compare to the Orioles re-living their 1988-to-1989 transition here in 2012.

Everybody predicted Showalter's Os to finish last, and so if the season ended today, I would not hesitate in giving him AL MOY.

Post #11 » by **sunshinekids99** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 12:00 pm

AL LVP- While I agree Adrian has to be up there. I think Ichiro deserves some mention too. .288 OBP is disgusting.

Wavy Q · Post #12 » by **Wavy Q** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:28 pm

NL Cy Young - RA Dickey
AL Cy Young - Jared Weaver
NL MVP - Joey Votto
AL MVP - Josh Hamilton
NL ROY - Bryce Harper
AL ROY - Mike Trout
NL MOY - Davey Johnson
AL MOY - Buck Showalter

NL LVP - TIM LINCECUM x 10000000000000000
AL LVP - Adrian Gonzalez

DaveMeyers · Post #13 » by **DaveMeyers** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:13 am

I agree with what most of you guys posted, but I think Chris Sale from the White Sox deserves to be in the AL Cy Young conversation and Zack Greinke for the NL Cy Young.

Being from Milwaukee, I can personally tell you that although he has improved a bit recently, Rickie Weeks has been sickening to watch. Definitely NL LVP.

Hamyltowne · Post #14 » by **Hamyltowne** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:01 am

DaveMeyers wrote:Being from Milwaukee, I can personally tell you that although he has improved a bit recently, Rickie Weeks has been sickening to watch. Definitely NL LVP.

His numbers have been in decline for a couple years now.

Lincecum, however—nobody could have predicted that.

DaveMeyers · Post #15 » by **DaveMeyers** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:13 am

Hamyltowne wrote:
DaveMeyers wrote:Being from Milwaukee, I can personally tell you that although he has improved a bit recently, Rickie Weeks has been sickening to watch. Definitely NL LVP.

His numbers have been in decline for a couple years now.

Lincecum, however—nobody could have predicted that.

Numbers in decline? Not really. 2010 was the best year in his career and he might have been even better in 2011 had he not gotten injured. I guess you are probably right with Lincecum, though. A huge fall from grace for that guy. I'm just pissed that Weeks is getting paid $11 million to hit under .200.

Hamyltowne · Post #16 » by **Hamyltowne** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:21 am

DaveMeyers wrote:
Hamyltowne wrote:
DaveMeyers wrote:Being from Milwaukee, I can personally tell you that although he has improved a bit recently, Rickie Weeks has been sickening to watch. Definitely NL LVP.

His numbers have been in decline for a couple years now.

Lincecum, however—nobody could have predicted that.

Numbers in decline? Not really. 2010 was the best year in his career and he might have been even better in 2011 had he not gotten injured. I guess you are probably right with Lincecum, though. A huge fall from grace for that guy. I'm just pissed that Weeks is getting paid $11 million to hit under .200.

You're right. I thought mixed up his 2010 numbers with his 2009 season.

His brother is also having a bad season.

Hamyltowne · Post #17 » by **Hamyltowne** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:26 am

sunshinekids99 wrote:AL LVP- While I agree Adrian has to be up there. I think Ichiro deserves some mention too. .288 OBP is disgusting.

He had a very poor season, by his standards, last year, so this year should not have been surprising. A-Gon, though, was the man everyone had as their pre-season pick for the AL batting title.