Debate Of The Young Sports Minds: MLB Awards

Apologies for going almost a week without making a post. It is safe to say that Madison took more out of me than I was anticipating. Great trip, but also a long trip.

I would like to thank everyone for making Romeo's letter to Brady the most viewed article here at King of Arguments. An astonishing 60 individual viewers logged on the very first day to see the reasoning behind Brady Quinn sitting on the bench. The bar is set. Hopefully it can be raised in the near future.
This debate series between Matt Barnes and myself is going to get a semi-makeover. Instead of talking about one individual topic and then repeating ourselves over and over again, we are going to discuss three separate questions. Those questions will all fall under one all-encompassing topic, but this way we are not hammering home the same points. Don't get me wrong, when a big topic/debate is necessary, we will go back to the original format. But for a weekly segment, it is not justifiable.

Our next topic (which was supposed to be up last week) will talk about who we believe should win the Major League Baseball awards as well as our picks to win the World Series (mine is out already). Enjoy, and as always, let us know what you think.

Question #1: Who Will Win The World Series?

Luke Florence: September 29th, 10:51 PM

The big disclaimer on this question is that once these teams make it to the postseason, it becomes a crapshoot with regards to picking a winner. Some teams get hot at the right time and others cool off when it matters the most. That being said - all things being considered equal - the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the best shot to win the World Series. They are simply the team with the most positives.
It starts with their manager Mike Scioscia, who is one of the game's best. He remains level-headed throughout, and knows how to flat-out win. Having already won a World Series shows that he knows what it takes to capture the championship, which is a tremendous asset to a ball club.

Their offense is one of the most well-balanced in all of baseball. They have power with in the middle of the order with Mark Teixeira (33 home runs), Vladimir Guerrero (27 home runs) and Torii Hunter (21 home runs). They have guys who can hit for average and get on base like Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick. They also have the ageless wonder Garret Anderson who hit .293 this season with 15 home runs and 84 RBI's to provide leadership experience and come up big with a clutch base-hit.

Their pitching staff resembles their offense in the case of being balanced from top to bottom. They had four pitchers start more than 30 games which shows durability and reliability. All five of their main starters won more than ten games, which shows depth. Just look at their numbers. Joe Saunders 17-7, Ervin Santana 16-7, Jon Garland 14-8, John Lackey 12-5, and Jered Weaver 11-10.

And oh yeah, don't forget their closer.

Francisco Rodriguez was amazing this year, closing a Major-League record 66 games. He provides the anchor to a tremendously under-rated Angels pitching staff. You know playoff games come down to the ninth inning, and who else would you want running out of the bullpen to close the game THIS SEASON than K-Rod?
However, the biggest asset for this Angels squad is that they are finally healthy come October. Last season they were banged up, and it showed as they were dispatched by the Red Sox. This time around it is Boston who is nicked up and Anaheim with the health advantage.

Cases could be made for just about any team this year, but the Angels have the strongest.

Matt Barnes: September 30th, 2:02 PM

As you stated in your argument, picking a team to win the World Series is a crapshoot. Because in no way does the best team always win. Teams like the Rockies 0f '07 are the perfect example of a team that got hot when it mattered and got to the World Series though in no way were they the NL's best. With that in mind, I'm taking a huge gamble here and picking the Tampa Bay Rays to win it all.
And unlike Luke, I don't have that much to back it up. The Angels, Red Sox and Cubs are all better teams than the Rays, but just like in 1997 with the Marlins and D'Backs in 2001, no one really gave them a chance to win it all. But despite what others thought, they stayed true to themselves and their game and won it all. That's what I think the Rays are going to do.

The playoff experience on this team is slim to none. But you know the saying: ignorance is bliss. Sometimes, not knowing the pressures of the playoffs allows a team to stay loose during a stressful time. Players like Evan Longoria, Dioner Navarro and Scott Kazmir can just play like they always do, although playing in a full Tropicana Field will be something new to see for sure.

And this is a team that knows how to win the big game. They've done it all year en route to winning their division. They won the season series with the Angels 6-3. Won the season series with the Red Sox 10-8. Won the season series with the White Sox 4-2 and tied the season series with Twins 3-3. They held off the Yanks and Red Sox all year despite nearly everyone saying it couldn't be done.

And if you mention managers, you have to remember that Joe Maddon has done an amazing job with this team. They believe in him and he believes in them. His demeanor and attitude is exactly what this team needs. And more importantly, he was the bench coach for Mike Scioscia when the Angels won the World Series in 2002 so he also knows what it takes to capture a championship.

So again, cases can be made for any team and for sure, better cases can be made for the Cubs, Red Sox and Angels. But sometimes, you have to throw out the numbers and go with your instincts. Mine are saying this Rays team has the pieces in place to make a good run at the title. They have the manager, they have the players but more importantly, they have been battle-tested all season to make up for their lack of playoff experience.

Now, it's just time to see if they can put it all together and win a World Series.

Question #2: Who Will Win The American League Individual Awards?

Luke Florence: October 1st, 1:05 AM

It's safe to say that you are on not only on the Rays bandwagon you are in full conductor mode. I hope you are right and I am wrong with the World Series pick, because I would love to see Tampa Bay-L.A. playing for it all. Time will tell, and if the Chicago-Minnesota play-in game is any indication, it should be incredible to watch.

With the MLB playoffs fully set, it is time to take a look back and hand out some hardware for individual performances. Let's start with the American League.

Rookie Of The Year - Well Barnes, we might be in agreement with a few of these, in particular, this category. Out of all the awards, this one might be the easiest to hand out (besides Manager of the Year, of course). My pick is Evan Longoria, the third baseman from your Tampa Bay Rays.
Numbers tell a large portion of the story. He leads AL rookies in RBIs, total bases and extra-base hits. His slugging percentage (.531) is the highest for any AL rookie in more than 20 years. He batted .272 with 25 homers and 85 RBIs. All the while playing for a team in the thick of a pennant race.

I almost forgot the biggest reason I picked him. His birthday is October 7th 1985, just four days before yours truly was born. What's not to love?

Manager of the Year - No brainer. Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays. If you take any interest in sports or at the very least follow our debates, you know the Rays' story. No more explanation needed. Maddon gets it and he deserves it. Case closed.
Cy Young Award - This is a two-horse race between Cliff Lee and Francisco Rodriguez. This is also not a very close horse race. Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians wins it by putting up a historically great season for a team that went absolutely nowhere.
Here is a quick summary of Cliff's numbers:

- 1st in AL in Wins (22)
- 1st in AL in ERA (2.54)
- 2nd in AL in IP (223.1)
- 2nd in AL in Complete Games (4)
- 2nd in AL in WHIP (1.11)
- 9th in AL in K's (170)

He was the ace pitcher for a team that struggled through the majority of the season. It's crazy to think that just last year Lee was in Buffalo, pitching the majority of the season in AAA. It's safe to say the Tribe win it all last year if they had this type of performance from Lee in '07.

If he doesn't win it, then it will be a bigger travesty then when Albert Belle was denied the AL MVP in 1995. Speaking of which ...

Most Valuable Player - This is the toughest award to hand out this season. There wasn't a player who put up tremendous numbers, say like A-Rod did several times. And, of the teams who made the postseason, no one really stood out individually. I'm left scratching my head a bit when trying to assign this prestigious honor. In the end I'm going with a guy who is not going to play a single inning of postseason ball, mainly because I have no idea.

The pick here is for Justin Morneau, the first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. He put up solid numbers, obviously, hitting .300 with 23 homeruns. His 129 RBIs were just one behind AL leader Josh Hamilton.
I'm also a believer in the idea that the MVP should be a player who has the greatest impact on their team. The Minnesota Twins rely heavily on Morneau, and he delivered in a big way this season, falling just one game short of winning the AL Central. If Morneau does not put up great numbers, the Twins are barely an 80 win team.

Cases can be made for a slew of players, but I honestly don't want to see a Red Sox walk away with the award, therefore I went with Morneau.

How many did I get right Barnes??

Matt Barnes: October 1st, 3:41 PM

Well, when there's no need to argue, why do it huh?

Rookie Of The Year - No doubt Evan Longoria deserves this award. The numbers are there and doing it all for a team that has made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. And those numbers include a late call-up and a stint on the DL. This kid is the real deal.
Manager Of The Year - Let me start by saying props need to go to Ron Gardenhire of Minnesota for keeping his team in a playoff race despite losing his two best players (Johan Santana and Torii Hunter), Ron Washington for getting the Rangers to near .500 depsite playing in a pitcher-unfriendly park and not having good pitching, and Cito Gaston for beginning his second stint with the Jays by leading them to a 51-37 record when he became manager.

But the deserving winner of this award is Joe Maddon. What he did turn to around the losing culture that was the Rays was remarkable. This should be an unanimous vote. 97 wins for a team that had not even won more than 70 in a season.
Cy Young Award - As you said, this is a two-horse race between Lee and Rodriguez. But in this case, Cliff Lee is Secretariat and K-Rod is just Big Brown.

In other words, the award should go to Lee for his complete body of work. He dominated hitters all season as seen by the stats you put up and all for a team that was never in a playoff race. His 22 wins were 27% of the team's wins and who knows how many of those games he was ahead and the bullpen dropped the ball.
Meanwhile, K-Rod's 66 saves is a MLB record but trust me, this guy was on my fantasy team and I can't tell you how many times he had one-out saves. That's like a starting pitcher just pitching three innings and getting credit for a win.

Cliff Lee should get it. Hands down.

Most Valuable Player - It will probably go to Dustin Pedroia but I again, have to agree with Luke and take Justin Morneau. I also am one who believes the V in MVP means valuable and players should be judged by that word. And if that's the case, then Morneau deserves the award.
He plays for a team that has three stars: Joe Mauer, Joe Nathan and himself. But he is the leader of this team. His stats speak for themselves. And he's doing it for a team that had to scrap all year for runs to win games to get the ball to Nathan to close the game out.

And let's be serious ... without Pedroia, the Red Sox would survive. He makes them better but if the Red Sox lose Pedroia and the Twins lose Morneau, who hurts more? Easily the Twins.

A case could also be made for Carlos Quentin and his impact on the White Sox and I would be fine seeing him win this award as well. But if I had to choose now, Morneau is my choice.

Question #3: Who Will Win The National League Individual Awards?

Luke Florence: October 2nd, 2:13 AM

A perfect 4-for-4. That does not happen much between us. What's going on? Let's see if the same thing takes place as we hand out the same hardware but this time, for the senior circuit.

Rookie Of The Year - I don't know about you Barnes, but some of these awards are just too easy to pick. This HAS to go to Geovany Soto, the catcher for the Chicago Cubs.
He finished 2nd out of all National League catchers in homeruns (23), slugging percentage (.504) and on-base percentage (.364). All the while helping lead the Cubbies back to the postseason. It's scary to think how good of a deal Chicago got on Soto's production this season, as he only made a tad more than $400,000. With his numbers, he should have made four times that much. Hopefully this hardware will help ease his wallet a bit.

Manager Of The Year - This one is a little tricky, and you can go in a lot of different directions. I'm going with Jerry Manuel and the job he did with the New York Mets. Hear me out.

He took over the job after Willie Randolph was fired and inherited a team with a 34-35 record with monstrous expectations. All he did was lead them to a 89-73 record, meaning he went 55-38 during his tenure at the helm.
If not for a bullpen that was brutally hurt when Billy Wagner went down with a season-ending injury, they would be in the playoffs. Manuel got them to the brink of the postseason, missing out by just one game. Maybe if they would have fired Randolph two days earlier, they would have gotten in.

Cy Young Award - Just like the American League, this is another two-horse race. However this time around, it is a much closer race. The two thoroughbreds are Brandon Webb and Tim Lincecum. In a photo-finish contest, the winner in my book is the Arizona Diamondbacks Brandon Webb.
Webb led the NL in wins with 22, and posted a more than respectable 3.30 ERA, which was good enough for tenth in the National League. He tossed three complete games, and was fourth in the NL in innings pitched. Yeah Lincecum had a ton of strikeouts, but Webb won more ball games, which is what really matters.

Just how Cliff Lee won 22 of the Indians 81 games, Webb won 22 of the D-Backs 82. That shows me that Webb deserves to win this for the second time of his career (2006).

Most Valuable Player - Can't believe I'm doing this again, but just like the AL, I'm backing a player who did NOT make the playoffs. It was kind of a crazy year for baseball, so maybe this is fitting.

Albert Pujols should win this award over the likes of Ryan Howard, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia.
Pujols played better for longer, and with less help from his teammates. Similarly to how Morneau won (which we both agreed on), Pujols single-handedly kept the Cardinals in the NL Wild-Card race until mid-September. And he does have some pretty compelling statistics as well.

2nd in NL in Batting Average - .357
4th in NL in RBIs - 116
4th in NL in HRs - 37
1st in Slugging Percentage - .653
2nd in BB - 104

I could go on, but by now you get the point. Just as Webb should win his 2nd Cy Young, Pujols should get his 2nd MVP, as he won his first back in 2005.

Well Barnes, we didn't do something crazy and go 8-for-8 did we? And with the playoffs in full swing, I officially miss the Tribe. Last year was so much fun.

Matt Barnes: October 3rd, 1:50 PM

Yeah, the baseball postseason just isn't nearly as exciting without the Tribe ... but I digress

Rookie of the Year - You hit the nail on the head. This is an easy award to pick. Geovany Soto deserves this award by far. Not only is he is the rookie of the year, but he is the best catcher in the NL not named Brian McCann.
Not many rookies jump into the majors and command their position like Soto. And beyond his gaudy stats at the plate, you have to give him credit for his work behind the plate as well. Just five errors, throwing out 26% of base stealers (good for a catcher) and managing a Cubs staff that was the best in the league. And all at the ripe age of 25. Cubs have found themselves a catcher for the future.

Manager Of The Year - Long last, we disagree about an award. While Jerry Manuel did an admirable job in relief of Willie Randolph, I'm giving this award though to his brother from another mother, Charlie Manuel.

'Ol Charlie had to get through a lot this season. Brett Myers struggling badly at the beginning of the year. Ryan Howard's sluggish start. Defending MVP Jimmy Rollins having the ego of one. And of course, the fans of Philadelphia who are neither brotherly nor loving.
But Manuel handled it all well. Myers was sent to the minors to work on his pitching and came back stronger than ever. Howard was kept in the three or four spot in an effort to show his confidence in his former MVP. And with Rollins, Manuel pulled no punches and sat his MVP for thinking he was too good for his team.

But despite all this, he led the Phillies to another playoff berth, something Jerry Manuel could not do, despite a 3.5 game lead with 17 days to go in the season. He may be incredibly old but he knows how to manage.

Cy Young Award - As you stated, the two choices here are Brandon Webb and Tim Lincecum. And while Webb's season was impressive in many ways, I'm gonna go with Tim Lincecum.

I know Lincecum only finished 18-5 but in this case, look beyond the wins. Lincecum had five starts in which he gave up no more than one earned run and didn't win. Webb had just one. Lincecum had five saves blown for him. Webb had one.
Lincecum led the NL in strikeouts and finished second in ERA (2.66). Opponents batted just .223 against him, which was tops in the league.

And above all, he did this for a San Francisco Giants team that won just 72 games while Webb played for a team that led the division for most of the year. With all this in mind, I'm giving the award to Lincecum, though you can't go wrong with either.

Most Valuable Player - I can't believe it either but I am taking a player that is not in the playoffs as well. And yes, it is Albert Pujols.

The Cardinals did not have a great season this year but you can't blame that on Pujols. His numbers speak for themselves and without him, the Cardinals would really be in a heap of trouble.
Plus, every other player in the running just doesn't deserve it. Sabathia and Ramirez weren't even in the league until July so they had good half years. Delgado was amazing down the stretch, but that's it. And Howard had a super September but a miserable April-August,

Pujols was steady all year, kept the Cards in the race despite their pitching woes, and is in my mind, the most valuable player in all of baseball.

THE END ... LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ... NEXT DEBATE: NHL PREVIEW