Joe Mauer announces retirement: HOF? Make Your Case:

[packs]

I seem to recall MLB naming an award after Edgar Martinez. The other players with awards named after them are: Cy Young, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron.

There is no Joe Mauer award.

[Yastrzemski Sports]

Personally I never understood why they named the award after him. It seemed like all at once they took all of the awards and attached a players name to it. You could have done a lot better than the Carew and Gwynn awards - like the Cobb and Hornsby awards. They could have done a lot better than the Edgar award. They named the award after a guy who wasn’t in the hall and didn’t belong.
No, there should not be a Mauer award because there isn’t an appropriate award to name after him. There isn’t an award named after most hof players but it doesn’t mean they don’t belong.

Originally Posted by packs

I seem to recall MLB naming an award after Edgar Martinez. The other players with awards named after them are: Cy Young, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron.

There is no Joe Mauer award.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Yastrzemski Sports

Personally I never understood why they named the award after him. It seemed like all at once they took all of the awards and attached a players name to it. You could have done a lot better than the Carew and Gwynn awards - like the Cobb and Hornsby awards. They could have done a lot better than the Edgar award. They named the award after a guy who wasn’t in the hall and didn’t belong.
No, there should not be a Mauer award because there isn’t an appropriate award to name after him. There isn’t an award named after most hof players but it doesn’t mean they don’t belong.

You said Edgar doesn't belong. If he doesn't belong, why did MLB name an award after him? If there were better players at his position, why did they choose him?

In my opinion it was because there hasn't been a player better than him at his position.

[Yastrzemski Sports]

First, in my opinion he didn't have a position - that's why he was a DH. That's a guy with a bat who is a liability in the field. He had a spot in the lineup not on the field. At the time they named the award Frank Thomas, Paul Molitor and Harold Baines had done more and that's not even talking about David Ortiz.
Now, for someone who is inducted into the HOF and had an award named after them at DH you should have done something pretty special. Edgar had 2200 hits and 300 hr. That is absolutely pedestrian. He had no extras - no WS, no MVP, no great accomplishment or moment that defined him and he was never close to being the best player on his team. If he had played the field we wouldn't even be talking about him in the hall.
I don't know how voters can elect Edgar before they put in Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Omar Vizquel and Lou Whitaker among others. It was irresponsible of MLB to name the award after him and it seemed like they rushed to do so and it seemed like that made it an obligation to put him in the hall. They should never name an award after someone who isn't already in.

Originally Posted by packs

You said Edgar doesn't belong. If he doesn't belong, why did MLB name an award after him? If there were better players at his position, why did they choose him?

In my opinion it was because there hasn't been a player better than him at his position.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Yastrzemski Sports

First, in my opinion he didn't have a position - that's why he was a DH. That's a guy with a bat who is a liability in the field. He had a spot in the lineup not on the field. At the time they named the award Frank Thomas, Paul Molitor and Harold Baines had done more and that's not even talking about David Ortiz.
Now, for someone who is inducted into the HOF and had an award named after them at DH you should have done something pretty special. Edgar had 2200 hits and 300 hr. That is absolutely pedestrian. He had no extras - no WS, no MVP, no great accomplishment or moment that defined him and he was never close to being the best player on his team. If he had played the field we wouldn't even be talking about him in the hall.
I don't know how voters can elect Edgar before they put in Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Omar Vizquel and Lou Whitaker among others. It was irresponsible of MLB to name the award after him and it seemed like they rushed to do so and it seemed like that made it an obligation to put him in the hall. They should never name an award after someone who isn't already in.

Glad you brought up David Ortiz because Edgar's WAR is 68.4 compared to Ortiz at 55.3. That's a HUGE margin of difference for a guy you say had some kind of prestige number that Edgar didn't. Not to mention that both Edgar's OPS and OPS+ are each higher than Ortiz, as is his career on base.

For a guy who wasn't very good, he seems to be better than anyone you brought up.

[Yastrzemski Sports]

Edgar. 2247 hits, 309 hr, 1261 RBI, 312 ba, 933 ops
Ortiz. 2472 hits, 541 hr, 1768 RBI, 286 ba, 931 ops
Seriously? Ortiz has 200+ more hits, 200+ more hr and 500+ more RBI not to mention 3 ws rings and Edgar is better because of WAR and OPS? I guess in your opinion. I'm not sure how many would agree.

Originally Posted by packs

Glad you brought up David Ortiz because Edgar's WAR is 68.4 compared to Ortiz at 55.3. That's a HUGE margin of difference for a guy you say had some kind of prestige number that Edgar didn't. Not to mention that both Edgar's OPS and OPS+ are each higher than Ortiz, as is his career on base.

For a guy who wasn't very good, he seems to be better than anyone you brought up.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I always thought of Edgar as similar to Bernie Williams in terms of hitting, and of course Bernie played a prime position, and well.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Yastrzemski Sports

Edgar. 2247 hits, 309 hr, 1261 RBI, 312 ba, 933 ops
Ortiz. 2472 hits, 541 hr, 1768 RBI, 286 ba, 931 ops
Seriously? Ortiz has 200+ more hits, 200+ more hr and 500+ more RBI not to mention 3 ws rings and Edgar is better because of WAR and OPS? I guess in your opinion. I'm not sure how many would agree.

Why do people always bring up WAR as it relates to player's value if it doesn't relate to a player's value? There is such a huge disparity between Edgar and Ortiz in terms of WAR despite Edgar having a significantly shorter career. How do you explain that difference? Ortiz's best output was 6.4 in any one season. Edgar's is 7.0, and he went on to eclipse Ortiz's benchmark 2 other times when he put up seasons of 6.5. Ortiz was only worth 6 or more wins that one single time. Edgar put up a WAR higher than 6.0 five times.