Triple Crown!!

[alanu]

Nice Jeff

[CMIZ5290]

I was listening to mike and mike this morning, and tim kurkjian said he did not know who he was going to vote for! He said it would be the closest race maybe in history! How in the world can a triple crown winner not be a lock? Especially when he carries his team to the postseason.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by CMIZ5290

I was listening to mike and mike this morning, and tim kurkjian said he did not know who he was going to vote for! He said it would be the closest race maybe in history! How in the world can a triple crown winner not be a lock? Especially when he carries his team to the postseason.

Because everyone loves a hot trout.

[CMIZ5290]

I totally agree that trout has had a great year, but beating out a triple crown winner? I don't get it....

[HaloFan]

I'm an Angels fan and love Mike Trout, but winning the Triple Crown is beyond doubt MVP worthy. I believe the media does not like Cabrera because he is quiet and does not have a squeaky clean image(He's been arrested a few times over the past few years for doing stupid things like abusing alcohol and spousal issues). He allegedly has political leanings(in his home country of Venezuela) that we Americans are supposed to frown upon.

Josh Hamilton has had his problems too, but for some reason, media outlets gloss over his faults more willingly. I hate him because he plays for the Rangers and they are in the same division.

Generally, the media has been ignoring how good he is for awhile. If you ask who the average fan who the big mega stars of MLB is over the past several years, Pujols, A-Rod, Jeter, Bonds, Manny...etc. Cabrera's name never comes up, but this guys always been a beast. Check out his stats from when he was with the Marlins.

I remember Arte Moreno making a run at him before he ended up in Detroit. So it is clear, even the Angels' owner knows how good he is.

Craig H.

[majordanby]

10-15 years ago, there would be very little argument against cabrera getting the MVP. but, the evaluation of a player through the analysis of baseball statistics has evolved to the point where players with certain statistics who attain particular accolades are not worth as much, in the public eye but more so to those making decisions on the field and in management. we've seen some of this surface into these post season awards the last several seasons - felix and his 13 wins beating out price (19 wins), sabathia (21) and lester (19) in 2010 for the cy is a perfect example. in the end, it's an award given by the baseball writers and its a debate perfect for sports talk radio, internet forums, and over a glass of beer at your favorite pub. in other words, nothing really to get bent out of shape over if cabrera or trout wins the mvp - it's just a game and it's meant purely for our entertainment.

i personally think the triple crown is a great achievement and signifies a great season - but, let's keep in mind that cabrera has had similar seasons in the past, most notably in 2010 (2nd in MVP voting) when he notched 38 home runs, 126 rbis, and a .328 batting average. give the award to cabrera not simply because he won the triple crown - it's a nice achievement, but it's three variables in a multivariate equation - but because of his complete profile, which includes how much he meant to his team (let's keep things in perspective when we start saying that a triple crown automatically equates to an MVP - frank thomas hit 40 home runs, drove in 134 rbis, and hit .349 in 1996 and finished 8th in MVP voting - had he won the triple crown then (those numbers are similar to miguel's), would he automatically be the MVP?).

i think cabrera will win the award because the tigers made the playoffs and the angels didnt. the writers have been fairly consistent about this criteria, only diverging when a player puts up really crazy numbers (e.g. ARod's ranger season, dawson's cubs season).

[Matthew80]

Briefly, a lot of players have had better years than Cabrera and never won the Triple Crown.

If you can't see beyond baseball card #s, then, yes, Cabrera had the best year in the league. The Triple Crown is a great story and notable accomplishment, but that's not the true measure of a hitter's value, to say nothing of their total value to winning.

And the argument about Cabrera taking his team to the playoffs as a reason to vote for him over Trout shouldn't carry weight considering what the Angels have done since Trout joined the team in late April and what division the Tigers play in.

My prediction is Cabrera winning in a close race, but I think the voters will have gotten it wrong. Congratulations to both of them, though, as each would be a clear winner if the other played in the National League.