From: niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent)
Subject: Re: Eck Wins MVP in Horrible Voting
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 01:30:18 GMT

In article <21NOV199212140657@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu> doctor8@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Jason Abner Miller) writes:
>In article <1992Nov20.184840.9657@Princeton.EDU>, niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent) writes...
>>In article <BxzrFM.9tJ@cs.dal.ca> niguma@ug.cs.dal.ca (Gordon Niguma) writes:
 
>>>  Well I still don't like him and I don't see much evidence to think that 
>>>he deserves it, but Dennis Eckersley wins the MVP. Congratulations are given
>>>grudgingly.
 
>>I don't think Eckersley, who had a good year, deserved either the MVP
>>*or* Cy Young, but we'll let that pass; at least he had a good year, and
>>it's unclear (to me) how to weight his performance, anyway.
 
>>But the *rest* of the voting was the most pathetic thing I have ever
>>seen.  Forget drug testing Steve Howe, forget suspending Pete Rose.
>>Replace them with the mediots.
 
>>>Anyways, who are these idiots that were voting anyways? I'll leave Eck alone
>>>because he had a good year; I won't dispute that. But Joe Carter third?
>>>What kind of idiot can believe that Joe Carter had more to do with the
>>>Jays success than Roberto Alomar? Really?I saw both play around 130-140 games
>>>this year and there's no way Joe Carter can beat Alomar in overall
>>>effectiveness. Joe came in third while Alomar came fifth or sixth.
>>>  Can anyone justify picking Carter over Alomar with things that can shown to
>>>be true? How can a .309 OBP justify Carter? A .900 SLG? Perhaps but Joe
>>>clicked in at only .498.
>>>  Some people in the voting picked Joe Carter first (he had 3 or 4 first
>>>place votes). These people should be banished and sent to Colarado, who are
>>>planning their dynasty with names like Jerald Clark and Charlie Hayes.
>>>  Ban the mediots!

>>How anyone could pick Joe Carter over Olerud,Alomar,Winfield,Henke,Cone,
>>Guzman, or Ward is a better question.  Okay, to be fair, he was more
>>deserving than Cone, at least for AL MVP.
 
>>But the *rest*?
 
>>MIKE DEVEREAUX FINISHED AHEAD OF FRANK THOMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

>	Damn straight.  Played great D, and was a huge Orioles Catalyst.
>Thomas had another generic Barry Bonds season, but is virtually unknown in
>the media and is a mediocre defensive 1B - not as valuable as a great CF.

First of all, Frank Thomas is the starting first baseman in the 3rd
largest city in the country.  What do you *mean*, unknown in the media?
Second of all, that isn't much of a defense -- they *should* have known
him.  Defensively, Devereaux was more valuable than Thomas, though I've
never been impressed with his defense.  Offensively, though, it wasn't
even close.  An above-average season versus the best in the league.

>>Rickey Henderson got *no* votes, while GEORGE BELL got some?

>	Why should Rickey get votes?  Did nothing this year.  Then again,
>neither did George Bell, so you're about right on this one.

Rickey did more than Mike Devereaux, that's for sure.  He got on base,
hit for power, and stole bases.  That sounds like nothing, to me.

>>Jack Morris finished ahead of Roger Clemens!!!!!

>	I assume these were the sentimental "Oh, look whose gonna win Game 7
>of the Series" votes for SkyJack.  I personally do not like Morris, but he
>did win a lot of games for a good team, while the Sox just sort of floundered.
>But I do disagree with this choice.

>>Rickey Henderson got no votes?
>>Shane Mack got no votes.
>>Rickey Henderson got no votes!!!!!!!
>>Edgar Martinez came in behind Cecil Fielder!

>	Why on EARTH did Cecil get votes???  Much as I like The Fat One, he's
>useless when he doesn't hit 40 HRs, and come on?  9th in the voting?  For
>WHAT?

>>Brady Anderson came in behind Mike Devereaux.

>	That was a toss-up.  I think they were dead even the whole season, but
>I think some sort of backlash against sideburns cost Brady.

Yeah, they were dead even, except Anderson slugged about as well, got on
base a *lot* more, and ran the bases much better.  That doesn't sound
very dead even to me.

>>Juan Gonzalez got more votes than Ken Griffey.

>	Griffey didn't have a GREAT year, while Juan Gone! captured the media
>with his 43 Deep Drives.  Another media-influenced vote, although not really
>a bad choice.

Griffey not only had an excellent year, but it was 1000s of times better than 
Gonzalez's.

Griffey hit for *more* power, and got on base a LOT more.  (Real tough
thing to do, there.  A .304 OBP?  Taking lessons from Andre Dawson?)

>>Jack McDowell got more votes than Mike Mussina.

>	Unconscionable

>>John Olerud got *no* votes; MIKE BORDICK got some.

>	Olerud should have gotten as least as many as Bordick

>>Albert Belle got more votes than Lou Whitaker.
>>Mickey Tettleton didn't get any votes; Pat Listach did.

>	That's cause Listach had a good year.

Listach had an okay year.  Nothing *that* special, really, though he was
certainly the best rookie.  But Tettleton had his typical stellar year.

>>If Eckersley can win, where was Duane Ward in the voting?

>>ARGGHH!
 
>>Well, enough of this.  I could go on and on and on and on and on and on
>>and on about the voting, but I have work to do.
 
>>Mediot is too kind a word.  Moron would be closer, but that would be
>>insulting to morons.  These people don't have brains that large.  Maybe
>>more of the size of dead frogs.  Bowls of Jello?

>	Remember, a "Mediot" doesn't drool over OBP.  They see intangibles
>as more important to the team as RC/27.  The voting is not as accurate
>as it should have been, and many sentimental favorites (i.e. Cecil and ACK!
>Morris) did better than true stars, but as long as Rickey Henderson got
>0 votes, I consider it a year well done.

Well, I think people should vote on performance, not on how much they
liked the guy.  The *only* reason not to vote for Rickey is that you
don't like him.

>>ARRRRRRGGGGGGGH!
 
>>At least they didn't vote for Carney Lansford.

>	Why not?  75 RBI's, an Oakland hero (outside of the Huckabay 
>residence), had a good start after a nasty injury ...
>	:) :) :)

-- 
David M. Nieporent   | "If America is a Christian country because a majority
niepornt@phoenix.    | of the population is Christian, is it also a female 
   princeton.edu     | nation?  Or a white nation?"  -- Michael Kinsley,
Roland:Sign Treadway | to Governor Kirk Fordice of Mississippi.