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Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My Bad Milton
You know, now that I set my formula for 500 plate appearances. I checked... and Milton Bradley had 510 plate appearances, which means he does qualify for the MVP. But A-Rod still has it...
The AL MVP Qualifiers
TIER A
1. Alex Rodriguez - 59 points (8th)
TIER B
2. Milton Bradley - 49 points (17th)
3. Kevin Youkilis - 46 points (3rd...hey there is one right!!!)
TIER C
4. Carlos Quentin - 38 points (5th)
5. Joe Mauer - 36 points (4th)
6. Josh Hamilton - 34 points (7th)
7. Justin Morneau - 32.5 points (2nd...yeah, 2nd on his team)
8. Grady Sizemore - 31.5 points (10th)
9. Nick Markakis - 31 points (NO VOTES!)
TIER D
10. Dustin Pedroia - 25 points (1st...not even 1st in Boston)
RESULT
Pedroia won. Making this a total wash of an MVP. Pedroia barely made the list and although this is an acceptable MVP choice, it is a pretty bad grade and near failure. Writers get a D.
I think of all those, the most interesting find was that Bradley was more valuable than Hamilton. However, Hamilton finished ten spots ahead of Bradley in voting. Both have had troubled pasts. Hamilton was on enough crank to increase productivity in a Chinese toy factory by 600 percent. Bradley has had his share of problems, but most of them come from anger.
Bradley grew up a poor black kid who chose to dedicate his life to baseball which is uncommon in the black community. Hamilton grew up a wealthy white kid who was groomed to be the next phenom baseball player. However, drug and alcohol problems derailed his climb to the Majors. Bradley's anger issues halted him from having lucrative contract offers and made him unwanted by many teams.
So has Milton Bradley overcome more or Josh Hamilton? Hell the man overcame my 500 plate appearance requirement, so I say Milton by a landslide.
The AL top list is intriguing. It has a pair of American Latinos, three men cast off by their first team as lost causes, an angry black man, a few ex football players, an ex hockey player, a guy not offered a division one scholarship, a catcher, a crackhead, a DH, a caveman, a hard-nosed fidget, and a top prospect now voted off a 40 man roster. Thus proving that the game of baseball is the exemplary, definitive metaphor to the American dream. Where height, race, body fat percentage, attitude, and addictions are nothing but side notes and prefaces to living like a rock star and getting paid like a oil tycoon.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Why A-Rod is the Obvious AL MVP
Alex Rodriguez was the blatant and obvious MVP choice this year. And for once, his name hurt him. Had he been an average Joe who happened to dominate offensively like he did in 2008, the MVP would have been nearly unanimous. If he sported a shaved head, a caveman goatee, a knack for fighting with Hall of Fame outfielders, and always sprinting out an infield fly rule...you would be in awe of the way he plays the game. Or maybe if he was four foot seven, weighed 115 pounds, you would vote for him.
Sure, his team did not make the playoffs. However, his team was in the best division in baseball, and by a long shot. Had he played in the NL West, he could have single handily pushed the Rockies back into the postseason. Sure, A-Rod has won three MVP's already, he's filthy rich, and he's on the most hated team in baseball. However, that does not mean he was not the MVP. Let me throw some stats out and A-Rod's statistical rank compared to Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, two Bahston guys who finished ahead of A-Rod in the MVP voting. I will not list flawed statistics, but stats with proven formulas to measure a true MVP.
X = that player did not finish in the top ten
OPS +
Rodriguez - 2nd (9 pts)
Pedroia - X (0 pts)
Youkilis - 4th (7 pts)
Runs Created
Rodriguez - 7th (4 pts)
Pedroia - 4th (7 pts)
Youkilis - 6th (5 pts)
Adjusted Batting Runs
Rodriguez - 2nd (9 pts)
Pedroia - X (0 pts)
Youkilis - 4th (7 pts)
Batting Wins
Rodriguez - 2nd (9 pts)
Pedroia - X (0 pts)
Youkilis - 4th (7 pts)
Offensive Winning Percentage
Rodriguez - 2nd (9 pts)
Pedroia - X (0 pts)
Youkilis - 3rd (8 pts)
Value Over Replacement Player
Rodriguez - 1st (10 pts)
Pedroia - 3rd (8 pts)
Youkilis - 9th (2 pts)
Fielding Percentage at Position
Rodriguez - 2nd (9 pts)
Pedroia - 2nd (9 pts)
Youkilis - 7th (4 pts)
Zone Rating
Rodriguez - 5th (6 pts)
Pedroia - 2nd (9 pts)
Youkilis - 3rd (8 pts)
NOTE: Milton Bradley dominated nearly every stat above and finished first almost unanimously. However, due to him missing nearly 40 games, I dismissed his MVP credentials. But that is another argument in and of itself. Also, I would not consider pitchers for the MVP award as 30 starts or 70 innings does not warrant you being the most valuable player...sorry.
The Machiavellian Value of Player Formula
Adjusted OPS + Runs Created + Adjusted Batting Runs + Batting Wins + Offensive Win % + VORP + [(Fielding Percentage at Position + Zone Rating) / 2]
First place would be ten points, second nine points, and so on. Tenth place is one point and below tenth there is zero.
Rodriguez - 59
Pedroia - 25
Youkilis - 46
So, while A-Rod is the clear MVP, Youk should have at least won it over his own teammate who was nearly half as valuable.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Baseball's $100 million men
Sport's Illustrated's Web site recently posted a gallery of baseball's 16 $100 million men. It got me thinking about the success of the players' teams since handing out these massive contracts. The players are: Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, Todd Helton, Johan Santana, Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells, Barry Zito, Mike Hampton, Jason Giambi, Carlos Beltran, Ken Griffey Jr., Kevin Brown, Albert Pujols, Carlos Lee and Miguel Cabrera.
"This is how many wins I will give you for your $14.5 million in 2008."
The fundamental problem with handing out contracts like these is that the players are always looking for an extremely long-term deal, and are already established stars, which means they are likely in their late 20s or early 30s. Giving a long-term deal to a player that age means a team will have him until his late 30s at least, and will be paying him the most during those later years since the salaries in these contracts typically go up each year. A team that hands out a contract like this get a few years of the player's prime, but they will end up paying him the most during his later (and likely, worst) years.
The other problem is that teams that blow so much money on one player do not leave enough money left over to surround their superstar with other quality players. As the Rays proved this year, a championship-caliber team does not need a high-priced superstar to be successful.
Let's take a look at how these teams with loose wallets have fared since signing their big-name free agents:
Alex Rodriguez - $275 million, 10 years
Yankees, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 42
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Derek Jeter - $189 million, 10 years
Yankees, signed in 2001
Age when contract will be complete: 37
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Manny Ramirez - $160 million, 8 years
Red Sox, signed in 2000
Contract completed at age 36
World Series' won by Red Sox since signing: 2
Todd Helton - $141 million, 9 years
Rockies, signed in 2001, took effect in 2003
Age when contract will be complete: 39
World Series' won by Rockies since signing: 0
Johan Santana - $137.5 million, 6 years
Mets, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 34
World Series' won by Mets since signing: 0
Alfonso Soriano - $136 million, 8 years
Cubs, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 38
World Series' won by Cubs since signing: 0
Vernon Wells - $126 million, 7 years
Blue Jays, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 35
World Series' won by Blue Jays since signing: 0
Barry Zito - $126 million, 7 years
Giants, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 35
World Series' won by Giants since signing: 0
Mike Hampton - $121 million, 8 years
Rockies, signed in 2001
Contract completed at age 35
World Series' won by Rockies since signing: 0
Jason Giambi - $120 million, 7 years
Yankees, signed in 2002
Contract completed at age 37
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Carlos Beltran - $119 million, 7 years
Mets, signed in 2005
Age when contract will be completed: 34
World Series' won by Mets since signing: 0
Ken Griffey Jr. - $116.5 million, 9 years
Reds, signed in 2000
Contract completed at age 38
World Series' won by Reds since signing: 0
Kevin Brown - $105 million, 7 years
Dodgers, signed in 1999
Contract completed at age 40
World Series' won by Dodgers since signing: 0
Albert Pujols - $100 million, 7 years
Cardinals, signed in 2004
Age when contract will be complete: 30
World Series' won by Cardinals since signing: 1
Carlos Lee - $100 million, 6 years
Astros, signed in 2006
Age when contract will be complete: 36
World Series' won by Astros since signing: 0
Miguel Cabrera - $153.3 million, 8 years
Tigers, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 32
World Series' won by Tigers since signing: 0
Total - $2.22 billion, 124 years
Combined World Series' won: 3
The moral of the story is that paying players big money does not even come close to guaranteeing a World Series appearance or win, but teams still hand it out because if they do not some other team will. If a team does decide to do it, they should make sure it is a bona fide superstar (Rodriguez, Pujols), that the player is not already old at the time of signing (Brown) and that the player has not shown even the slightest sign of decline (Zito).
There are some clear winners (Pujols, Ramirez) and losers (Zito, Hampton, Brown, Giambi) in this group, and some that the jury is still out on (Cabrera, Santana, Soriano). Others, like Rodriguez and Jeter, have played well but their teams have nothing to show for it.
The way things are working now, if a team does not want to pay somebody's huge contract demands, that player can always find a more willing team waiting with open arms and an open wallet. What I want to see this offseason is for every team to refuse to hand out huge contracts and force superstars to futilely hold out for the big money. How awesome would it be to see Mark Teixeira or Francisco Rodriguez starting the 2009 season with the Long Island Ducks or Atlantic City Surf?
"This is how many wins I will give you for your $14.5 million in 2008."
The fundamental problem with handing out contracts like these is that the players are always looking for an extremely long-term deal, and are already established stars, which means they are likely in their late 20s or early 30s. Giving a long-term deal to a player that age means a team will have him until his late 30s at least, and will be paying him the most during those later years since the salaries in these contracts typically go up each year. A team that hands out a contract like this get a few years of the player's prime, but they will end up paying him the most during his later (and likely, worst) years.
The other problem is that teams that blow so much money on one player do not leave enough money left over to surround their superstar with other quality players. As the Rays proved this year, a championship-caliber team does not need a high-priced superstar to be successful.
Let's take a look at how these teams with loose wallets have fared since signing their big-name free agents:
Alex Rodriguez - $275 million, 10 years
Yankees, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 42
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Derek Jeter - $189 million, 10 years
Yankees, signed in 2001
Age when contract will be complete: 37
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Manny Ramirez - $160 million, 8 years
Red Sox, signed in 2000
Contract completed at age 36
World Series' won by Red Sox since signing: 2
Todd Helton - $141 million, 9 years
Rockies, signed in 2001, took effect in 2003
Age when contract will be complete: 39
World Series' won by Rockies since signing: 0
Johan Santana - $137.5 million, 6 years
Mets, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 34
World Series' won by Mets since signing: 0
Alfonso Soriano - $136 million, 8 years
Cubs, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 38
World Series' won by Cubs since signing: 0
Vernon Wells - $126 million, 7 years
Blue Jays, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 35
World Series' won by Blue Jays since signing: 0
Barry Zito - $126 million, 7 years
Giants, signed in 2007
Age when contract will be complete: 35
World Series' won by Giants since signing: 0
Mike Hampton - $121 million, 8 years
Rockies, signed in 2001
Contract completed at age 35
World Series' won by Rockies since signing: 0
Jason Giambi - $120 million, 7 years
Yankees, signed in 2002
Contract completed at age 37
World Series' won by Yankees since signing: 0
Carlos Beltran - $119 million, 7 years
Mets, signed in 2005
Age when contract will be completed: 34
World Series' won by Mets since signing: 0
Ken Griffey Jr. - $116.5 million, 9 years
Reds, signed in 2000
Contract completed at age 38
World Series' won by Reds since signing: 0
Kevin Brown - $105 million, 7 years
Dodgers, signed in 1999
Contract completed at age 40
World Series' won by Dodgers since signing: 0
Albert Pujols - $100 million, 7 years
Cardinals, signed in 2004
Age when contract will be complete: 30
World Series' won by Cardinals since signing: 1
Carlos Lee - $100 million, 6 years
Astros, signed in 2006
Age when contract will be complete: 36
World Series' won by Astros since signing: 0
Miguel Cabrera - $153.3 million, 8 years
Tigers, signed in 2008
Age when contract will be complete: 32
World Series' won by Tigers since signing: 0
Total - $2.22 billion, 124 years
Combined World Series' won: 3
The moral of the story is that paying players big money does not even come close to guaranteeing a World Series appearance or win, but teams still hand it out because if they do not some other team will. If a team does decide to do it, they should make sure it is a bona fide superstar (Rodriguez, Pujols), that the player is not already old at the time of signing (Brown) and that the player has not shown even the slightest sign of decline (Zito).
There are some clear winners (Pujols, Ramirez) and losers (Zito, Hampton, Brown, Giambi) in this group, and some that the jury is still out on (Cabrera, Santana, Soriano). Others, like Rodriguez and Jeter, have played well but their teams have nothing to show for it.
The way things are working now, if a team does not want to pay somebody's huge contract demands, that player can always find a more willing team waiting with open arms and an open wallet. What I want to see this offseason is for every team to refuse to hand out huge contracts and force superstars to futilely hold out for the big money. How awesome would it be to see Mark Teixeira or Francisco Rodriguez starting the 2009 season with the Long Island Ducks or Atlantic City Surf?
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