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The Sure Thing

The AL MVP will be announced shortly. Can’t figure it going to anyone but Mr. Mauer, can you? Derek Jeter had one of his best seasons but Mauer won his third batting title as a catcher and, well, without Mauer, the Twins don’t even sniff the playoffs.  

sure thing

Update: Mauer makes like Special Ed and takes home the hardware. Fitting.

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35 comments

1 Dimelo   ~  Nov 23, 2009 1:23 pm

nobody is more deserving than Mauer, a case be made for Jeter but his case only revolves around getting 2nd place. It should be pretty much unanimous that Mauer get all the first place votes, but I'm sure there will be some writer who "thinks" outside the box.

2 vockins   ~  Nov 23, 2009 2:26 pm

If Mauer doesn't win, everyone that's ever won can huck their awards in the trash, because they are worthless.

3 RagingTartabull   ~  Nov 23, 2009 2:40 pm

for most of the summer I was on the "well he WOULD be MVP, but his team is gonna be 78-84 so I'm not sure" train

and then September happened...and I just decided to keep my mouth shut.

4 Yankee Mama   ~  Nov 23, 2009 2:53 pm

If it isn't Mauer, then these awards suck. Maybe they do anyway.

5 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:01 pm

Mauer gets the nod ... official

6 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:01 pm

27 out of 28 first place votes, Miggy Cabrera (?!) got the other one.

7 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:03 pm

The voting
http://bbwaa.com/

8 thelarmis   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:09 pm

[5] diane - neil peart related. sports related, too!

http://www.bravewords.com/news/126836

9 thelarmis   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:10 pm

tex was a distant 2nd. jetes 3rd.

points:

mauer - 387
tex - 225
jete - 193

10 thelarmis   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:12 pm

HA: A-rod and CHOAD tied for 10th place.

11 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:12 pm

[8]

Cool ... thanks for the link.

12 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:13 pm

This marks the *9th* season in which Rivera has garnered at least 1 MVP vote.

(awesome!)

13 ms october   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:18 pm

i am glad maueer won soundly - and i'd bet good money it was a detriot douche who voted fro miggy - wasn't there some weird thing with a detroit voter a few years ago
it's bullshit jeter got 3rd though

[12] that is awesome

14 Dimelo   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:22 pm

[6] That's hilarious that Miguel Cabrera got a first place vote. I had no idea he was even being mentioned, but in one lone writer's eyes he was worthy. That one lone writer should have his press credentials revoked. what a tard!!

15 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:24 pm

KenDavidoff tweets that Keizo Konishi of Kyodo News, based in Seattle, voted Miguel Cabrera first.

16 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:25 pm

[14]

Miggy is celebrating by having a few shots with friends at the nearest bar.

17 williamnyy23   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:25 pm

Cabrera's vote must have come from a Minnesota beat writer. Who knows...if Miggy doesn't go out drinking, maybe the Tigers win the division.

18 Mattpat11   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:27 pm

Part of me is still shocked that Morneau didn't win

19 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:29 pm

In the "adding insult to injury" category ...
http://www.ktla.com/sports/sns-ap-bba-al-mvp,0,1557727.story

"Mauer receives a $100,000 bonus for winning the award, and Cabrera gets $200,000 for finishing fourth. "

$200Gs for 4th????? What would he have gotten for 1st? (Most likely his own brewery)

20 ms october   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:29 pm

some asshats brought miggy up over the summer as being more mvp worthy than jeter or tex - the statement was usually something like - joe mauer should win the mvp, but if he doesn't miguel cabrera is having a better season than mark teixeria and derek jeter

21 rbj   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:33 pm

Deserved win.

How you can vote for Miggy when he makes himself unfit to play well right at the end of the season and his team is in a tight race? Doesn't matter how good his season was, drinking til 5 am when you really need a win is an anti-valuable player.

Off to VA. for turkey day,
Happy Thanksgiving all!

22 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:33 pm

Mauer, Cuddyer and Kubel each got MVP votes this year .... Morneau did not. THAT is bizarre.

23 Yankee Mama   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:41 pm

[19] OK, so it is stipulated in Cabrera's contract that he receives such and such an amount depending where he lands in mvp voting? Boy, them agents think of everything!

If Miggy had won, they would have given him Venezuela.

[20] I vaguely remember that. It was after the Tyler Kepner skewering he received from Neyer and Joe Pos.

24 Chyll Will   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:43 pm

There will always be one; winner of the annual Look at Me!! Award.
Maybe he was Miggy Cabrera's designated driver that night...

25 Chyll Will   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:48 pm

Or maybe... just maybe, and forgive my cynicism... his agent or a "friend" called around and asked if anyone would like a piece of the pot for a first place vote...

26 Dimelo   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:51 pm

[25] You aren't the only one thinking that

27 ms october   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:53 pm

[23] yeah - that is when it was - after kepner was flogged

[25] i thought they got rid of those contract bonuses after some weird thing with red light and the fear that someone would float some of the money to a writer

28 Shaun P.   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:55 pm

[23] In law school, part of our first year legal writing and research class was to be paired up with another student where 1 person represented a sports team and the other a superstar player due a new contract. I, playing the part of agent representing a soccer superstar, and taking some advice from the Assistant DA who taught the class (and dreamed up the exercise, being a huge sports fan), successfully negotiated my "client" a contract that had bonuses for making the All-Star team, finishing anywhere from 1st to 10th in MVP voting, making the playoffs, winning MVP at any level of the playoffs, leading the league in various statistical categories, and so on. All in exchange for taking a slightly lower annual salary that would be easily recouped if a couple of those bonuses kicked in.

Long story short - yes, they do teach you this stuff in law school!

29 Shaun P.   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:55 pm

[27] I think it was discussed that it could be a problem, but I don't think it was ever changed.

30 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 3:58 pm

Why did Konishi vote for Miggy? Perhaps because Miggy pounds Seattle. http://tinyurl.com/ycx6522 (highest OPS vs. any AL team)

31 Yankee Mama   ~  Nov 23, 2009 4:00 pm

28] Thanks for the insight. I learn so much at the Banter. Gotta love incentives.

32 Diane Firstman   ~  Nov 23, 2009 4:47 pm

Miggy finished *36th* in AL in OBI% (% fraction of runners on base who were driven in during a batter's plate appearances.)

33 Chyll Will   ~  Nov 23, 2009 4:49 pm

[30] The rain pounds Seattle too, why didn't he vote for that?

34 OldYanksFan   ~  Nov 23, 2009 5:05 pm

[14]
Miggy: .324 .396 .547 .942
MTex: .292 .383 .565 .948

Not TOTALLY insane to include a guy who has similar numbers to the #2 winner.

35 ms october   ~  Nov 23, 2009 5:36 pm

[34] jeter should have gotten second - and miggy should lose points for playing a shitty 1b - so 2 things are off there

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