2012 Chicago Cubs

[Dan Michler]

The Cubs Way on full display again last night.  What a bunch of Bush Leaguers.  Embarrassing.

[CEValkyrie]

I actually enjoyed the show. I was falling asleep during that game.

[pdga#7648]

Magic #14  with 31 to play!

I think the tide has turned, and they will make it to 65! They hear you fans bad mouthing them! 

Magic #13  with 24 to play.  I think they got this!?

[CEValkyrie]

If you mean they have a chance to win 65 no way.  Jeff S. being shut down for the rest of the season.

[CEValkyrie]

Cubs win. Poor Pirates. Let's go Brewers & Dodgers!!!

[pdga#7648]

Magic #12 with 23 to play.  It's in the bag!

[CEValkyrie]

Freaking Pirates. Cubs sweep!!

[pdga#7648]

Magic #11 with 22 to play.

[CEValkyrie]

4 W's in a row. 5 games left with Houston. Need all 5 of those. Hopefully the Pirates implode and lay down for the next 4. 3 with the Rockies 2. There would be nothing better than seeing the Cubs win a few against the contending Cards. Maybe this is the year!

[CEValkyrie]

Rizzo hurt, fabulous.

I just saw one of the dumbest base running plays ever that cost the Cubs a run on a sac fly to center.

I just saw one of the worst calls by an umpire I've ever seen. The Houston base runner was out TWICE on the same play and was called safe.

[CEValkyrie]

That has to be one of the most brutal one run losses I've ever seen. The fucking tying run was batted in on a sac fly. Sappelt, WTF are you doing getting thrown out at third on a sac fly before Castro scored? You have got to be kidding me. You should be sent packing just for that dumb ass play.

[Dan Michler]

I had the Brewers completely written off this year, but all of a sudden they are 4 back in the WC?  Still a longshot with just 22 to play and several teams ahead of them, but its hard to believe they are even this close.

Pirates now just 3 games over .500 and fading fast.  Doesn't look like they'll break their string of sub .500 seasons.  The last time they finished with a winning record was 1992!  (Bonds/Bonilla/Van Slyke)  This will be 20 in a row.  The longest such streak in North American Professional Sports History.

[pdga#7648]

Magic #10  with 20 to play!

[CEValkyrie]

Cubs win! 9 more.

I think we are getting the Pirates at the perfect time. They are demoralized right now. Hopefully that continues the next 3 games.

[CEValkyrie]

I need 7 more with 16 to play. The last 9 are with 3 of the worst teams in the NL. I need a few wins against Cincy & STL!

[stpitner]

Anthony Rizzo just keeps getting better.  The Rizzo for Andrew Cashner trade has been working out QUITE well.  It kind of reminds me of the trade the Cubs made to pick up Derrek Lee and trade away Hee-Seop Choi.  Wish all the trades would always go that well!

[pdga#7648]

what? you didnt like the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade?? 

[CEValkyrie]

Another 1 run loss. Great play by DeJesus with 2 outs in the 11th. Easy fly ball dropped followed by a classic single to score. UNREAL!

[Tom McManus]

Who wins the MVP in the American League?

[Dan Michler]

Who wins the MVP in the American League?

Obviously its down to Trout and Cabrera.  I think its still up in the air.  If the season ended today I think Trout would win easily.  However, voters love to look at who's team got into the playoffs.  If the Tigers rally past the Sox, I think it could sway things in Cabrera's favor.  Without that though, Trout will most likely walk away with the award, even if Cabrera does walk away with the 1st Triple Crown since Yaztremski.  But, 2 weeks worth of production can alter that outlook, although Jose Bautista just had a similar, acutally better, offensive season that Cabrera in 2011 and did not win MVP.

But, if you are asking me who I think SHOULD win?

PLAYER          TEAM   AB   R     H   2B  3B  HR   RBI   SB CS   BB    SO   AVG   OBP  SLG  OPS    WAR
Miguel Cabrera DET    567 100 189 38   0    40   129    4    1    60     88    .333    .396  .612  1.008   6.1
Mike Trout         LAA   507 118 166 24   6    27    77    46   4    57    121   .327    .396  .558  .954    10.2

Cabrera is having another monster year at the plate.  Its actually not even the best season he's had, so this guy is probably due an MVP award.  Its even better when you consider the stadium he plays his home games in.  If we're looking simply at what they've done at the plate, no question Cabrera is ahead of Trout (who wasn't called up until 1 month into the season).

That being said, there is more to baseball than hitting, and Cabrera is a liability in these other areas.  Defense and baserunning are vastly underrated parts of the game that also contribute directly to winning games.  The WAR stat attempts to capture this.  I don't put all my stock into WAR, but if you look at WAR #'s from every season in history, you can see it does seem to do a pretty good job of telling you who your eyes and your common sense told you was the best player that season, even though they didn't always have the best numbers at the plate.

Trout's WAR of over 10.0 is astonishing.  Its the highest WAR anybody has achieved since 2004 (Bonds).  When I watch the highlights each night and see the run-saving defensive plays Trout is making, combined with his incredible basestealing stats (46 for 50), ridiculous number of runs scored (118 runs in only 507 AB's?), its clear Trout has the most complete game in baseball.  And he's slugging .558, so its not like he's a slouch in that category either.  He'd be over 30 HR right now if he had a full season.

I'm giving my vote to Trout, unless Cabrera does something truly remarkable over the next 2 weeks.