Awards Finalists

[Frayed Knot]

I still don't particularly like the idea that they do this: pre-announce that only these three candidates can possibly win each award, and I'm not sure what prompted them to adopt this strategy over the last few years.
But here ya go




[u:1r4lichh]Rookie of the Year[/u:1r4lichh] (to be announced November 12):
NL: Ronald Acuna - OF, Braves; Walker Buehler - P, Dodgers; Juan Soto - OF, Nationals
AL: Miguel Andujar - 3B, Yankees; Shohei Ohtani - P/DH, Angels; Glaybar Torres - 2B, Yankees

[u:1r4lichh]Manager of the Year[/u:1r4lichh] (Nov 13)
NL: Bud Black, Rockies; Craig Counsell, Brewers; Brian Snitker, Braves
AL: Kevin Cash, Rays; Alex Cora, Red Sox; Bob Melvin, A's

[u:1r4lichh]Cy Young[/u:1r4lichh] (Nov 14)
NL: Jacob deGrom, Mets; Max Scherzer, Nationals; Aaron Nola, Phillies
AL: Corey Kluber, Indians; Justin Verlander, Astros; Blake Snell, Rays

[u:1r4lichh]Most Valuable Player[/u:1r4lichh] (Nov 15)
NL: Nolan Arenado - 3B, Rockies; Javier Baez - 2B/SS, Cubs; Christian Yelich - OF, Brewers
AL: Mookie Betts - OF, Red Sox; Jose Ramirez - 3B, Indians; Mike Trout - OF, Angels

[Frayed Knot]

Predictions: Acuna, Ohtani, Counsell, Melvin, deGrom, Snell, Yelich, Betts

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: I still don't particularly like the idea that they do this: pre-announce that only these three candidates can possibly win each award, and I'm not sure what prompted them to adopt this strategy over the last few years.

reality TV probably.

But I've come around on it. It's gives 'em a day to tweet out clips and graphics and other #content that's good for engagement and all that jazz without having to go deep to like 10 MVP candidates or anything.

It's not really 'finalists' so much as a slow-reveal.

no deGrom on the MVP list though, stupid writers.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: Acuna, Ohtani

What a wonderful phrase!
Acuna, Ohtani,
Ain't no passing craze.

[Lefty Specialist]

Well, they already know who won everything, so they take the top three votegetters and stoke up the excitement.

[Frayed Knot]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Well, they already know who won everything, so they take the top three votegetters and stoke up the excitement.

And when there's a year with four or more possible winners (plenty of seasons have seen more than three players receive 1st place votes) it stokes down excitement. Can you stoke excitement down? Probably, although not with a minor present

[Frayed Knot]

ROY

NL = Ronald Acuna, getting 27 of the 30 1st place votes. Juan Soto 2nd, Walker Buehler 3rd

AL = Shohei Ohtani with 25 of 30 1st place votes. Yanquis Miguel Andujar & Gleybar Torres were 2nd & 3rd

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: ROY NL = Ronald Acuna, getting 27 of the 30 1st place votes. Juan Soto 2nd, Walker Buehler 3rd AL = Shohei Ohtani with 25 of 30 1st place votes. Yanquis Miguel Andujar & Gleybar Torres were 2nd & 3rd

[Frayed Knot]

I'll need to have that one explained to me.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: I'll need to have that one explained to me.

hACUNA matata. Ain't no passing craze.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: I'll need to have that one explained to me.

Acuna Ohtani sounds like "Hakuna Matata," a song sung by these characters in The Lion King.

[Frayed Knot]

So what we really need is a mash up of Ronald Acuna and former NYM Masato Yoshii -- Acuna Masato

Anyway, my knowledge of pop culture involving the kiddie world has more than a few holes in it.
It's probably a contributing factor to me getting my ass kicked watching 'TEEN JEOPARDY' this week.
I feel more at home with adult Jeopardy.

[Frayed Knot]

The Braves continue to hoover up awards as Brian Snitker is named NL Manager of the Year
Oakland's Bob Melvin wins the AL version. It is his 3rd MoY award: 2007 - DBacks; 2012 - A's

Edited November 13, 2018 by Guest

[ashie62]

Jeff McNeil got one 3rd place vote to come in 8th for ROY. Well done!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Anyway, my knowledge of pop culture involving the kiddie world has more than a few holes in it. It's probably a contributing factor to me getting my ass kicked watching 'TEEN JEOPARDY' this week. I feel more at home with adult Jeopardy.

Oh, bud, it's not kid culture-- it's been a Broadway musical for two decades. Babies conceived during the film's theatrical run are just about old enough to serve in Congress.

We probably should have considered Melvin a little more carefully back in 2010, huh?

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Anyway, my knowledge of pop culture involving the kiddie world has more than a few holes in it. It's probably a contributing factor to me getting my ass kicked watching 'TEEN JEOPARDY' this week. I feel more at home with adult Jeopardy. Oh, bud, it's not kid culture-- it's been a Broadway musical for two decades. Babies conceived during the film's theatrical run are just about old enough to serve in Congress....

Count me out of it, too. I thought the cartoon animals were smiling because the Yankees didn't take home the ROY award.

[Frayed Knot]

Oh, bud, it's not kid culture-- it's been a Broadway musical for two decades. Babies conceived during the film's theatrical run are just about old enough to serve in Congress.

Well I suppose we could get into a discussion on how much of Broadway is or isn't kid-oriented culture (I thought every Disney princess had her own show these days) but that's a separate issue.
Let me put it this way: I was aware that such a song existed and might even possibly recognize it if it were played for me*, though wouldn't have been 100% sure of the title.
I did not, however, make the leap from Acuna + Ohtani to the song title, nor did I connect it to the two critters in Willets' post which I most certainly DID connect with kid culture.

These babies you speak of, are you saying that some of them were conceived in the theatre? Was it during intermission? Late in Act II perhaps?







* though possibly not and mainly know it as a Seinfeld joke where Elaine fessed to singing it at work; "I thought I was alone" ... Jerry: "That doesn't make it right"

[Lefty Specialist]

I'm so happy I know who Pumbaa and Timon are.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

The thing is, I made the Acuna Ohtani joke earlier in the thread. The image was just follow up.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: Oakland's Bob Melvin wins the AL version.

My son is outraged on Alex Cora's behalf. But at least no one can claim East Coast Bias.

[Frayed Knot]

So between not knowing the lyrics and not knowing the characters, it appears that I whiffed on the reference twice.

[Frayed Knot]

Meanwhile, votes were a bit more spread out over in the unimportant league

Blake Snell, TB: 17 - 11 - 2 for 169 overall points
Justin Verlander, HOU: 13 - 13 - 3 = 154
Corey Kluber, CLE: 0 - 4 - 12 = 71
Chris Sale, BOS: 0 - 2 - 8 = 59
Gerritt Cole, HOU: 0 - 3 - 4 = 26

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was much less interested in this one. Until just now I thought that Snell's first name was Nate.

[Frayed Knot]

Could be worse, you could be an old football fan and think it was Matt.


[fimg=200:33cebf1r]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t04AAOxyXDhSgUiW/s-l300.jpg[/fimg:33cebf1r]



Actually both these CY awards are going to send some of the non-baseball sportscasters into a tizzy.
deGrom due to his lack of wins -- and as much fun as we make of those baseball writers stuck in their old ways, it's the non-baseball guys who are even worse.
And Snell because they never heard of him since he's neither a Yanqui nor a Red Sock

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: And Snell because they never heard of him since he's neither a Yanqui nor a Red Sock

They're lucky they didn't have to hit against him.
His ERA, ERA+, and several other stats were comparable to those Jake had. (Except for those, uh, ... wins)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/snellbl01.shtml

Later

[Frayed Knot]

And the NL MVP goes to Christian Yelich
Just like deGrom, Yelich got 29 of the 30 1st place votes. In this case the lone non-Yelich vote going to ... Jacob deGrom!!!

[Frayed Knot]

PLAYER	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Yelich	29	1	0	415
Baez	0	19	4	250
Arenado	0	3	8	203
Freeman	0	0	8	174
deGrom	1	7	1	174
Goldschmidt	—	—	—	115
Cain	—	—	—	109
Story	—	—	—	108
Carpenter	—	—	—	105
Scherzer	—	—	—	59

[Frayed Knot]

PLAYER	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Betts	28	2	0	410
Trout	1	24	2	265
Jose Ramirez	0	1	10	208
JD Martinez	1	2	8	198
Bregman	0	1	4	192
Lindor	—	—	—	169
Chapman	—	—	—	141
Khris Davis	—	—	—	41
Snell	—	—	—	38
Verlander	—	—	—	26

And, because by rule he can never be completely shut out, Derek Jeter also received 2018 MVP points from some back of the ballot votes.


For Trout, that's now 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th, and 2nd in his seven ML seasons.
In the year he finished 4th he led the league in OPS

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: And, because by rule he can never be completely shut out, Derek Jeter also received 2018 MVP points from some back of the ballot votes.

I just threw up in my mouth.

Later