Silver Sluggers

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The Silver Slugger awards are going to be announced today.

Carlos Beltran will probably win one.

Since I don't follow out-of-town teams very closely, if at all, anymore I don't know about the competition at the other positions, so in my ignorance I'll say that perhaps Wright, Reyes, and even Lo Duca have a shot.

Delgado had a good enough year, but even I know that he's not going to win over Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard.

[Frayed Knot]

I have no idea how 'Silver Slugger' awards are determined

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Managers and coaches vote for the best hitters at each position.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Previous Mets winners:

1984 KEITH HERNANDEZ First Baseman
1985 GARY CARTER Catcher
1986 GARY CARTER Catcher
1988 DARRYL STRAWBERRY Outfielder
1989 HOWARD JOHNSON Third Baseman
1990 DARRYL STRAWBERRY Outfielder
1991 HOWARD JOHNSON Third Baseman
1992 DWIGHT GOODEN Pitcher
1998 MIKE PIAZZA Catcher
1999 MIKE PIAZZA Catcher
1999 EDGARDO ALFONZO Second Baseman
2000 MIKE PIAZZA Catcher
2000 MIKE HAMPTON Pitcher
2001 MIKE PIAZZA Catcher
2002 MIKE PIAZZA Catcher

[Guest Edgy DC]

What year did the SS awards begin?

Can we go back in time to before they were awarded and decide if Ron Hunt deserved the 1964 prize over Joey Amalfitano and Nellie Fox, if Jones and Agee deserved them in 1969 over Clemente and Stargell?

(Nellie Fox, by the way, tops the list of guys who sound like they played at least 30 years before they acutally did.)

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

According to my Sporting News Baseball Guide, the first Silver Sluggers were awarded in 1980. They're awarded by Hillerich and Bradsby.

[Guest Edgy DC]

OK, so I'll take 1979. Andre Dawson slumped during a large part of the year, and put up an OBP of only .309.

So Lee Mazzilli, with an OPS+ of 135, along with 34 stolen bases in 46 tries, over 693 plate appearances, is our 1979 Centerfield Retroactive Silver Slugger. Other candidates included Dawson, Bill North, and Omar Moreno.

Steve Henderson also had a good OPS that year, despite not showing much power, but injuries limited him to 98 games.

John Stearns was an All-Star, but his offense didn't touch that of his fellow All Stars Gary Carter and Johnny Bench.

Congratulations to Lee for brightening up perhaps the most dismal of Met seasons. Who wants to do 1978?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

1978 wasn't a banner year for Mets hitters. I was thinking Nino Espinosa, with his .209 average and 3 doubles, might have been their best candidate but a quick scan down the league batting averages showed that Phil Niekro, at least, had a better year.

I'm sure that if the Silver Sluggers existed in 1978 the Mets would have been shut out.

1977 anyone?

[Guest Edgy DC]

No Retroactive Silver Sluggers for the 1978 Mets. Too bad.

I didn't even look at pitchers for 1979. In retrospect, no candidates jump out, as the '79 staff totaled three extra-base hits and seven lousy RBI.

[Vic Sage]

nobody in 76 or 77, either

77 - Simmons, Garvey, Morgan, Templeton, Schmidt, GFoster, Luzinski, Parker

78 - Simmons, Garvey, Morgan, Concepcion, Schmidt, GFoster, Griffey, Cedeno

i didn't check on pitchers, though.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

2006: Reyes and Beltran.

C: Brian McCann, ATL
1B: Ryan Howard, PHI
2B: Chase Utley, PHI
3B: Miguel Cabrera, FLA
SS: Jose Reyes, NYM
OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF: Matt Holliday, COL
OF: Alfonso Soriano, WAS
P: Carlos Zambrano, CHC


C: Joe Mauer, MIN
1B: Justin Morneau, MIN
2B: Robinson Cano, NYY
3B: Joe Crede, CWS
SS: Derek Jeter, NYY
OF: Jermaine Dye, CWS
OF: Vlad Guerrero, LAA
RF: Manny Ramirez, BOS
DH: David Ortiz, BOS

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Beltran is only the second Met to win Silver (Slugger) and Gold (Glove) in the same season.

The other was Keith Hernandez in 1984.

[soupcan]

Without knowing, I'm laying money that is the first time that ARod hasn't been named a Silver Slugger.

Maybe not in his rookie year but every year since.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That may change after we award the Retroactive Silver Sluggers.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rodrial01.shtml

'96, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '05

Beaten by Mel-vin-Mo-ra in 2004 and Nomar Garciaparra in 1997

[DocTee]

A 2007 Phillies lineup with three silver sluggers (Howard, Utley and Soriano) and a staff with Jamie Moyer scares me.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Jamie Moyer doesn't scare me.