Prince Albert Rules

[G-Fafif]

Pujols unanimous N.L. MVP choice. Ramirez, Howard, Fielder, Tulowitzki follow. Full totals not yet released.

[RealityChuck]

So do you have Prince Albert in a can?

[G-Fafif]

Found vote on BBWAA site. No Mets listed among 30 vote-getters.

[Benjamin Grimm]

No Mets listed among 30 vote-getters.

[G-Fafif]

First time since 2002 that no Met has elicited a single vote in any of the major awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year. If you add in Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winners (not votes; those aren't widely disseminated), this is the most barren offseason since 1993.

Luis Castillo finished seventh for N.L. Comeback Player of the Year (one second-place, two third-place votes), an award presented by MLB.com and voted on by its beat writers.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

No Mets in the balloting. Too bad that AL Japanese writer wasn't casting ballots!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Hey, Francisco Rodriguez was eighth in Rolaids points.

And I'm sure that if there was a Jesse Orosco Award for the LOOGy who pitches every day, Pedro Feliciano would've been all over it.

[Frayed Knot]

A unanimous verdict for 1st place and then no clear-cut choice for runner-up (6 different guys got 2nd place votes) is about how it should be for this season

----	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Points
Albert Pujols - StL	32	--	--	--	--	448
Hanley Ramirez - FLA	--	15	5	3	3	233
Ryan Howard - Phi	--	6	8	7	5	217
Prince Fielder - Mil	--	5	9	7	3	203
Troy Tulowitski - Col	--	3	6	5	5	172
Andre Ethier - LAD	--	2	--	3	2	113
Pedro Sandoval - SFG	--	--	1	--	2	89
Chase Utley - Phi	--	--	2	2	1	84
Derrick Lee - ChiC	--	1	--	--	3	66
Matt Kemp - LAD	--	--	--	2	1	49

Also receiving nods:
Ryan Braun - Mil
Adrian Gonzalez - SD
Todd Helton - Col
Chris Carpenter - StL
Adam Wainwright - StL
Matt Holliday - StL
Jayson Werth - Phi
Shane Victorino - Phi
Tim Lincecum - SFG
Yunel Escobar - Atl
Mark Reynolds - Ariz
Joey Votto - Cin
Yadier Molina - StL
Miguel Tejada - Hou
Huston Street - Col
BJ Upton - Ariz
Ryan Zimmerman - Wash
Jeremy Affeldt - SFG
Chris Coghlan - Fla
Brad Hawpe - Col



Mets & Pirates only teams not represented by a warm body

[Vic Sage]

Mets & Pirates only teams not represented by a warm body

great company we're keeping...

here's one of my son's favorite jokes:
Q: "why are pirates called `pirates'?"
A: "I don't know... they just arrrrrrrrr"

[ashie62]

Pujols-runaway, deserved winner

[Frayed Knot]

btw, Pujols has now been in MLB for nine seasons. His MVP status in those years:
4th (plus 1st in RoY)
2nd
2nd
3rd
1st
2nd
9th
1st
1st

So that's not only 3 wins but also 3 runner-ups with all top-10 finishes, eight of which were top-5s

He turns 30 in January,
He was a 13th round draft pick.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

And how many of those second-place finishes were behind Barry Bonds, he of the questionable chemical digestion? Dude could have had four or more at this point.

[Frayed Knot]

Two of his 2nds were behind Bonds, plus he finished 3rd behind Bonds and Adrian Beltre.
His other 2nd was behind Ryan Howard.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

And how many of those second-place finishes were behind Barry Bonds, he of the questionable chemical digestion? Dude could have had four or more at this point.[/quote:3gjyhr5b]

Like Pujols is clean.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That was my first thought as well.

[Frayed Knot]

Some also question whether he's really 29

[Centerfield]

Is there any evidence he used? (Or is older?)

Or is that just speculation because he is really, really good?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.

[MFS62]

So do you have Prince Albert in a can?[/quote:14pr348d]

No. I let him out.

BA DA BING!

Later

[ashie62]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.[/quote:25p6opsj]

Pujols could be the greatest player ever??

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.

[metirish]

Ralph Kiner rates Pujols as one of the best, can't remember the exact words but he often raves about him.

[MFS62]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.[/quote:xea4v31t]

Pujols could be the greatest player ever??[/quote:xea4v31t]

Well, he's no Lou Brock, but he is in the Dimaggio/Foxx/Aaron/Greenberg/Ott neighborhood... with LOTS of hitting to go.

You could make a very credible argument that he's a HOFer if he retires tomorrow.

[Frayed Knot]

Except that he only has nine seasons right now and ten are required to even be eligible.
But by this point next year you could pull out the 'if he got hit by a train tomorrow' argument and I'd vote him in fer shure.

[ashie62]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.[/quote:1njfm8ua]

Pujols could be the greatest player ever??[/quote:1njfm8ua]

Well, he's no Lou Brock, but he is in the Dimaggio/Foxx/Aaron/Greenberg/Ott neighborhood... with LOTS of hitting to go.

You could make a very credible argument that he's a HOFer if he retires tomorrow.[/quote:1njfm8ua]


Lets wait til he does the "LOTS" more hitting before he is compared to Dimaggio/Foxx/Aaron/Greenberg/Ott etal

[batmagadanleadoff]

Compare Pujols' career to the first nine seasons of any other player in the game's history. By that standard, you could make a reasonable argument that Pujols is the best. Ever.

[nymr83]

He's either the greatest player ever, totally and completely great from the first day he stepped on the field, unbelievably strong, and completely on the level in an era when the only players capable of achieving what he has have been shown to be or widely suspected to be juicers, or he just hasn't been caught.[/quote:2uiwaibi]

Pujols could be the greatest player ever??[/quote:2uiwaibi]

He'd have to keep doing what he's been doing for another 10+ years to even be in the discussion with Ruth and Bonds, thats tough to do.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Not really, I think, because his 20s were better than Bonds'.

Career MVP Shares
1. Barry Bonds (7 wins) 9.30
2. Stan Musial* (3 wins) 6.96
3. Ted Williams* (2 wins) 6.43
4. Willie Mays* (2 wins) 6.06
5. Albert Pujols (3 wins) 5.89

[Frayed Knot]

Similarity scores thru age 29:

Jimmie Foxx
Hank Aaron
Lou Gehrig
Ken Griffey
Frank Robinson
Mickey Mantle
Juan Gonzalez
Mel Ott (794)
Hank Greenberg
Orlando Cepeda

That's 8 HoFers plus one to-be HoFer and one probably not (JuanGone)

All were high average/high power guys who had great early careers and mostly played (exceptions Cepeda & Robinson) during good offensive eras - especially the 1930s crowd of Foxx, Ott, Gehrig & Greenberg.

Of that group, Mantle, Griffey, Cepeda, Ott, and especially Foxx & Gonzalez, had considerably better years in their 20s than in their 30s.
Only Aaron really got better (more power).
Cepeda (the least similar to begin with) was the only borderline HoF vote. Gonzalez's fall-off (last full season came at age 31) was the only one that will likely keep him out.



His overall similarity scores are also a bunch of players who either fell-off early (for various reasons) or, like Albert, are still works in progress.

Hank Greenberg (WWII interrupted career) - HoF
Albert Belle (career ending injury)
Lance Berkman (still active)
Johnny Mize (814) (HoF)
David Ortiz (active)
Dick Allen (grumped his way out of the game)
Mo Vaughn (injuries, weight, steroids)
Todd Helton (active)
Ralph Kiner (cut short by injuries) - HoF
Chuck Klein - HoF