Silver Sluggers

[Frayed Knot]

I confess that I have no idea who chooses winners of this award or how - but it seems to be where corner OFers get their revenge on CFs for the Gold Glove injustice.

P: Yovani Gallardo (1st time winner)
C: Brian McCann (4)
1B: Albert Pujols (4)
2B: Dan Uggla (1)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (1)
3B: Ryan Zimmerman (2)
OF: Matt Holliday (4)
OF: Carlos Gonzalez (1)
OF: Ryan Braun (3)


DH: Vladimir Guerrero (8)
C: Joe Mauer (4)
1B: Miguel Cabrera (3)
2B: Robinson Cano (2)
SS: Alexei Ramirez (1)
3B: Adrian Beltre (2)
OF: Jose Bautista (1)
OF: Josh Hamilton (2)
OF: Carl Crawford (1)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sporting News established it, didn't they?

[Frayed Knot]

Probably, but I don't think what's left of that mag knows what baseball is these days.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Press release attaches Louisville Slugger to the award.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, Rawlings name is connected to the Gold Gloves but that doesn't mean they decide it.
They just apparently decide who decides it (managers & coaches).

[ashie62]

Hillerich & Bradsby 1980

http://www.slugger.com/silverslugger/index.html

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Probably, but I don't think what's left of that mag knows what baseball is these days.

Truer words have never been written.

Later

[metsmarathon]

how has albert pujols not won ten of these?

oe: make that nine. in 2002, he was playing left field. i think barry bonds might've had a better year at the bat that year...

Edited November 12, 2010 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

"Winners of the award were determined by voting conducted among Major League managers and coaches, who were asked to name the players at each position in the National and American Leagues who put up the best seasons at the plate. Voters were forbidden from voting for players from their own clubs."

- IOW, the same process as Gold Glove awards only with seemingly more adherence to the season's reality and less to reputation or name.

[Frayed Knot]

metsmarathon wrote: how has albert pujols not won ten of these?

2007 = Prince Fielder
2006 = Ryan Howard
2005 = Derrick Lee
2000-2003 = Todd Helton

Pujols won in '04, and 2008-2010

[metsmarathon]

hmm.

in '01 he got the silver slugger at 3rd base, with 52 starts there vs. 78 in the outfield. phil nevin (7.4) and chipper jones (7.2) were the better 3bmen that year, while in the outfield, you've got bonds (13.0), sosa (10.8), luis gonzalez (7.1), and shawn green (6.7) ahead of the prince (6.4). the outfield silver sluggers all went to the roidful three.

(i'm looking at bbref's oWAR here - other metrics might differ on the thirdbasemen, but are pretty consistent with the outfielders)

in '02, he mostly played in the outfield, with 101 starts there vs. 37 at third. barry bonds (11.9 oWAR) was clearly the best hitting outfielder, followed far behind by brian giles (6.8 oWAR). then there's a virtual four-way tie outfielders with edmonds (6.3), pujols (6.2), and guerrero & sosa (6.1). bonds, sosa, and vlad won the award.

in '03, albert (9.5) was the best hitter in the NL, with bonds (9.1) second, and took home an award.

in '04, he moved to first base full-time, and took second (7.9) to bonds (12.1), but got the silver slugger.

in '05, he was again the best hitter in the NL (7.2), while silver slugger derrek lee (6.0) was third overall, and the second-best first baseman. (btw, david wright was the best third baseman, 5.8 to silver slugger morgan ensberg's 5.2)

in '06, pujols (7.0) was the third best hitter in the NL, and lost to the 4th best hitter, ryan howard (5.8), but it wasn't really that close was it?

in '07, pujols (5.8) was only the 4th best hitter in the NL, but still the tops at his position. with second place, prince fielder (5.0) took home the award, and was 10th overall in the league. david wright (7.4), #1

in '08, pujols (7.8) was the best hitter in teh NL. david wright (7.2), third.

in '09, pujols (7.8) topped the league. we all know what happened to david. (well, actually, we really don't. but his year sucked, relatively speaking. while he was still the 14th best hitter in the league, that's only 4th best at his positon.)

in '10, pujols (7.4) won his 4th silver slugger at first base, once again the best batter in the senior circuit. he should have 7, to go along with his outfielding one. but he didn't really deserve his first. so it cuts both ways.