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Ripken Wins AL ROY

Cal Ripken, Jr. has been announced as the runaway winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Ripken, who received 24 of 28 possible first place votes, hit .264 with 28 homers and 93 RBI. The voters undoubtedly considered factors other than offensive numbers since Minnesota’s Kent Hrbek (.301, 23 homers, 92 RBI) was equally as impressive with the bat.

This is a point that did not go unnoticed by ornery Twins owner Calvin Griffith who called the result “an out-and-out travesty.”

Griffith said that he thinks Ripken is a good player, but “by no stretch of the imagination is he the all-around baseball player that Hrbek is.”

The voters disagreed. And, really… The stats did as well.

Ripken’s Orioles team was more involved in the pennant race, though they lost the division to the Brewers on the final day. And Ripken is also a shortstop, which is a much more demanding position than first base, which is Hrbek’s position.

What do you think? Did the award go to the right player?

Player – Tm	Pts	1st	AVG	HR	RBI	W	ERA	SV
Cal Ripken, BAL	132	24	.264	28	93
Kent Hrbek, MIN	90	4	.301	23	92
Wade Boggs, BOS	10	0	.349	5	44
Ed Vande Berg, SEA	9	0		0	0	9	2.37	5
Gary Gaetti, MIN	4	0	.230	25	84
D Hostetler, TEX	3	0	.232	22	67
Von Hayes, CLE	2	0	.250	14	82
Jesse Barfield, TOR	1	0	.246	18	58

Sax Wins NL ROY

November 22 Leave a Comment

Steve Sax of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named the National League’s Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America, edging out Pittsburgh’s Johnny Ray by six points.

It’s become an award reserved only for members of the Dodgers, who have now won in four consecutive seasons. Other members of the Dodgers Rookie of the Year Club include Rick Sutcliffe (1979), Steve Howe (1980) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981). So, which new member of the Dodgers will win in 1983? Mike Marshall?

Sax squeaked by with only nine of a possible 24 first place votes. Five different players received first place votes with Ray (six), Willie McGee of the Cardinals (five), Chili Davis of the Giants (five) and Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs (one) receiving the other votes.

The honor is, however, not unanimously recognized. Ray has been named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News, with Sax taking second.

Player – Tm	Pts	1st	AVG	HR	RBI	W	ERA	SV
Steve Sax, LAD	63	9	.282	4	47
Johnny Ray, PIT	57	6	.281	7	63
Willie McGee, STL	39	5	.296	4	56
Chili Davis, SFG	32	3	.261	19	76
Luis DeLeon, SDP	10	0	.091	0	0	9	2.03	15
R Sandberg, CHC	9	1	.271	7	54
S Bedrosian, ATL	4	0	.038	0	0	8	2.42	11
Dave LaPoint, STL	1	0	.053	0	1	9	3.42	0
Eric Show, SDP	1	0	.146	0	0	10	2.64	3

Murphy Wins NL MVP

November 17 Leave a Comment

The votes are in from the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves has been named the National League’s Most Valuable Player for the 1982 season.

The announcement isn’t particularly surprising, given that Murphy received 14 of 24 possible first place votes. Murphy, 26, had the best season in his young career, batting .281 with 36 homers and 109 RBI. Murphy becomes the first Braves player to win MVP since Hank Aaron in 1957 when the Braves played in Milwaukee.

“I think it was more a tribute to how our team did,” said a humble Murphy, “our team doing that well is really the reason I was being considered.”

Cardinal outfielder Lonnie Smith finished a bit closer than many speculated, getting 218 votes to Murphy’s 283. The results may have been even closer had two first place votes not gone to closer Bruce Sutter, Lonnie Smith’s teammate.

What do you think? Did the award go to the right player?

Player – Tm	Pts	1st	AVG	HR	RBI	W	ERA	SV
Dale Murphy, ATL	283	14	.281	36	109
Lonnie Smith, STL	218	8	.307	8	69
P. Guerrero, LAD	175	0	.304	32	100
Al Oliver, MON	175	0	.331	22	109
Bruce Sutter, STL	134	2	.125	0	1	9	2.90	36
Mike Schmidt, PHI	54	0	.280	35	87
Jack Clark, SFG	53	0	.274	27	103
Greg Minton, SFG	44	0	.176	0	1	10	1.83	30
Steve Carlton, PHI	41	0	.218	2	8	23	3.10	0
Bill Buckner, CHC	38	0	.306	15	105
Bill Madlock, PIT	37	0	.319	19	95
Gary Carter, MON	35	0	.293	29	97
Ozzie Smith, STL	25	0	.248	2	43
G. Hendrick, STL	20	0	.282	19	104
T. Kennedy, SDP	20	0	.295	21	97
Joe Morgan, SFG	17	0	.289	14	61
K. Hernandez, STL	12	0	.299	7	94
J. Thompson, PIT	12	0	.284	31	101
J. Andujar, STL	6	0	.158	0	4	15	2.47	0
Gene Garber, ATL	6	0	.133	0	0	8	2.34	30
A. Dawson, MON	3	0	.301	23	83
F. Valenzuela, LAD	3	0	.168	1	9	19	2.87	0
C. Chambliss, ATL	2	0	.270	20	86
Gary Matthews, PHI	2	0	.281	19	83
Ray Knight, HOU	1	0	.294	6	70

NL Gold Gloves Announced

November 15 1 Comment

The Brewers discovered first hand that Ozzie Smith is a Wizard in the field.

AL Gold Glove Winners

The Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced today, as voted on by managers and coaches. Note that managers and coaches cannot vote for a player on their own team. Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals was the only player from either league to be voted in unanimously.

I’m not going to claim that anyone on this list isn’t deserving. Defense is difficult to measure, outside of counting errors. But it’s always the case that those who put up big offensive numbers generally have a better shot at the Gold Glove, even if they two should be judged separately. It was the eighth Gold Glove won by Garry Maddox and seventh for Mike Schmidt. Of this year’s winners, only Dale Murphy had not previously won the award.

Pitcher: Phil Niekro, ATL
Catcher: Gary Carter, MON
1st Base: Keith Hernandez, STL
2nd Base: Manny Trillo, PHI
3rd Base: Mike Schmidt, PHI
Shortstop: Ozzie Smith, STL
Outfield: Dale Murphy, ATL
Outfield: Andre Dawson, MON
Outfield: Garry Maddox, PHI

Yount’s Glove Golden

November 15 Leave a Comment

NL Gold Glove Winners

The Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced today, as voted on by managers and coaches. Robin Yount adds yet another award to his trophy case with his first Gold Glove.

Yount committed 24 errors as the Brewers’ shortstop for a .969 fielding percentage, and he was part of 94 double plays. It was Robin’s first career Gold Glove, but his eighth major award in recognition of an historic 1982 season.

It was also the first Gold Glove for pitcher Ron Guidry and first baseman Eddie Murray. Second baseman Frank White won for the sixth time, while outfielder Dwight Evans (five), third baseman Buddy Bell (four) and the trio of catcher Bob Boone and outfielders Dwayne Murphy and Dave Winfield each won for the third time.

Pitcher: Ron Guidry, NYY
Catcher: Bob Boone, CAL
1st Base: Eddie Murray, BAL
2nd Base: Frank White, KCR
3rd Base: Buddy Bell, TEX
Shortstop: Robin Yount, MIL
Outfield: Dwayne Murphy, OAK
Outfield: Dwight Evans, BOS
Outfield: Dave Winfield, NYY

Yount Wins AL MVP

November 9 3 Comments

Yount’s amazing season was rewarded with an AL MVP award.

MILWAUKEE — It started with a single voice. One prescient, informed voice.

“M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Or maybe it started as a joke. Maybe it was some two-fist slopper in the grandstand, soused to the gills and slurring.

“M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Whether it started as an honest examination of the season or whether it started in jest, Brewers fans birthed and owned the chant of “M-V-P!” in 1982. Though it wouldn’t count, it was the Brewers’ fans vote for their hero, The Kid, Robin Yount.

Today, the Baseball Writers of Association America made it official, but shockingly not unanimous. Yount won 27 of 28 of the first place votes and 385 total points to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Of course, the BBWAA is the same prestigious group who have never unanimously elected anyone to the Hall of Fame, including Hank Aaron earlier this season. (Really, the guy hits 755 home runs, and there are a few who don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer? Idiots.)

Yount missed becoming the AL’s first unanimous selection since Reggie Jackson. In a bitter irony, Jackson received the other first-place vote. Who knew it was like Heisman Trophy voting where past winners get a chance to cast a ballot? (That’s a joke, just like Yount not winning unanimously.)

“It’s quite an honor,” said a humble Yount. “I feel it’s the type of award you couldn’t win without the help from everybody else.”

Robin is the ultimate teammate, and it’s his humility that may have kept Golla from voting for him. As Yount says, he couldn’t have done it without his teammates.

But those teammates and his coaches love him. And ultimately, Robin doesn’t care about that one vote or the award.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s definitely deserved being named Most Valuable Player,” said manager Harvey Kuenn. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s the best shortstop I’ve ever seen play.”

That great shortstop far outpaced Baltimore’s Eddie Murray, who finished second with 228 points, and California’s Doug Decinces was third with 178. Jackson was fourth.

The Crew’s amazing season was rewarded in the voting as five Brewers received MVP votes: Cecil Cooper finished fifth, Gorman Thomas finished eighth, and Paul Molitor, Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers also received votes.

Except for one moronic voter, there was no other choice. But the voices inside County Stadium rang true. They knew, and soon so did everyone else.

“M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!”

Player – Tm	Pts	1st	AVG	HR	RBI	W	ERA	SV
Robin Yount, MIL	385	27	.331	29	114
Eddie Murray, BAL	228	0	.316	32	110
Doug DeCinces, CAL	178	0	.301	30	97
Hal McRae, KCR	175	0	.308	27	133
Cecil Cooper, MIL	152	0	.313	32	121
R. Jackson, CAL	107	1	.275	39	101
Dwight Evans, BOS	57	0	.292	32	98
G. Thomas, MIL	44	0	.245	39	112
D Quisenberry, KCR	39	0		0	0	9	2.57	35
R. Henderson, OAK	38	0	.267	10	51
Dave Winfield, NYY	33	0	.280	37	106
Paul Molitor, MIL	29	0	.302	19	71
Lance Parrish, DET	26	0	.284	32	87
Brian Downing, CAL	22	0	.281	28	84
Willie Wilson, KCR	16	0	.332	3	46
Bob Boone, CAL	12	0	.256	7	58
Rollie Fingers, MIL	12	0		0	0	5	2.6	29
P. Vuckovich, MIL	11	0		0	0	18	3.34	0
Jim Rice, BOS	10	0	.309	24	97
Harold Baines, CHW	9	0	.271	25	105
George Brett, KCR	9	0	.301	21	82
Toby Harrah, CLE	9	0	.304	25	78
Don Baylor, CAL	8	0	.263	24	93
A. Thornton, CLE	8	0	.273	32	116
Bob Stanley, BOS	6	0		0	0	12	3.1	14
Rod Carew, CAL	5	0	.319	3	44
D. Garcia, TOR	5	0	.310	5	42
Jim Palmer, BAL	5	0		0	0	15	3.13	1
Bill Caudill, SEA	4	0		0	0	12	2.35	26
Buddy Bell, TEX	3	0	.296	13	67
Cal Ripken, BAL	3	0	.264	28	93
C. Lansford, BOS	1	0	.301	11	63
Rick Sutcliffe, CLE	1	0		0	0	14	2.96	1
Gary Ward, MIN	1	0	.289	28	91