Derby Trail Forums

Go Back   Derby Trail Forums > Sports Bar & Grill
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-19-2007, 08:50 PM
Cannon Shell's Avatar
Cannon Shell Cannon Shell is offline
Sha Tin
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 20,855
Default AROD is MVP

Why A-Rod is the MVP


by Nate Silver

There’s not much room for argument: Alex Rodriguez was the best player in the American League this year. He lead his league in home runs (54), RBIs (156), runs scored (143), total bases (376), slugging percentage (.645) and OPS (1.067). He also lead his league in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP), topping Magglio Ordonez by a score of 96.6 to 87.8. And he accomplished all of this while playing a more difficult defensive position than Magglio Ordonez, and playing it fairly well.

What might be more surprising is that A-Rod’s numbers were even more impressive than they appear at first glance, because of one area for which he’s traditionally had a poor reputation: his performance in the clutch. Rodriguez hit .333, with 98 RBIs and a 1.138 OPS with runners in scoring position. He hit .357 in “close and late” situations. He hit .500 with a 1.286 slugging percentage in 14 plate appearances with the bases loaded. At he hit .362 in September, as the Yankees climbed back to reclaim their spot in the post-season.

Rodriguez, of course, renewed doubts about his clutch ability with his relatively poor performance against Cleveland in the ALDS, when he hit .267 with just one RBI. In other words, he had a bad series. On the other hand, over 162 games during the regular season, he was the one guy you wanted up there when the game depended on it. Which performance do you trust more: 583 at-bats in the regular season, or 15 in the playoffs?

Yes, Rodriguez has disappointed in the playoffs in the past. But the bottom line is this. Firstly, clutch performance is mostly about luck: the same player who is clutch one year can be a choke artist the next. And two, the Yankees ought to have every bit of confidence that Rodriguez can not only get them to October, but win them a title once they’re there. Rodriguez is the MVP - and the highest-paid player in baseball - for a reason: no player provides his team with a bigger head start toward winning a World Championship.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-19-2007, 09:44 PM
dylbert dylbert is offline
Gulfstream Park
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 1,209
Default

Great article posting, Cannon Shell... only wish that my Astros could afford such a talent as him. Crawford Boxes would become very dangerous place to view game at the Juice Box!
__________________
@wire2wirewin
Turf Economist since 1974
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-20-2007, 04:19 AM
docicu3 docicu3 is offline
The Curragh
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,778
Default

Yankee Fans enjoy him A-Rod is probably livid that Mike Lowell's announcement for signing with the Red Sox was announced on the same day as the A-Rod MVP celebration. The nerve of the two time world champion to try and crash A-Rod's ode to me......

I'll take the World Series titles, the gold gloves and the adoration of your town's fans. Once your making the money these guys make it's all good dude. I would never trade Lowell for A-Rod unless I wanted a third baseman to hit 50 homers and for my team to have no chance at a series.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-20-2007, 09:51 AM
MaTH716's Avatar
MaTH716 MaTH716 is offline
Flemington
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Jersey
Posts: 11,438
Default

Isn't it strange that the only 2 first place votes A-Rod didn't get came from the Detroit area and went for Ordonez?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-20-2007, 01:51 PM
whodey17's Avatar
whodey17 whodey17 is offline
Oaklawn
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: indy
Posts: 2,318
Default

AROD is the best player in the game. He could possibly hold two tremendous records when his career is over. He could be the all time HR king and the all time hits leader. That would be one heck of an accomplishment.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-20-2007, 05:15 PM
2 Dollar Bill 2 Dollar Bill is offline
Churchill Downs
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,994
Default

Its funny that the ""lighting rod"" says.... ""I would trade in the 3 MVP awards for a WS ring"".... Does that mean he would GIVE back $$$$ to the team to sign some pitching ?????
__________________
Ole' Timer says to another leaving Keystone Race Track (Philly )
...""Its a good thing I broke even today, I really
needed the money """!!!!
Gotta Love Horse Racing !!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-20-2007, 07:44 PM
Cannon Shell's Avatar
Cannon Shell Cannon Shell is offline
Sha Tin
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 20,855
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by docicu3
Yankee Fans enjoy him A-Rod is probably livid that Mike Lowell's announcement for signing with the Red Sox was announced on the same day as the A-Rod MVP celebration. The nerve of the two time world champion to try and crash A-Rod's ode to me......

I'll take the World Series titles, the gold gloves and the adoration of your town's fans. Once your making the money these guys make it's all good dude. I would never trade Lowell for A-Rod unless I wanted a third baseman to hit 50 homers and for my team to have no chance at a series.
The idea that the Red Sox would not have won the World Series if A Rod was playing third as opposed to Lowell is kind of absurd.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-20-2007, 11:26 PM
docicu3 docicu3 is offline
The Curragh
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,778
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
The idea that the Red Sox would not have won the World Series if A Rod was playing third as opposed to Lowell is kind of absurd.

It's all about Chuck chemistry in team sports not individual talent. The 25 cabs for 25 guys Red Sox of the 70's and 80's had tons of talent but no chemistry. A-Rod destroys chemistry with his "me first" team second playoff phobic stat sheet as one example.

The guy will probably own every offensive record in the book someday and still find a way to chuck a two hopper into the stands after interfering with a pitcher tagging him out the inning before to lose a Series.

See Bronson Arroyo play for stupidity and classless acts ruining the mojo of a team. Please don't tell me you don't believe the 2004 Yankees lost the AL Playoffs because they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A-Rod is a chemistry killer and will never win anything other than an individual record in any big market. A-Rod would single handidly Margo Adams the Red Sox if allowed to be there.

Wanting A-Rod on the Red Sox instead of Lowell given recent events....now thats absurd!! and shows how little you value the chemistry piece. It's more fragile than you think...
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-21-2007, 08:25 PM
SCUDSBROTHER's Avatar
SCUDSBROTHER SCUDSBROTHER is offline
Flemington
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: L.A.
Posts: 11,326
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by docicu3
It's all about Chuck chemistry in team sports not individual talent. The 25 cabs for 25 guys Red Sox of the 70's and 80's had tons of talent but no chemistry. A-Rod destroys chemistry with his "me first" team second playoff phobic stat sheet as one example.

The guy will probably own every offensive record in the book someday and still find a way to chuck a two hopper into the stands after interfering with a pitcher tagging him out the inning before to lose a Series.

See Bronson Arroyo play for stupidity and classless acts ruining the mojo of a team. Please don't tell me you don't believe the 2004 Yankees lost the AL Playoffs because they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A-Rod is a chemistry killer and will never win anything other than an individual record in any big market. A-Rod would single handidly Margo Adams the Red Sox if allowed to be there.

Wanting A-Rod on the Red Sox instead of Lowell given recent events....now thats absurd!! and shows how little you value the chemistry piece. It's more fragile than you think...
If I got a team that's got a nice chance to make the post,then I would rather have LOWELL than AROD.That's because Lowell hits good pitching better than Arod.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-22-2007, 07:17 PM
Cannon Shell's Avatar
Cannon Shell Cannon Shell is offline
Sha Tin
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 20,855
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by docicu3
It's all about Chuck chemistry in team sports not individual talent. The 25 cabs for 25 guys Red Sox of the 70's and 80's had tons of talent but no chemistry. A-Rod destroys chemistry with his "me first" team second playoff phobic stat sheet as one example.

The guy will probably own every offensive record in the book someday and still find a way to chuck a two hopper into the stands after interfering with a pitcher tagging him out the inning before to lose a Series.

See Bronson Arroyo play for stupidity and classless acts ruining the mojo of a team. Please don't tell me you don't believe the 2004 Yankees lost the AL Playoffs because they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A-Rod is a chemistry killer and will never win anything other than an individual record in any big market. A-Rod would single handidly Margo Adams the Red Sox if allowed to be there.

Wanting A-Rod on the Red Sox instead of Lowell given recent events....now thats absurd!! and shows how little you value the chemistry piece. It's more fragile than you think...
And here I always thought that Pitching was important in baseball. Chemistry didn't stop the Big Red Machine, The Yankees of the late 70's, the A's of the early 70's...

Chemistry is something to blame when teams lose...so writers have stories to write about and controversies to create. If Pete Rose had chopped Arroyos hand he would have been called scrappy.

Remember one thing about A Rod and the Yankees of 07...there would not have been a Yankees playoff appearance without him. Then who would everybody been blaming? Hate to say it to the Yankee fans but you are going to be bitching about ARod next year too because management seems oblivious to the real issues that that team has and is going to come up short again.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-20-2007, 09:06 PM
satan's twin satan's twin is offline
Louisiana Downs
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Keystone
Posts: 333
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by docicu3
Yankee Fans enjoy him A-Rod is probably livid that Mike Lowell's announcement for signing with the Red Sox was announced on the same day as the A-Rod MVP celebration. The nerve of the two time world champion to try and crash A-Rod's ode to me......

I'll take the World Series titles, the gold gloves and the adoration of your town's fans. Once your making the money these guys make it's all good dude. I would never trade Lowell for A-Rod unless I wanted a third baseman to hit 50 homers and for my team to have no chance at a series.
If A-Rod was the RedSox third baseman in '07, do you really think Boston would not have won the world series this year?
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-20-2007, 11:37 PM
docicu3 docicu3 is offline
The Curragh
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,778
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by satan's twin
If A-Rod was the RedSox third baseman in '07, do you really think Boston would not have won the world series this year?
No chance in hell in 2004 and still iffy in 2007 because others who were allowed to grow and perform without the "me" first ahole factor....see Youk (himself a bit of more talent than he showed until 2007, Jason Pedroia who would have unlikely prospered in a tense clubhouse rather than the one he had...and I could go on on.....Boston is a weird place to play with a negative karma until the last few years where many a premadonna (sp?) ruined talented teams destined for greatness.

This particuar question your asking here has been debated by Boston journalism royalty eg Ryan Gammons etc to the same thing I am saying. To a man (sorry Jackie McM.) they all have cast votes for "If A-Rod were here the curse would now have 90+ years to it....." It does have to make sense to be the truth...sometimes you DO subtract from a team by adding talent to it if it comes with baggage like this!!
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-22-2007, 12:20 AM
SniperSB23 SniperSB23 is offline
Hialeah Park
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 6,086
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by docicu3
No chance in hell in 2004 and still iffy in 2007 because others who were allowed to grow and perform without the "me" first ahole factor....see Youk (himself a bit of more talent than he showed until 2007, Jason Pedroia who would have unlikely prospered in a tense clubhouse rather than the one he had...and I could go on on.....Boston is a weird place to play with a negative karma until the last few years where many a premadonna (sp?) ruined talented teams destined for greatness.

This particuar question your asking here has been debated by Boston journalism royalty eg Ryan Gammons etc to the same thing I am saying. To a man (sorry Jackie McM.) they all have cast votes for "If A-Rod were here the curse would now have 90+ years to it....." It does have to make sense to be the truth...sometimes you DO subtract from a team by adding talent to it if it comes with baggage like this!!
That may be the silliest thing I've ever read on here. I'm sure the Patriots fans would have said they'd have been worse off with Randy Moss on their team when he was a "loser" in Oakland. Any team is better off with Gay-Rod. The only question is whether he is worth the money.
Reply With Quote
Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:33 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.