2006 NL MVP: You Decide

[albbla2000mu]

You mention it but seem to think he is so much better that him missing 20 games wont keep him from winning the award. I however, do think it will. Again, Pujols is the best player. Pujols is the best player stat wise WHEN he plays. He just didnt play enough. Im not arguing that Howard is a better player...Im just saying he is close enough to Pujols + plays everyday to win the award. Pujols isnt like when Barry Bonds could play 130 games and win it b/c he was so much better than everyone else. Its like getting a paycheck for 1000 dollars 12 times a year (12,000) vs. getting a paycheck for 950 13 times a year (12,350). The amount of times you play matters. HAD Pujols played maybe the Cards would be 10 games up on the Stros. Who knows? But...the point is...He isnt better to make up a 20 game absence.

[GiantsFanatic]

I'm very nutral on this arguement, because you can make a good argument for both.

Pujols played almost the whole year, besides missing 2-3 weeks in June i believe, plus Edmonds and Eckstein both have been injured, and yet he still led the cards to a soon to be division title.

Howard's case is that at the trading deadline phillies traded abreu, bell, and Lidle, and looked to be out of contention, but they started to win games and now they lead wild card and Howard has been a key part of that.

So my vote goes to Howard by a hair. If Pujols gets it i wouldn't mind. Best case scenario for both sluggers if they both get it Co-MVPs

[love_that_reefer]

Bonds never won when playing just 130 games so you can forget that shit. I not saying I won't be happy for Howard if he wins but my vote would have to go to the best of the two players which is clearly Pujols. The fact that Pujols is better all around and when he was on the DL the Cards were lousy proving his value. Losing Abreau didn't hurt because he wasn't hitting with the Phillies and it allowed Howard to see better pitches hitting between Utley and Burrell.

[brewersfan19]

I have nothing against Howard either, just that Pujols does it year in and year out. He produces for the entire year. That is what the MVP is for, not just for producing in the second half of the season.. Howard is an awesome hitter too... He is definitely worth his money too... Still I believe Pujols is the MVP

[albbla2000mu]

Bonds never won when playing just 130 games so you can forget that shit. I not saying I won't be happy for Howard if he wins but my vote would have to go to the best of the two players which is clearly Pujols. The fact that Pujols is better all around and when he was on the DL the Cards were lousy proving his value. Losing Abreau didn't hurt because he wasn't hitting with the Phillies and it allowed Howard to see better pitches hitting between Utley and Burrell.

Shit?
Bonds....2003......130 Games EXACTLY.....MVP Award
Or am I dreaming?

...but that's beside the point. Pujols will play 143 games this year. Nice number since Bonds also won when he played 143 games in 2002...this is what Bonds did...

.370 .582 .799 1.381 (46 HR and 110 RBI) Won MVP
.314 .394 .561 .955 (34 HR and 127 RBI) Pujols finished 2nd


Pujols is nowhere near blowing away the competition like that...
.316 .421 .673 1.094 (46 HR and 129) Pujols
.332 .418 .627 1.045 (58 HR and 143) Howard

[General]

That's pretty awesome pwnage right there abblabblablbalalalabalabalabaababbabaalalala.x

[Dry1313]

albablablbalbalalbalablbl did just pwn him...

But Pujols honestly has carried his team the whole season with the hitting collapsing around him, yet he managed to stay consistent.

Howard lost Burrell but he still has Rollins and Victorino as tablesetters.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I obviously voted for Pujols, but he did have Duncan and Rolen around to help most of the time too. Rolen being the given great performer and Duncan being the latest "Jocketty Gem" (Basically a player only Jocketty is able to see will be incredible).

[albbla2000mu]

As far as defense being a deciding factor....We arent talking about what most people consider a defensive position like SS, Catcher, CF, 2b or 3b even. And the numbers can be skewed to show the true minimal differences. If you look at Pujols Zone rating (the % of time he records an out that is "possible), ...check it out on ESPN, Foxsports, Stats or whatever...Its a compilation stat based on range

Pujols makes 85.4% of the outs he possibly could
Howard makes 83.5% of the outs he possibly could
Pujols is 6th in the league, Howard is 11th
Or in other words Pujols fields the ball about 2% more often than Howard would given the same oppurtunity.

Fielding % is .996 v .990 in favor of Pujols
Pujols is 5th in the league, Howard is 11th
Or in other words Pujols would make 6 less errors per 1000 chances

Were not talking legendary defense here.

[realmofotalk]

So cast a vote for Jocketty Methodology yet again and stare in awe at the incredible job he did in signing a player of his caliber.

Does that methodology include firing the scout who actually signed such player?

[CincyRedsFan30]

Does that methodology include firing the scout who actually signed such player?

Yeah, since it has led to the Cards continuing to be one of the better teams in baseball.

He knows what he's doing.

He brings in players and scouts through their time of usefulness, then dumps them. He seems to be good in terms of "feelings," meaning he seems to have good baseball awareness in terms of realizing when players will get better/worse who are raw and don't have the numbers yet(younger players) and when to sign/trade for other players who have had up and down careers.

He is a "peaks" GM when it comes to "peaks and valleys."

[realmofotalk]

He is a "peaks" GM when it comes to "peaks and valleys."

More like Billy Beane was on the "peak" overlooking Jocketty at the "valley" when Beane sent Mark Mulder to him in return for Dan Haren. Notice how Mulder has gone down, while Haren has gone up.

[CincyRedsFan30]

More like Billy Beane was on the "peak" overlooking Jocketty at the "valley" when Beane sent Mark Mulder to him in return for Dan Haren. Notice how Mulder has gone down, while Haren has gone up.

Small sample size(SSS).

[realmofotalk]

Jocketty also received too much credit for trading for Mark McGwire, who was viewed as a rent-a-player for half a season. Luckily, Big Mac gelled with the St. Louis baseball atmosphere and re-signed. It didn't hurt that Big Mac was juiced, although then and now he admits only having used andro.

[Fishercat]

I have to say, I'm surprised at how badly that deal has turned out for Jocketty (the Mulder one). Mulder hadn't impressed me before that much, but Beane absolutely ripped him to this point over the two years: a superior SP (younger, cheaper, probably better), a nice RP, and a great hitting prospect. For someone who has a track record like Jocketty (who has been fantastic over his career), you don't usually see that. It's like Terry Ryan letting Ortiz go, a rare bad move.