10 Reasons why the Tampa Bay Rays winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

There are only a few more weeks left to the season and the contenders are dwindling down. I am running out of time to finish my Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series.

We continue with the Tampa Bay Rays.
When I started writing these, I didn't even have Tampa Bay on the list but I DID have the White Sox and the Indians, who as if this writing are below .500.

But thanks to the Rays surge this September and a 3 game sweep of the Red Sox, they are very much in the hunt. They need a lot of help, but sweeping the Red Sox again starting tonight would tie them for a playoff spot with 10 games to play.

If they do that, it would be a monumental pre-2004 esque collapse for the Red Sox and the third playoff berth in four years for Tampa Bay.

Would a Rays World Series title be good for the game?
Oh let me count the ways.

10 Reasons why the
Tampa Bay Rays
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. A Rays World Champion could put Joe Maddon on the fast track to Cooperstown.

He's only been the Rays manager for 6 seasons, but a World Series title this year would make his Hall of Fame candidacy very interesting. With a title, he would have already done the hard work. He took over a team that lost at least 91 games for each of their 10 years of existence and put them in the World Series. Throw in another Division Title and four straight winning seasons and he can take a huge piece of credit for turning a laughing stock into a contender. Not even Lou Piniella could do that. Like Ron Roenicke in Milwaukee, he is a protege of Mike Scioscia who was a protege of Tom Lasorda who was a protege of Walter Alston. It could be a legacy of Hall of Fame managers.

2. Maybe Brad Pitt could play Andrew Friedman as well if the Rays win it all.

The Rays were a bigger mess than the Oakland A's ever were and with Andrew Friedman as GM, they've won more pennants than Billy Beane's A's! So where's the Brad Pitt film about Friedman?

He is putting contenders (and Division Champions in 2 out of 3 years) in a Division that features the two big bad wolves (New York and Boston.) He didn't listen to the whining of "Nobody can compete with them" and found a way to. And he is STILL doing it with one of the lowest payrolls in the game. They are putting a winning product on the field and by letting key free agents walk, they had what seemed like 100 first round picks. So the talent pipeline to the majors will remain fruitful.

Seriously, it's a great story.



3. Finally Johnny Damon would have a World Series ring that EVERYONE can feel good about!

Johnny won a World Series ring with the Red Sox. But Yankee fans and people who like grooming didn't like that.

Then he won a World Series ring with the Yankees. But Red Sox fans and Yankee haters didn't like THAT!

If he wins one with the Rays, who could have a problem with him? It's like the porridge that Goldilocks chose.

4. A World Series title could be the overdue fulfillment of Kyle Farnsworth's potential.

Since coming up with the Cubs, Kyle Farnsworth has had jaw dropping potential but never fulfilled it. He threw hard but the balls went out of the park even faster. Even in Atlanta, where he had his best regular season, he blew a key playoff lead that led to the Braves elimination in the 2005 Division Series. Yankees fans dubbed him "Farnsworth-less."

But in Tampa Bay he found his groove and has become an effective closer. What better place of redemption than on the mound for a World Series title?

5. A ring for David Price and what could become the best staff in baseball.

At age 25, David Price is already a seasoned battle tested veteran. 29 year old Big Game James Shields is the elder statesman of the rotation. Pitchers Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, Jeff Niemann and Alex Cobb all made Matt Garza and Scott Kazimir expendable. This team is so loaded with young pitching (Matt Moore and Jake McGee are the latest to make the leap to the big leagues) that they should keep Tampa Bay competitive for the next 4 or 5 years.

A World Championship could spotlight this staff and pitching coach Jim Hickey and create a blueprint of how to build a team around pitching.


6. A World Championship would force the spotlight on Evan Longoria and B. J. Upton.

Baseball needs new heroes to emerge in the post Steroid years. Neither Longoria nor Upton have put up numbers that match their potential. But perhaps World Series heroics and highlights can put these two talented and exciting players in the public consciousness.

And maybe THEN Longoria would be able to afford a new hat.




7. Would Manny Ramirez get a World Series ring?

Hey! He played 5 games for the Rays.

Yeah, he retired in disgrace.
Yeah, he is sinking further into Pariah-ville and has as good a change to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But he DID play for the Rays. If they win, it would be an interesting debate.


8. It would interesting to talk with a Cubs fan the day after a Rays World Championship.

Seriously, it would be nothing short of cruel for a Cub fan to witness yet ANOTHER expansion team win the World Series. The Cubs last PLAYED in a World Series 16 years before the first expansion.

14 teams have come into the league since the 1945 World Series and 12 of them have made the World Series.

The Cubs last won the World Series when Roosevelt was in office... TEDDY Roosevelt. The Marlins and Diamondbacks have each won a World Series and they were created when CLINTON was in office. If a third recent expansion team wins while the Cubs wait would be borderline cruel.

Hey! At least the Cubs have Matt Garza and Carlos Pena!


9. A World Series title would give us SOMETHING positive to say about the Trop.

The Rays have been trying to get out of the Trop since their first game IN the Trop! I have yet to step foot in Tropicana Field. It just looks like an idea that was great in the mid 1980s but just is out of date now. It is the BetaMax of stadiums.

But guess what? Some ugly parks can have some nice memories. The Metrodome was ugly, but the Twins had their greatest moments there. The Vet was a hole, but the Phillies had some glorious victories in that cold ugly donut. The Kingdome was an eyesore, but that's where Griffey scored from first!

Eventually the Rays will have a new park or a new city. If the Trop is leveled, it would be nice to have one great moment there.

10. A Rays World Series title is supposedly what EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS!

What are the biggest complaints about baseball?

Only big market clubs win.
The Yankees and Red Sox make it unfair.
You need deep pockets and a huge payroll to have a shot.
A team needs a state of the art stadium to have the revenue to contend.

Well the Rays have raised a middle finger to all of those sentiments! The Rays, filled with homegrown stars, a sense of fun and a wonderfully likable manager, should be the darlings of every casual baseball fan. They should be the glorious underdog who spit in the face of convention and are saying "We'll defy logic and show all of you how to do it!"

The draft well, they trade well and play hard. (Are you taking notes, Royals and Pirates?) And they are not afraid of the Goliaths of their Division. I swear if I weren't already a Red Sox fan, I'd probably rooting hard for them this weekend.

The fact that baseball DOESN'T sell this team better just is another example of MLB's incredible incompetence to promote their own sport!


So there you have it.
I am writing this AS my beloved Red Sox are trying to keep Tampa OUT of the playoffs. But if Tampa does get in, there are plenty of reasons to cheer them on.

Oh I am such an optimist!




If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS
DETROIT TIGERS
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
NEW YORK YANKEES
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

If Johnny Damon Were Derek Jeter

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog on the Mets to bring you this PSA (pretty solid argument). In case you're that guy in the Geico commercial who lives under a rock, let me announce to you that Derek Jeter collected his 3,000th hit yesterday. He became the second player to reach that milestone by hitting a home run (Wade Boggs was the other) and the second player to collect five hits in the same game (after Craig Biggio accomplished the feat in 2007).

We're not trying to diminish the fact that Jeter got to 3,000 hits. It's a fantastic lifetime achievement and he deserves to be congratulated for it. But there's another player who's approaching the milestone that doesn't get nearly the love and the accolades reserved for a player of Jeter's stature. He's a contemporary of Jeter and has career numbers that are very similar to the Yankee shortstop. So tell me something. Why doesn't Johnny Damon get the respect bestowed upon Derek Jeter?

Whether on the Royals, A's, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers or Rays, Johnny Damon has been as consistent as they come.

Both Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon made their major league debuts during the 1995 season, with Jeter playing his first game for the Yankees on May 29 and Damon collecting his first at-bat for the Kansas City Royals on August 12. The following season (1996), both became everyday players on their respective teams.

Let's go through their career numbers to compare the two players.

As of July 9, Derek Jeter has 3,003 hits, which include 481 doubles, 62 triples and 237 HR. Johnny Damon has 2,663 hits, racking up 502 doubles, 104 triples and 224 HR.

Derek Jeter has scored 1,727 runs and has driven in 1,159 runs. Johnny Damon has crossed the plate 1,606 times and has 1,088 RBI.

Jeter has also reached base via the walk 972 times, while Damon has drawn 955 bases on balls. However, Jeter has struck out 1,605 times during his career, while Damon has fanned on 1,182 occasions.

In addition, Jeter has stolen 331 bases in 419 attempts (79.0% success rate), while Damon has stolen 392 bases in 493 attempts (79.5% success rate).

Derek Jeter's career batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage are .313/.383/.450, respectively, while Johnny Damon holds a career .287/.354/.436 mark in those categories.

Jeter has grounded into 241 double plays in his career, while Damon has been victimized by a twin killing only 91 times.

If you look at the individual regular season numbers, their careers are very similar, with Jeter leading Damon in some categories, Damon leading Jeter in other categories, and the two of them having almost identical numbers in several others. Now let's dissect those same numbers a little differently over their entire careers.

Derek Jeter has scored 100+ runs in 13 different seasons. Johnny Damon has accomplished that feat 10 times, with two other seasons in which he scored 93 and 95 runs. In those two seasons (2007 and 2008), Damon missed 21 games (93 runs in 141 games) and 19 games (95 runs in 143 games).

Jeter has had eight seasons with at least 30 doubles. Damon has 11 such seasons, including nine consecutive years in which he compiled 30 or more doubles (1998-2006).

Derek Jeter has never reached double digits in triples in any season (he hit a career-high nine triples in 1999). Damon has hit at least 10 triples in a season three times, including a league-leading 11 three-base hits in 2002.

Both Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon have hit at least 20 HR in a season three times, and both have career highs of 24 HR in a single season, with Jeter accomplishing his high mark in home runs in 1999 and Damon hitting his career-high in 2006 and again in 2009.

Although Derek Jeter's career-high in RBI is 102, while Damon has never driven in more than 94 runs in a single season, Jeter has surpassed the 80 RBI mark in a season only three times, while Damon has done it four times.

In the patience category, Jeter has walked as many as 60 times in a season eight times. Damon has 11 such seasons. On the opposite extreme, Jeter has struck out at least 99 times in a dozen different campaigns. Why is 99 such an important number? Because Johnny Damon has never struck out that many times in a single season. His career high in strikeouts in 98, accomplished in 2009 as Jeter's teammate with the Yankees.

Johnny Damon beat 'em, then he joined 'em.

Speaking of teammates, let's look at those four years (2006-2009) when Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon shared the same clubhouse in the Bronx. During that time, these were Derek Jeter's numbers, followed by Johnny Damon's stats:

• Derek Jeter: .325 batting average, .394 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage, 415 runs scored, 130 doubles, 11 triples, 55 HR, 305 RBI, 90 SB, 249 BB, 377 K.

• Johnny Damon: .285 batting average, .363 on-base percentage, .458 slugging percentage, 410 runs scored, 125 doubles, 15 triples, 77 HR, 296 RBI, 93 SB, 268 BB, 344 K.

Jeter had a favorable edge in batting average and on-base percentage while they were in the same batting order and had a few more runs scored (five), doubles (five) and RBI (nine) than Damon. However, Damon had more triples, home runs, stolen bases and walks than Jeter, while striking out 33 fewer times.

Before you say "so what?", let it be known that during the four years used in the above comparison, Jeter played in 47 more games than Damon (613 for Derek, 576 for Johnny) and had nearly 300 more plate appearances (2,813 for Jeter, 2,525 for Damon), meaning that Damon would more than likely have had far batter cumulative numbers than Jeter during the time they were teammates, and would also have surpassed him in doubles, runs scored and RBI, the three categories Jeter had a slight edge in.

In the two years since they stopped being teammates, Damon has surpassed Jeter in almost every offensive category, including batting average, on-base percentage and doubles, as shown below:

• Derek Jeter: .270 batting average, .337 on-base percentage, .365 slugging percentage, 153 runs scored, 43 doubles, four triples, 13 HR, 91 RBI, 26 SB, 87 BB, 139 K.

• Johnny Damon: .274 batting average, .344 on-base percentage, .412 slugging percentage, 123 runs scored, 51 doubles, nine triples, 17 HR, 92 RBI, 18 SB, 89 BB, 134 K.

Once again, Jeter had more plate appearances in those two seasons (1,056) than Damon (968), so the categories in which Damon trailed Jeter might be much closer if Damon had had the opportunities that Jeter was afforded, and of course, the categories in which Damon already had the edge over Jeter would have a much greater difference.

Derek Jeter has five World Series rings to Johnny Damon's two. Jeter has also been selected to 12 All-Star teams to Damon's two and has finished in the top 20 in the MVP voting nine times to Damon's four. Jeter has accomplished these awards and accolades despite having very similar career numbers to Johnny Damon.

So why doesn't Johnny Damon get the respect he apparently deserves? Derek Jeter has played his entire career in a powerful Yankee lineup. Johnny Damon played from 1995-2000 in Kansas City and played one season in Oakland. Those teams were not exactly known for being offensive juggernauts. Johnny Damon was one of the few bright spots on those teams. (Carlos Beltran was another on those late '90s Royals teams. See, I was able to mention a Mets player after all.)

Yet, despite his success in Kansas City and Oakland, he did not receive any attention at all from a baseball standpoint until he became a self-proclaimed "idiot" in Boston. It was in Boston that he became an All-Star for the first time and it was with Boston that he won his first championship, hitting .467 in the 2004 ALCS and smacking the game-changing grand slam against Derek Jeter's Yankees in the seventh and deciding game.

Johnny Damon will always be a legend in Boston, even if they think he's an idiot for becoming a Yankee.

Derek Jeter is a future Hall-of-Famer, of that there is no doubt. But when the topic of Johnny Damon's Hall of Fame candidacy comes up, all you hear is crickets or an occasional snicker. I'm not saying Johnny Damon is a better player than Derek Jeter. Both players are special in their own way.

But if you consider their entire careers, it would be difficult to say that Johnny Damon pales in comparison to the Yankee captain. Derek Jeter has had fantastic career numbers, both in the regular season and the post-season. But Johnny Damon is not that far behind. By the time both players call it a career, their numbers will be almost identical across the board.

At his current pace, Johnny Damon has a chance to reach the 3,000 hit plateau by the time he's 39 (in two seasons). Ordinarily, that warrants an automatic call to Cooperstown, yet hardly anyone would mention Johnny Damon and Hall of Fame in the same sentence.

Perhaps it's time for the people who have showered their love and respect upon Derek Jeter to take a look at one of his contemporaries. Johnny Damon might not have played his entire career in New York as Jeter has, but he's been as big a star as the Yankees' brightest player since 1995. Whether you agree or disagree with me, it's time to recognize the achievements of Johnny Damon. He's certainly earned it.

Looks like the Rays have a 2005 fetish as well

First the Yankees had their odd 2005 obsession.

Now it is Tampa's turn.
Damon and Manny are teammates for the first time since 2005.

I am not saying the Red Sox don't have some holes. I am not saying the Red Sox off season has been flawless.

But their off season requires a lot usage of the phrase "If they played like they did 6 years ago..."

My my my... the AL East just got a bit more fun

Manny and Damon reunited?
Someone cue up Maroon 5. It is 2004 all over again.

Hey, Gabe Kapler was on the Rays last year. If they bring HIM back they will have all three outfielders who were on the field when the Sox won the World Series in St. Louis.

This off season has gotten so strange that the Rays have added more famous players than the Yankees.

Actually, even before the Rays decided to bring aboard two of the three biggest idiots, I hadn’t written off Tampa Bay.

Yeah losing Carl Crawford was bad… as was Rafael Soriano… and Carlos Pena….and Matt Garza…and Jason Bartlett…and Dan Wheeler…… and Joaquin Benoit…and Grant Balfour

But there is so much talent on that team that I can’t help but think that they might actually (dare I say it?) be better?

They still have a starting rotation of David Price, Wade Davis, James Shields and Wade Davis.

They still have Evan Longoria in the middle of their lineup and B. J. Upton who could still put it all together.

Reid Brignac could play short in Barlett’s place.
Jeremy Hellickson can start in Garza’s place.
Jake McGee is ready to take a role in the bullpen.
Desmond Jennings should be ready to play the outfield.

Some combination of Willy Aybar, Ben Zobrist and maybe even Damon could play first.

Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos both have some big league experience out of the bullpen with San Diego and will be in Tampa next year after the Bartlett trade.

Hak Ju Lee could give the Rays depth in the infield after the deal with Chicago.

Now you add a sparkplug like Johnny Damon to the top of the lineup.
And yeah, Manny is no longer Manny. But he still gets on base, has some pop and always has a little peak when he arrives with a new team.

Folks, the A.L. East is going to be fun again. People who hate to see either the Red Sox or the Yankees in the playoffs may get their wish for the fourth time in six seasons to see one of them play golf this October.

There will be LOTS of reasons to circle the Rays arrival in Fenway AND Yankee Stadium in red.

Remember Red Sox fans… it’s OK to cheer Manny and Johnny when they play the Yankees. In fact, I think it will be a nice nostalgic feeling.

Who didn't deserve a post season MVP? Who should have won it instead?

Edgar Renteria very well may have ended his long and solid career as a World Series hero. He showed his class by refusing to have a parade in his Colombian home town, wanting those resources to go people who NEED it after a series of floods in the region.

(A ballplayer REFUSING adoration? What a concept!)

He certainly deserved his MVP award with his unexpected heroics at the plate. But sometimes the MVP goes to a real head scratcher.

This is how I define a playoff series MVP. Who is the person that if you replaced with a mediocre substitute would change the result of the series?

Which is why, no matter what the numbers are, I could NEVER give a playoff MVP to someone on the losing team.

This got me thinking… What World Series or LCS MVP selections do I just not agree with?

Since the World Series MVP was established in 1955, there have been a few players who I don’t think deserved October hardware (including one for my beloved Red Sox.) I am not saying anyone who got the award had a BAD series… but they give out the trophy pretty quickly… and sometimes the most valuable player wasn’t the flashiest one.

The NLCS started handing out MVPs in 1977.
The first ALCS MVP was in 1980.

And one year... 1987... I think they got ALL THREE post season MVPs wrong!

So you know what happens when I have an idle thought: I write a list.


Here are…

THE PLAYOFF MVPs WHO DIDN’T DESERVE THE AWARD AND THE PLAYERS WHO SHOULD HAVE WON INSTEAD

1960 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: BOBBY RICHARDSON


DESERVING WINNER: BILL MAZEROSKI

Richardson had a tremendous series, batting .367 with a 1.054 OPS. He got 11 hits in the 7 games and drove in 12 runs. But many of those runs game in the Yankee blow out wins in Games 2, 3 and 6. And the Yankees LOST THE SERIES!

Mazeroski had a wonderful series at the plate, batting .320, having an OPS of .960 at the second base position and slamming a pair of homers. The last homer was memorable.

1969 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: DONN CLENDENON



DESERVING WINNER: JERRY KOOSMAN

There is no doubt that Clendenon had a remarkable series at the plate. He homered 3 times in 5 games, betting .357 with an OPS of 1.509. Al Weis, who won The Babe Ruth Award that October, also put on an unexpected show, batting .455 and an OPS of 1.290 and homering along side Clendenon in the final game.

But Koosman threw the critical game 2 victory in Baltimore after the Orioles beat Tom Seaver in the opener. And after the Game 4 thriller, Koosman threw the complete game victory to hold off the Birds and clinch the World Series. He finished with a 2-0 record, an 2.04 ERA over 17 2/3 innings with a WHIP of 0.623.

1978 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: BUCKY DENT


DESERVING WINNER: REGGIE JACKSON

Perhaps there was lingering hero worship after Dent’s home run in the one game playoff against Boston. Maybe his RBIs in the Game 6 finale padded his stats.

But the colossus that was Reggie Jackson towered over this series. The year before his homers sunk Los Angeles. And when Bob Welch struck him out after a million pitches to end Game 2, there was the sense that they were going to slay the giant. Reggie won games with power, with singles to prolong rallies and with his hip, that he stuck in the way of a relay to second base and kept a Game 4 rally alive. Jackson finished the series with a .391 average, an OPS of 1.196, homered 2 times with 8 RBI. (And blamed Bucky Dent’s stolen base attempt for his famous Game 2 strike out.)

1982 ALCS



ACTUAL WINNER: FRED LYNN


DESERVING WINNER: PAUL MOLITOR

I love Fred Lynn. Fred Lynn is one of my all time favorite players. And Fred Lynn’s numbers in the 1982 ALCS were OBSCENELY good. He batted .611 with a 1.539 OPS. But, say it with me… THE ANGELS LOST!

Paul Molitor batted .316 with a 1.065 OPS and knocked in as many runs as Lynn. Molitor’s homer off of Mike Witt broke open Game 3 and helped Milwaukee hold off elimination. He drove in a run in the series tying Game 4. And he went 2-3 with a run scored in the pennant clinching Game 5.

1982 NLCS

ACTUAL WINNER: DARRELL PORTER

DESERVING WINNER: WILLIE McGEE

When a player hits .556 in a 3 game series, it is easy to put the M, V and P next to their name. That’s why Porter won it in ’82. But Willie McGee, who hit .308 with an OPS of 1.154 got productive hit after productive hit.

It was Willie McGee’s triple off of Pascual Perez that led to the first run in the Cardinals 7-0 Game 1 win. His run scoring grounder tied Game 2 in the 8th inning, setting up the winning rally in the 9th. And in the Game 3 clicher, he collected 2 hits, driving in 3 and hitting the back breaking home run in the top of the 9th.

1986 NLCS

ACTUAL WINNER: MIKE SCOTT

DESERVING WINNER: LENNY DYKSTRA

This is the great test case for my inability to give a playoff MVP to a member of the losing team. I get this one. Mike Scott won the first and fourth games and the specter of him pitching Game 7 hung over all 16 innings of the Game 6 marathon. The Mets knew they HAD to win or face Scott in Houston for a do or die showdown.

But here’s the thing… the Mets DID win. And they did it in 6. Which means SOMEONE must have been valuable for the Mets. And in three of the wins, Dykstra came up strong. He got 2 hits and a run scored as the Mets won Game 2 against Nolan Ryan. And he came off the bench and got 2 hits including a much needed 16th inning insurance run in the Game 6 clincher. But with one swing of the bat, he changed the entire complexion of the series. His 2 run bottom of the 9th come from behind walk off homer in Game 3 kept the Mets from falling behind 2-1 and facing Scott in Game 4. That’s pretty valuable.

1987 ALCS

ACTUAL WINNER: GARY GAETTI

DESERVING WINNER: TOM BRUNANSKY

Gaetti homered twice in the opener and the Twins were in business. They stunned the Tigers in that first game and went on to win the series in 5.

But when the Series moved to Detroit, Gaetti’s bat cooled down and Brunansky’s heated up. Brunansky matched Gaetti’s home run total (2) and out hit him (.412 to .300), topped him in OPS (1.524 to .998) and drove in more runs (9 to 5). And in the clinching game 5, Brunansky started the scoring with an RBI double in the second and added on with a homer in the 9th.

1987 NLCS

ACTUAL WINNER: JEFFREY LEONARD

DESERVING WINNER: DANNY COX

I know my many Giant fan friends will give me grief about this, but I don’t care how many homers the Hackman hit. The Giants lost the series and there must be a Cardinal worthy of the award.

Danny Cox is as good a recipient as any. Sure he lost Game 4, but he pitched a complete game giving the Cardinals pen a much needed night off. And with the two teams in a tense back and forth series (including a 1-0 nail biting win for St. Louis in Game 6) Cox took total control of Game 7, throwing a complete game shutout to clinch the pennant. Every Giant was stymied… including Jeffrey Leonard.

1987 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: FRANK VIOLA



DESERVING WINNER: KIRBY PUCKETT

There is no denying Frank Viola was dominating in the Twins Game 7 victory over St. Louis. But there would have been no NEED for a 7th game if Viola didn’t get ROCKED in Game 4 in St. Louis. I understand sometimes a hard luck loser in a game can still be post season MVP material (Josh Beckett in 2003 comes to mind.) But a World Series MVP shouldn’t get hammered in a game where he leaves in the 4th.

Puckett hit .357 in the series with 10 hits. His 5th inning double off of Danny Cox tied Game 7… thus taking Frank Viola off the hook of his SECOND World Series loss.

1990 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: JOSE RIJO


DESERVING WINNERS: BILLY HATCHER and CHRIS SABO

I am not a big fan of Co-MVPs, but 1990 was a case where 2 deserved it… and naturally neither won. It is difficult to determine which was more startling about the Reds sweep of the powerhouse A’s: That the bats clobbered the A’s pitching staff or that the arms shut down the Bash Brothers line up.

Rijo went 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA over 15 1/3 innings… clearly awesome stats. But Game 1 was a game where the bats caught Dave Stewart off guard and Game 4 the A’s were already down 3-0 and reeling. No offense, but the series was won with the startling Games 2 and 3 victories for Cincinnati.

Hatcher’s numbers were jaw dropping. He set a World Series record with seven consecutive hits and batted .750, beating Babe Ruth’s 4 Game World Series record of .625. His OPS was 2.050. The first number is a 2. That isn’t a typo.

And Chris Sabo’s 2 homers in Game 3 shattered the idea that the A’s would regroup in Oakland and make it a series. He finished with a .563 average and a 1.611 OPS.

1997 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: LIVAN HERNANDEZ

DESERVING WINNER: MOISES ALOU

Arguably the worst World Series MVP decision of all time. It can be argued that not only did Hernandez NOT deserve the MVP, but he didn’t even have a GOOD series. Sure he won 2 games and pitched 8 innings in Game 5. But his Game 1 outing was mediocre and his final ERA of 5.27 showed that he got some SERIOUS run support.

He did. And a lot of it came from Alou, who batted .321 with an OPS of 1.101. He slammed 3 homers and drove in 9 runs during the 7 game series against Cleveland. His 3 run shot won Game 1, drove in a critical run in Game 5 and hit the single that sparked the Marlins 9th inning comeback rally in Game 7.

1998 NLCS

ACTUAL WINNER: STERLING HITCHCOCK

DESERVING WINNER: KEN CAMINITI

It’s funny. If the Padres had won Game 4 of the NLCS and swept the Braves, Kevin Brown would have won the MVP on the strength of his Game 2 shutout. And Bruce Bochy clearly wanted to end the series in 5 when he brought Brown out of the bullpen in the 7th. But he let up a go ahead homer to Michael Tucker, losing the game and any chance at hardware.

Sterling Hitchcock won the MVP based on his 2-0 record. But he couldn’t get through the 6th in either start and needed a lot of help from the bullpen.

The late Caminiti homered in the 10th to give the Padres a surprising 1 game lead in the series. He drove in a run in the Game 3 victory and went 2-5 with a run scored in the Game 6 clincher. He finished the series with 2 homers and a .953 OPS.

1999 ALCS

ACTUAL WINNER: EL DUQUE HERNANDEZ

DESERVING WINNER: RAMIRO MENDOZA

I swear I have nothing against the brothers Hernandez and their post season heroics. El Duque obviously had a fine ALCS. He pitched 8 innings in the opener and threw 7 innings, striking out 9 and letting up only 1 run in the Game 5 clincher.

But there were two points in the series where the Red Sox had a legit shot to beat the Yankees. And in both instances they were stymied by Ramiro Mendoza. With the bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning and the Yankees clinging to a 1 run lead in Game 2, Mendoza came out of the pen to face Butch Huskey and Jose Offerman. He struck out Huskey and got Offerman to fly out, ending the threat and preserving the win. In the Game 5 clincher, he once again came in with the bases loaded and the Red Sox threatening. He got Scott Hatteberg to strike out and Trot Nixon to pop up. Torre let Mendoza finish the game and clinch the pennant, making it one of the few times a post 1996 Yankee series was ended by someone other than Mariano Rivera.

2001 NLCS

ACTUAL WINNER: CRAIG COUNSELL


DESERVING WINNER: RANDY JOHNSON

Look, nobody is saying Craig Counsell didn’t have a good series. He did. Nobody is saying his .381 average and .905 OPS wasn’t terrific. It was.

But COME ON! Johnson, who stumbled through subpar post seasons in 1997, 1998, 1999 and in the 2001 Division Series, broke through in the NLCS. He threw a complete game shutout in Game 1, beating Greg Maddux 2-0. Then in the clincher he went 7 strong, beating Tom Glavine and the Diamondbacks clinched the pennant. When you beat Maddux AND Glavine in tight games in the same series, you deserve hardware.

2004 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER:MANNY RAMIREZ

DESERVING WINNER: MARK BELLHORN

If I had told you when Game 1 of the 2004 World Series ended that Manny Ramirez, who had committed two mind numbing errors in left field on back to back plays, would be selected the series Most Valuable Player, you’d think I was insane. Besides, obviously the post season hero was Bellhorn, whose tie breaking homer in the 8th inning set up the victory. And in Game 2, Bellhorn’s 4th inning double broke up what looked like would be a tight game.

Sure Manny’s homer in Game 3 took the air out of St. Louis’ balloon in Game 3 and Manny’s .412 average was sexier. Bellhorn batted .300 for the Series and out slugged Ramirez, finishing with a 1.263 OPS to Manny’s 1.088. And Bellhorn got the two biggest hits of the series.

2005 ALCS

ACTUAL WINNER: PAUL KONERKO



DESERVING WINNER: JOE CREDE

Konerko had many heroics in the Division Series, ALCS and World Series for the White Sox, including first inning homers in Games 3 and 4 that put the White Sox in control. But Crede, who topped Konerko in virtually every category, also was clutch.

It was Crede’s walk off double that won the bizarre Game 2 against the Angels, in the wake of A. J. Pierzynski’s reaching first on the supposed dropped third strike.

He hit a 2 run single in the 8th inning to help put Game 4 out of reach. And in the clinching Game 5, he got a go ahead RBI in the second, a game tying homer in the 7th and drove in the pennant winning run in the 8th. He hit .368 with an OPS of 1.139, homered 2 times and drove in 7. Konerko didn’t top any of those stats nor the heroics in the clincher… but still won the MVP.

2008 ALCS

ACTUAL WINNER: MATT GARZA


DESERVING WINNER: B. J. UPTON

Matt Garza beat Red Sox ace two times, including the Game 7 clincher to send the Rays to the 2008 World Series. It is a pretty solid argument to give him the Series MVP. I get it. But the main reason the Rays toppled the defending World Champs was NOT their pitching staff. It was their bats that went berserk in Games 2, 3, 4 and 5… putting Boston in a hole that their great heroics and come from behind skills just couldn’t overcome.

Upton hit .321 with an OPS of 1.180, homered 4 times and drove in an amazing 11 runs in the 7 game series. Along with Willy Aybar, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena, Upton led the offensive charge and gave Tampa Bay its greatest baseball moment.

2009 World Series

ACTUAL WINNER: HIDEKI MATSUI


DESERVING WINNER: JOHNNY DAMON

Here’s why you sometimes need a moment or two to give these post season awards some thought. Matsui won the MVP, mainly on the back of his 6 RBI performance in the clinching Game 6 and his 2 go ahead homers off of Pedro Martinez. But I have a hard time giving the MVP to someone who didn’t even start in two of the Yankees win.

Initially I felt the award belonged to Mariano Rivera, whose presence hung over the entire post season as closer after closer failed while the great Rivera was flawless.

But in retrospect, three of the biggest turn around moments in the World Series were the result of Damon’s bat, patience and intelligence. In Game 3, a game the Yankees needed to have in order to avoid a 2-1 hole, Damon hit a go ahead double in the 5th to give the Yankees the lead for good. In Game 4, after the Phillies tied the game in the 8th, Damon fouled off 2 strike 2 out pitch after pitch from Brad Lidge and finally singled. Then he stole second and in the series most memorable play, realized that third base wasn’t covered due to the shift on Mark Teixeira. He scored the go ahead (and eventual winning run) on A-Rod’s double. In that critical inning, Matsui popped up to short.



So there you have it… I am sure I offended someone by saying their favorite player shouldn’t have won the award.

Let me know what you think and if you vehemently disagree with me.

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