You are incorrect saying he hasn't been there when it counted. You are talking about 2 games in a 162 game marathon. The award is not won or lost on the basis of performance in any short series, but on long term excellence. Harper has been that and by a wide margin. Harper isn't superman and there was no way one man was going to drag the slumping and underperforming Nats to victory in the series against the red hot Mets. Harper doesn't pitch and doesn't field more than one position. To harp on one series and say he isn't deserving on the basis of 2 games is absurd. The simple truth is no one in baseball has the numbers Harper currently has, has meant as much to his team over the long haul of the season as Harper has, or has played at such a high level, day in and day out, as Harper has. I understand that a team's success figures into the MVP and that is where the problem for Harper will arise, but he deserves the award. -- Al
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The more I look at Samardzija's season and numbers, the August dividing line is more and more glaring. Before August, he started 21 games and pitched 7 or more innings 16 times. In his 9 starts since August 2, he has gone as far as 7 innings only once, even as his pitch counts have remained consistent. I'm betting he's either exhausted or hurt. -- AlAnyone know what is wrong with White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija? He has been an ABSOLUTE disaster since August started. He has had 9 starts and has gone 1-8 (I don't believe I am jumping the gun by awarding him a loss in tonight's game, which is only in the 5th, but he left the game after yielding 10 runs and trails 16-3.:rolleyes2. He has gone 49.2 innings in those starts and has given up 71 hits (12 Hr's) and 51 earned runs! Absolutely unbelievable. Is he pitching hurt? He might just be having a bad stretch, but until August he was having a decent year. It's like someone just threw a switch and he went from good to horrible overnight, just fell off a cliff. The loss tonight (and it will be a loss), will leave him at 9-13 with a 5.27 ERA. What happened? -- Al
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Al,
I understand your perspective as a Mets and let's just say we'll agree to disagree, although I do expect he will win it and if he does, it would be hard to say he didn't deserve it. I know he's had a very good season and although it isn't fair to judge someone on those two games, that is often what happens, like it or not. That is what people remember. No one in NY forgets Beltran taking strike 3 in game 7 of the NLCS to end the game. It's not fair as he had some wonderful seasons in NY but that's the way it is.
The season's not over so let's focus on that although if we're talking about post season awards, I hope Terry gets considered for Manager of the Year. When the club couldn't buy a hit in May, June and July, he managed to hold the team together until people came from the DL and the reinforcements arrived.
Brad
Agreed. And Collins would be an excellent winner, as would Girardi in the AL. -- Al
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Al/Brad:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your spirited debate about the MVP candidates. It is clear that both of you are knowledgeable fans who respect each other's opinions. It is back and forth like this that makes the Baseball 2015 thread one of the best on Treefrog.
-Jason
Jason, I have to talk about something now that the Nats and O's are all but DOA.:wink2:^&grin -- Al
Looks like the O's pitcher Wright could use some more seasoning. His first 2 starts after his call-up were very good but his 6 starts since then have been train wrecks. He only lasted 3 innings, giving up 6 runs tonight. O's can't afford that if there slim hopes are to stay alive. -- Al
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Not so fast Al. Nats are winning again while Mets are losing again to the fish. The radio hosts keep saying that we fans are crazy, that this is not 2007 but we are not so convinced. We're accustomed to waiting for the other shoe to drop {eek3} It's in our fan DNA.
Clippard just gave up a HR. He's given up a few in the last few games.
Brad
The Phillies are awful. We have the Marlins coming in for 4, starting tomorrow. Harper became the 6th player in MLB history to hit 40 Hr's at the age of 22 or younger tonight.
Wouldn't worry about Clip. He occasionally goes through a gopher ball stretch but generally they are solos. He gets stubborn about throwing that change-up. -- Al
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Arrieta was foiled in his first attempt at winning #20 when the Pirates scored the tying run off him in the 8th inning. He finished the frame but left the game tied at 2-2 with an ND. He gave up only 1 earned run. Since the All-Star break, Arrieta has gone 9-1 in his 12 starts, with an ERA of 0.95 in 77.1 innings. Cy Young vote keeps getting tighter. -- Al
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After two losses Mets fans are starting to freak out a little, and this coming after a 8 winning streak. Although I'm not worried (yet), as I've said a lot can change in a week. Last week, the Mets came in with a four game lead and ended the week with a 91/2 game lead. If Nats take care of the fish this weekend and the Yankees take care of the Mets, as in sweep, then we have a race.
The last two games they seem flat. Tuesday I was at the game and there was a buzz for the first few innings and then as the Marlins started to hit deGrom (who has not looked good lately), the whole place went flat. Yesterday was worse.
Collins has said all this talk about who is going to pitch on which day in the post season has to stop and that first things first. Hopefully, they get back on track this weekend.
The last two games they seem flat. Tuesday I was at the game and there was a buzz for the first few innings and then as the Marlins started to hit deGrom (who has not looked good lately), the whole place went flat. Yesterday was worse.
Collins has said all this talk about who is going to pitch on which day in the post season has to stop and that first things first. Hopefully, they get back on track this weekend.
Brad, I'm still holding out hope that the Nats can get back in but a 7.5 game deficit with 17 to play is really reaching. Heck, if the Mets play .500 ball, Nats have to practically win out. I just don't see it but I won't give up until the numbers say so...
Is deGrom tired? He is 40+ innings over last year's rookie total and will only add more as the end of the season approaches. If the Mets clinch early enough, maybe they can get him some rest. -- Al
After last night's clunker, the Nats have 16 games left, trail by 8 and DO have to win out if the Mets go .500. Chances? ZERO! Still...
Harper's season is simply amazing. Using all the numbers that sabermetrics take into account, Harper's OPS+ is historic. OPS+ is on-base-plus-slugging percentage, adjusted for era and home park. League normal is set at 100. An OPS+ of 120 means a player is 20% above league norm. Harper's current OPS+ for 2015 is 204. His career level, at the moment, is 144. As one might expect, Babe Ruth has an incredible career OPS+ of 206. No current player in baseball has ever reached 200 for a season,(and plenty of former players like Mays, Joe D, Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., didn't either) which says a lot about Harper's season (and even more about Ruth's greatness). Not being able to predict the future, there is no way to tell if Harper can maintain anything near this level of production, but it is fun to watch for this season, at least. -- Al
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jazzeum
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Al,
I think that's the wrong way to look at it because then it looks overwhelming. If the Nats win three in a row and Mets got swept (and neither is inconceivable although I don't think the Mets will get swept; they sure better not!), then it's five games. Not great but doable. Also, sometimes collapses have their own momentum. Look at the Astros. Right now they're in freefall. It will be interesting to see if they can pull out of it; I don't think so.
I heard someone call in today and say that Nolan Arenado should be considered for MVP {eek3} Shades of 1987 when Andre Dawson got the MVP with the last place Cubs. Reminds me of the story Ralph Kiner used to tell of when he was with the Pirates. Ralph had a great year and was looking for a raise. He went to see Branch Rickey and Branch said no raise, explaining "Ralph, we finished last with you and we can finish last without you." The Rockies are finishing last with Arenado and they could have finished last without him.
I think that's the wrong way to look at it because then it looks overwhelming. If the Nats win three in a row and Mets got swept (and neither is inconceivable although I don't think the Mets will get swept; they sure better not!), then it's five games. Not great but doable. Also, sometimes collapses have their own momentum. Look at the Astros. Right now they're in freefall. It will be interesting to see if they can pull out of it; I don't think so.
I heard someone call in today and say that Nolan Arenado should be considered for MVP {eek3} Shades of 1987 when Andre Dawson got the MVP with the last place Cubs. Reminds me of the story Ralph Kiner used to tell of when he was with the Pirates. Ralph had a great year and was looking for a raise. He went to see Branch Rickey and Branch said no raise, explaining "Ralph, we finished last with you and we can finish last without you." The Rockies are finishing last with Arenado and they could have finished last without him.
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The Giants are now 8.5 back.
Hope is fading fast.
Hope is fading fast.
jazzeum
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True but even when my team isn't it, post season baseball is still post season baseball.
Looks like the Pirates are collapsing in their attempt to get the home game in the WC game as the Cubs are really turning it on. The Cards are 6 ahead of the Cubs but the Cubs think they can take the Central Division away from them.
The Astros continue to collapse and the 2nd WC is now up for grabs, what with the Twins, Angels, Tribe and Os in the hunt. Angels and Twins have a big DH against each other today.
Looks like the Pirates are collapsing in their attempt to get the home game in the WC game as the Cubs are really turning it on. The Cards are 6 ahead of the Cubs but the Cubs think they can take the Central Division away from them.
The Astros continue to collapse and the 2nd WC is now up for grabs, what with the Twins, Angels, Tribe and Os in the hunt. Angels and Twins have a big DH against each other today.