The Sports Beat

Since it’s nigh September and that means the end of the season, I’ve decided it’s time for pointless MVP banter!

But, what you’re not going to get here is an argument as to who should win the MVP, because that concept is really irrelevant. I don’t vote, and neither do Rob Neyer or Keith Law, but nearly-distinct dinosaurs (read: not yet bought out sportswriters) do. And they LOVE RBI. Runs Batted In. Mention the term and MVP voters turn into virgin, pubescent boys–all they can think about is scoring.

Granted, an RBI means a run scored, but it really doesn’t tell us much else. And don’t get too angry at me for saying this–I’ve played the game plenty (at a higher level than the majority of ballplayers), watched the game obsessively, and read and thought about it more than is healthy–but counting runs batted in is mostly a waste of time. There is only one instance when you can create an RBI all by yourself (a homerun), and all other occurrences require a teammate to do at least half the work. So, forget RBI when thinking objectively and analytically on your own time. BUT, when thinking about MVP voters, keep RBI central to the discussion. The only thing MVP voters like more than RBI is winning–another statistic based substantially on the performance of others. Oh, and a damned good story–they are writers, after all.

SO, I will now give my top 5 2008 AL MVP candidates based on what the voters will likely choose:

1. Carlos Quentin-.965 OPS, 91 RBI, 33 HR, 69-53 team record, no one saw this happening so quickly
2. Josh Hamilton-.917 OPS, 112 RBI, everyone’s favorite former-flameout, 61-62 team record
3. Kevin Youkilis-.964 OPS, 83 RBI, versatile, first Jewish MVP since Hank Greenberg?, 71-51 team record
4. Alex Rodriguez-.983 OPS, 72 RBI, Madonna Drama!, 65-58 team record
5. Ian Kinsler-.888 OPS, 70 RBI (from a second baseman!), actually having a phenomenal season, should have started at the ASG over Dustin Pedroia, 61-62 team record

So, it looks like Carlos Quentin is the favorite halfway through August. Milton Bradley might be having the best season on the Rangers but he’s an angry (black–which may or may not play a part) man who DHs for a second-place team so that won’t be happening. Kevin Youkilis is a real threat, but given that he’s one of the most hated players in the game and his team is in second place (despite the fact that Boston has a better record than the White Sox, their division standing will somehow matter to voters), he probably will not be taking the award. Alex Rodriguez remains the best overall player in the game, but third place on the Yankees won’t cut it, especially since he missed time. Ian Kinsler is having a better season than Josh Hamilton, but they’ll split their votes and most will go to Hamilton and his infinite RBI anyway. That leaves Quentin, who fulfills the love for RBI, brings a nice “Who woulda thunk that?” storyline, and plays for a winner in a big market.

Now that’s valuable.

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