2012 MLB's Most Valuable Hitters

LUCKY 13 
 THE MOST PRODUCTIVE HITTERS  
OF THE 2012 MLB SEASON. 

In a season that saw many of baseball's best players go down to injury and lose much of the season ( Matt Kemp, Joey Votto, Jacoby Ellsbury,Troy Tulowitski, Jose Bautista, Giancarlo Stanton, Evan Longoria) there was still plenty of players that had outstanding years.  I give to you this seasons most valuable hitters. 

These guys must of watched their instructional videos over and over because they can crush soft toss. 

13. Aramis Ramirez. Milwaukee Brewers. One of the most underrated players in baseball Aramis has been putting up numbers for 15 years now. Flying under the radar for 2 reasons, one he is in Milwaukee and two he has Ryan Braun on his team. 

.300 Average/.360 OBP/.540 SLG/.901 OPS 

171 Hits 50 Doubles 27 HR 105 RBI

12. Albert Pujols. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  After a horrible start in Anaheim after signing the mega deal Pujols obviously turned it around. Still a top 5 hitter in my eyes his start to the season was so bad it is a small miracle that his numbers are this good. People that doubted Pujols should be ashamed of themselves. 

.285 Average/.343 OBP/.516 SLG/.859 OPS.  

173 Hits 50 Doubles 30 HR 105 RBI 

11. Matt Holliday. St. Louis Cardinals. One of my favorite players Holliday had another outstanding season swinging the bat, hard to believe he is always overlooked when talking about the great right handed hitters in the game. With Holliday leading the charge the Cardinals have the NL's scariest line up 1-8.  

.295  Average/.379 OBP/.497 SLG/.877 OPS.  

177 Hits 36 Doubles 27 HR 102 RBI

10. Adrian Beltre. Texas Rangers. With so much fire power in the Rangers line up Beltre has emerged as the Rangers most valuable player in my eyes. A defensive wizard at the hot corner he is baseballs best 3B. Yes better overall than Miguel Cabrera. 

.321Average/.359 OBP/.561 SLG./.921 OPS. 

 194 Hits 33 Doubles 36 HR  102 RBI

9. Prince Fielder. Detroit Tigers. A hot September landed Prince at 30 Home Runs and another great season. While not driving the ball out of the park at his normal rate he still managed to drive in his share of runs.

.313 Average/.412 OBP/.528 SLG/.940 OPS. 

 182 Hits 33 Doubles 30 HR  108 RBI.

8. Robinson Cano. NY Yankees. Is this guy ever going to win the batting title that Yankees fans jabber about all the time? The answer is no he won't but that doesn't mean he isn't the most productive 2B in the game right now. The Yankees best player had another great season coming up just short of 200 hits and 50 doubles. When it's all said and done he might just be the most productive 2B the games ever seen. 

.313 Average/.379 OBP/.550 SLG/.929 OPS. 

196 Hits  48 Doubles 33 HR 94 RBI

7. Edwin Encarnacion. Toronto Blue Jays. If i was to tell you at the beginning of the year that Edwin would be a top 10 hitter in all of baseball you would think I was a tool. With an .OPS of nearly 200 points higher than last season the red flags are up for me on this one. Time MLB pushes for HGH testing in season???  

.280 Average/.384 OBP/.557 SLG/ .941 OPS. 

152 Hits 23 Doubles 42 HR 110 RBI.

6. Josh Hamilton. Texas Rangers.  Hamilton's last season with the Rangers was a roller coaster filled with high's and lows. When right he is one of the top 5 scariest batters to face. One of the most talented players in the game he will joining forces with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout next season creating a super lineup. 

.285 Average/.354 OBP/.577 SLG/.930 OPS. 

160 Hits 31 Doubles 43 HR  128 RBI.

5. Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh Pirates. We are to the point now were it is needless to say that everyone moving forward on the list was a MVP candidate putting up numbers like they did. McCutchen just might of been the best overall player in the NL this season. The Pirates franchise player has stepped up and become a legit top 10 player in baseball. 

.327Average/.400 OBP/.553 SLG/.953 OPS. 

194 Hits 29 Doubles 31 HR 96 RBI

4. Buster Posey. SF Giants. While it is my opinion that the Cardinals have the best all around catcher in the game in Yadier Molina, Posey is pushied Molina this season with a MVP campaign. All this production at the catching position is b-a-n-a-n-a-s. 

.336 Average/.408 OBP/.549 SLG/.957 OPS.

 178 Hits  39 Doubles 24 HR  103 RBI. 

3. Mike Trout.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The number one prospect in baseball Bryce Harper who? Stepped out of his prospect label and has become the best all around player in baseball since his May callup. Imagine what a whole season would of produced? While it is uncertain if this is going to be a standard season or the best season of his career one thing is certain, his potential greatness is limitless. The fact you can say he has a chance to be the best player of all time is something that should wow you - Remember he just turned 21. 

.326Average/.399 OBP/.564 SLG/.963 OPS. 

182 Hits 27 Doubles 30 HR 83 RBI

2. Ryan Braun. Milwaukee Brewers. Last seasons tainted NL MVP in many ways had an an even better season this year. Ryan Braun has established himself  along with Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as the 3 great right handed hitters of this era. To go down as an all time great it certainly helps to play in the playoffs. The question remains will Ryan Braun ever make back into October as a Brewer?  With the emergence of the Reds and the Cardinals always being strong it's not looking good for the near future. 

.319 Average/.391 OBP/ .595 SLG/..987 OPS. 

191 Hits 36 Doubles 41 HR  112 RBI. 

1. Miguel Cabrera.  Detroit Tigers.  7th season hitting over .320. Had over 30 HR which now gives him 8 seasons of doing that. While  his career stats aren't quite Albert Pujols numbers he has been the closest thing to "The Machine" MLB has seen in the Pujols era. Surpassing all his career averages in major stat categories he pulled the Triple Crown and if that isn't good enough for the #1 spot I don't kno what is. Baseball's most dangerous - best hitter for the entire 2012 season. 

.330 Average/.393 OBP/.606 SLG/.999 OPS. 

205 Hits  40 Doubles 40 HR 139 RBI

NO...NO YOU GUYS DO NOT. 

LA ANGELS OFFSEASON

LA ANGELS FANS WORRIED ABOUT HUNTER  

SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH PITCHING

photo from sportsnet.ca  courtesy of the AP 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fans are far too concerned with trying to resign Torii Hunter. Wake up people. While I am a huge fan of the guy and losing him will be disheartening to the Angels, Anaheim has more important things to worry about this offseason.  While I don’t agree with not resigning Hunter, fans have to realize the Angels now have a Grand Canyon sized hole in their pitching staff with the loss of Ervin Santana, Dan Haren and its inevitable Zack Greinke will sign with someone else, probably the Texas Rangers, Thanks Arte let another star player leave to a rival.

What are the Angels going to do to replace the 3 quality starters they are letting go? This would be my concern Angels fans considering pitching was the main reason the Angels missed out on the playoffs for a 3^rd consecutive season. The idea of trying to find quality arms to replace over 550 innings lost with those 3 gone is a daunting task and I am not sure that Jerry Dipoto or any GM can find 3 quality arms in 1 offseason.

While I understand Torii is a very likable player and I am right there with you with not wanting to lose him especially to a contender like the Rangers, Tigers or Red Sox we have to understand he shouldn’t be the first priority this offseason get over it.  It’s pretty clear management wants to use Peter Bourjos next season, is that a mistake? Probably but it seems to have been predetermined.  Let me clear that up, its not a mistake because Peter is a horrible player but I have to question why wasn’t Bourjos traded last season for a pitcher? Teams were and still remain interested in the guy. How about the Atlanta Braves this offseason who have an excess of  starting pitchers and appear to be losing Michael Bourne and would be looking for a Center Fielder to replace him. Jair Jurrgens looks to be on the trading block. There are many options and more than a few teams looking for a CF. 

Lets get back to last season. The Angels outfield  was  already maxed out  with quality bats, Mike Trout, Torii Hunter, Mark Trumbo and Vernon Wells. Why did they keep Peter Bourjos when you have 4 outfielders already? Can someone explain why he wasn’t used  as a centerpiece in a package deal to go out and get an arm last season let alone this offseason especially now when the Angels seem to be desperate for starting pitching? I’m still scratching my head over this.  I got to say Peter Bourjos did look good riding the pine though didn't he? He was a valuable asset chewing seeds on the bench next to Maicer -  he definitely helped the Angels riding the bench more than a pitcher would.  If Dipoto didn't move Peter last season it’s pretty clear they  knew all along that they wanted to use him this season.  The Angels management never really wanted to make it a priority to sign Hunter.  Whether you agree or not that seems to be the case as reports have come out that Bourjos will now split time in Center Field and Left Field as Trout will move to Left Field some games. Another questionable move but that can be dealt with when it actually happens. 

What are the Angels options. Well the first priority would be to resign Zack Greinke and pay him what he wants anything to keep him in the rotation.  If Greinke goes to Texas it is going to be a double whammy for the Angels not only will they lose an ace, their number one rival will become even stronger and put the Angels further behind the 8 ball.  If Greinke isn’t willing to resign with Anaheim then then there are other options? There certainly is pitching available albeit not as good of options but still serviceable arms are out there. I would look to Anibal Sanchez and try signing him to a long term deal and double it up with making a run at the very solid and underrated Hiroki Kuroda to a one year deal as a stop gap until next offseason. Kyle Lohse should also be looked at as he has been racking up quality innings the last couple seasons for the Cardinals and has postseason experience. 

There needs to be a sense of urgency to nail down at least 2 starting pitchers to fill that massive 550 plus innings lost this offseason. What will happen? No one knows. One thing is for certain if the Angels don't get help on the mound don't look for them to be a serious World Series threat next season. Arte Moreno seems to get a pass from the Angels faithful read this to see what I think of Moreno's shaky ownership http://diamondclubdirt.blogspot.com/2012/10/arte-party-killer.html  Why Moreno gets a pass and other sports owners take heat from the media like New York Knicks owner James Dolan is beyond me. Many say it's the GM's job but the bottom line is the owner is the one signing the checks and has final say in all transactions.

Miguel Cabrera Vs. Ryan Braun

MIGUEL CABRERA Vs. RYAN BRAUN

BEST RIGHT HANDED HITTER IN BASEBALL? 

Who is the most productive hitter in baseball? We are looking for the best hitter right now and for that reason we only are looking at stats over the last two seasons. We filtered out a long list of contenders and have narrowed it down to the top slugger in the American League and matched him up with the National League's best.  As Albert Pujols continues to regress it looks like Miguel Cabrera is now the premier offensive force in baseball edging Ryan Braun in some of the key categories. 

Look at Cabrera missing only 1 game each of the last two seasons  while averaging just over 200 hits a year for a guy with that much power is ridiculous. 

Stats Last 2 seasons 

Games Played 322 

At Bats  1194 

Runs 220

Hits 402 

Doubles  88 

HR  74 

RBI 244

BB 174 

AVG. .337 

WAR 7.1 

Stats Last 2 seasons 

Games Played  304

At Bats  1161

Runs  217 

Hits  378 

Doubles  74

HR  74

RBI   223

BB  121  

AVG.  .325

WAR   7.25 

MIKE TROUT BEST ROOKIE EVER?

MIKE TROUT

BEST ROOKIE EVER?

MIKE TROUT 2012 STATS

Games 139  Hits 182  

HR 30  RBI 83

27 Doubles 8 Triples 

• 2012 League Ranks: 
• • 1st in MLB in WAR 10.7 
• • 1st in AL in Runs (129)
• • 1st in MLB in SB (49)
• • 2nd in AL in Batting Average (.326)
• • 2nd in AL in OPS (.963)
• • 3rd in AL in SLG (.564)

Here are some other outstanding MLB Rookie seasons courtesy of http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/26935/best-rookie-seasons-of-all-time

Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 Mariners: 7.5 WAR 
Stats: .350/.381/.457, 8 HR, 69 RBI, 242 H, 127 R, 56 SB, 126 OPS+, Gold Glove, MVP

Albert Pujols, 2001 Cardinals: 6.3 WAR
Stats: .329/.403/.610, 37 HR, 130 RBI, 47 2B, 112 R, 157 OPS+, 4th in MVP

Nomar Garciaparra, 1997 Red Sox: 6.5 WAR 
Stats: .306/.342/.534, 30 HR, 98 RBI, 44 2B, 209 H, 122 R, 22 SB, 123 OPS+, 8th in MVP

Mike Piazza, 1993 Dodgers: 6.8 WAR 
Stats: .318/.370/.561, 35 HR, 112 RBI, 81 R, 153 OPS+, 9th in MVP

Fred Lynn, 1975 Red Sox: 7.1 WAR 
Stats: .331/.401/.566, 21 HR, 105 RBI, 47 2B, 103 R, 162 OPS+, Gold Glove, MVP

Ted Williams, 1939 Red Sox: 6.6 WAR 
Stats: .327/.436/.609, 31 HR, 145 RBI, 44 2B, 11 3B, 131 R, 160 OPS+, 4th in MVP

Shoeless Joe Jackson, 1911 Naps: 9.0 WAR 
Stats: .408/.468/.590, 7 HR, 83 RBI, 45 2B, 19 3B, 233 H, 126 R, 193 OPS+, 4th in MVP

PUJOLS VS. VAUGHN.

L.A. ANGELS BIG FREE AGENT 1B

ALBERT PUJOLS VS. MO VAUGHN 

Angels fans have a real dislike for Mo Vaughn and I really can't understand why? I have never heard anything nice said about the guy in southern california. Fans act like the guy didn't produce for the Halos, like he was a complete lazy bust. Have you even bothered to take a look at the numbers? If you had you would see he was a very productive player up until his injury back in 2001.  I find it interesting that Vaughn's numbers compare nicely to Albert Pujols stats this season. 

Mo Vaughn 
Games 139
Plate Appearances 592
AB 524 
Hits 147
Runs 63
HR  33
RBI  108 
BA  .281
SLG .508
OPS. .866
Total Bases  266

Albert Pujols
Games  154 
Plate Appearances  670

AB  607
Hits  173
Runs  85
HR   30
RBI  105
BA  .285 
SLG .516
OPS.  .859
Total Bases  313


While it looks like Albert gets the best of him in season 1 it might be difficult for Pujols to keep up with Vaughn after completing season 2.  
Mo Vaughn's second season with Anaheim he played in 
161 games 
and had over 700 plate appearances. 
He hit 36 HR with 117 RBI 
with an OPS. of over .860. 

THAT WOULD BE 69 homers and 225 RBI in two seasons 

Given Albert's numbers this season I think it would be considered a pretty good year if he could reach Vaughn's 2nd season power stats. Let that soak in for a sec. 

The fact that Albert Pujols will have to have a better season next year just to keep up with Mo Vaughn's Angels totals should say something. Vaughn looks far from a lazy bust so far.  If you expected Vaughn to carry the same average he did in Fenway then you probably didn't think did you? I mean suddenly 215 foot jam shot fly balls aren't doubles.

If you look at Mo's numbers and compare them with where he would rank in today's game he would still be considered an elite 1B. Which means the Angels did get 2 great seasons out of the guy and isn't that better then 4 or 5 below average seasons? In a world of bad contracts it could of been a whole lot worse. If he doesn't rupture that tendon who knows how his tenure with Anaheim plays out. I would assume he would of continued being a very productive power hitter in the middle of the order and poor Scott Spiezio would of never got a chance. 

Vaughn was a very fine player he finished in the top 5 of the MVP voting 3 times.  winning it back in 1995. 

The Real MLB All-Stars of 2012

MR. RESENTMENT'S 2012 BEST IN SHOW

ALL MLB TEAMS

                           

2012 1st TEAM -  ALL MLB

IF BASEBALL HAD TEAMS THE WAY THE NBA DOES THIS WOULD BE IT

C.    BUSTER POSEY. San Francisco Giants. Where would the Giants be without Posey? Probably wouldn't of been in the playoff's let alone win the West and knock out the Central winning Reds. Probable NL MVP and Comeback Player of the Year he is one highly touted collegiate player that actually has panned out. 
.336 24 HR 103 RBI  .957 OPS  WAR 7.2

1B.  PRINCE FIELDER. Detroit Tigers. With Votto out much of the season, Prince took over as the games best first baseman from start to finish. Excluding Votto, Prince ended with the highest average amongst 1B and finished tied with Adrian Gonzalez for most RBI. A premiere bat in the game with a great track record Fielder is the man this year. 
.313  30 HR  108 RBI  .940 OPS. WAR 4.5

2B.   ROBINSON CANO. NY Yankees. Maybe the best player in the game according to Yankee fans he is certainly one of the most arrogant. Cano crushed it in the regular season before having possibly the worst postseason ever. A WAR of 8.2 is legit far and away the best 2B this season. 
.313  33 HR  94 RBI .929 OPS. WAR 8.2 

3B.  MIGUEL CABRERA. Detroit Tigers.  The scariest guy in baseball for pitchers to face right now is the Triple Crown winning Cabrera. Even with Adrian Beltre having another outstanding season Cabrera is the clear cut choice at 3B since we don't factor defense much into this equation. 
.330  44 HR   139 RBI  .999 OPS. WAR 6.9 


SS.  IAN DESMOND. Washington Nationals. A lot of people would of gone with Jeter here but we prefer power bats over opposite field singles. 25 bombs out of the SS position makes for one heck of season. Other SS had great halves of the season but Desmond put it together for the entire year. 
.292  25 HR   73 RBI   21 SB  .845 OPS.  WAR 3.2 

OF. RYAN BRAUN.  Milwaukee Brewers.  Braun ended with a higher OPS than Josh Hamilton and double the WAR. If Posey wasn't a media darling Braun would wrap up his second straight MVP. 
.319  41 HR  112 RBI  30 SB  .987 OPS. WAR 6.8 

OF.  MIKE TROUT. LA Angels of Anaheim. Rookie of the Year is in the bag and he will be in a battle for MVP with Miguel. The best all around player in the game this season his WAR puts Trout's season in the top 25 best seasons of ALL TIME people. 
.326  30 HR  83 RBI  49 SB  .963 OPS. WAR 10.7 

OF. JOSH HAMILTON. Texas Rangers. If you are willing to put up with all the crap that comes a long with having Hamilton in your line up there isn't many better. His numbers speak loudly but so does his constant injuries and headgames. A premiere hitter in the game when he allows himself to chew tobacco, he will be the big Free Agent this off season. 
.285  43 HR   128 RBI  7 SB  .930 OPS. WAR 3.3 

DH. ANDREW McCUTCHEN. Pitt Pirates. Second in WAR to only Mike Trout, Cutch put together an outstanding season that would have seen him higher in the MVP voting if his team didn't collapse in the second half. A top 10 player in the game going forward this could be his coming out party. 
.327  15 HR   96 RBI  20 SB  .953 OPS. WAR 7.0 

SP  CLAYTON KERSHAW. Los Angeles Dodgers. 

227.2 IP  14-9  2.53 ERA  229 K's  1.02 WHIP  WAR 6.3 

SP  JUSTIN VERLANDER. Detroit Tigers. 

238.1 IP  17-8  2.64 ERA  239 K's  1.06 WHIP  WAR 7.5 

SP  R.A. DICKEY. NY Mets. 

233.2 IP  20-6  2.73 ERA  230 K's  1.05 WHIP  WAR 5.4 

RP  FERNANDO RODNEY. Tampa Bay Rays.

74.2 IP  2-2   0.60 ERA  48 Saves  0.78 WHIP .167 BA

I didn't make either team are you serious? The Perfect Game wasn't good enough for you? 

2nd TEAM
C.    YADIER MOLINA. St. Louis Cardinals. Best all around catcher in the game in my opinion his numbers actually make a strong case that I am right. It doesn't hurt he just caught a World Series winning staff last season and again making a deep run. He keeps getting stronger as an offensive player.
.315 22 HR  76 RBI  12 SB  .874 OPS   WAR 6.7 

1B.  ALBERT PUJOLS. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  A tale of two seasons for Albert. He would of loved to erase the first half of the season. He came on strong and shrugged off the hate and battled all the way back to have what would be a career year for many good hitters around baseball. 
.285  30 HR  105 RBI   .859 OPS. WAR 4.6 

2B.  AARON HILL. Arizona Diamondbacks. Probably our most controversial pick but if you breakdown 2B then you will see Hill ended with better numbers than Pedroia and Phillips. Not the popular choice on the national level but for this season its the right one. 
.302 26 HR  85 RBI  14 SB .882 OPS. WAR 4.6 

3B.  ADRIAN BELTRE. Texas Rangers. A first team caliber player lands on our 2nd team due to some guy named Cabrera. The best all around 3B in the game. Still can't believe Angels owner Moreno lost out on Beltre because he didn't want to pay him the extra year. Good call. 
.325  36 HR  102 RBI  .921 OPS. WAR 6.6 


SS.  DEREK JETER. New York Yankees. Jeter magically found the fountain of youth this season. Over 200 hits again this season. I wonder if he gave out more gift baskets then RBI's this season 58 seems like a good wager line. 
.316  216 Hits  15 HR  20 SB  58 RBI .791 OPS. WAR 2.1 

OF.  CARLOS GONZALEZ. Colorado Rockies. He missed some time which resulted in missed AB's but he still put up impressive numbers. His .881 OPS does it for me. 
.303  22 HR  85 RBI .881 OPS. WAR 1.3 

OF. MATT HOLLIDAY. St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday is just about as steady as they come. Great hitter, again with over 100 runs batted in as he leads the Cardinals deep in the playoffs again this season- this time without Albert. 
.295  27 HR 102 RBI .877 OPS. WAR 3.8 

OF.  ADAM JONES. Baltimore Orioles. Talks of MVP in the first half he faded a little down the stretch but still led the O's into their first playoff appearance in blah blah. 
.287 32 HR 82 RBI  16 SB .839 OPS. WAR 3.4 


DH. EDWIN ENCARNACION. Toronto Blue Jays.  Controversial pick here but the guy played out of his ass all season long. With a higher slugging percentage than McCutchen and Fielder, Encarnacion season was definately a head scratcher. 24 doubles along with 42 bombs what can we do other then to but him on the team? 
.280  42 HR  110 RBI   .941 OPS. WAR 4.5 

SP  DAVID PRICE. Tampa Bay Rays.
211 IP  20-5  2.56 ERA  205 K's  1.10 WHIP  WAR 6.4 

SP  JOHNNY CUETO. Cincinnati Reds.
 217 IP  19-9  2.78 ERA  170 K's  1.17 WHIP  WAR 5.8 

SP  FELIX HERNANDEZ. Seattle Mariners. 
232 IP  13-9  3.06 ERA  223 K's  1.14 WHIP  WAR 3.06

RP.  CRAIG KIMBREL. Atlanta Braves. 
62.2 IP  3-1 1.01 ERA  42 Saves  0.65 WHIP .126 BA

POSTSEASON NIGHTMARES

2012 POSTSEASON ALL- BUST TEAM 

BASEBALL'S WORST AT EACH POSITION.

OUR WORST PLAYER OF POSTSEASON.

Congrats to the Yankees best player Robinson Cano for having one the worst playoff's in any sport period. I love it. 

Alex Rodriguez seems to have the focus all him but he certainly isn't the only player struggling during these playoff's. I give to you the worst of the worst at each position. 

C. Matt Wieters. Baltimore Orioles. 

3 for 24. 0 RBI. 2 Run scored. 

1B. Mark Reynolds. Baltimore Orioles.

3 for 22. 1 RBI. 10 K's. 

2B.  Robinson Cano. NY Yankees. 

3 for 40. 4 RBI and 1 Run scored. 

3B. Alex Rodriguez. NY Yankees. 

3 for 25. 0 RBI. 1 Run 

SS. J.J. Hardy. Baltimore Orioles. 

5 for 27.  2 RBI. 1 Run Scored. 

LF. Seth Smith. Oakland A's. 

2 for 15. 3 RBI 3 Runs scored. 

CF. Adam Jones. Baltimore Orioles. 

2 for 26. 1 RBI. OPS. .151

RF. Nick Swisher.  NY Yankees. 

5 for 30 2 RBI, 10 K's. 

DH. Curtis Granderson. NY Yankees.  

3 for 30. 1 HR. 1 Run Scored. 16 K's. 

Arte Moreno Is Blowing It

DOES ARTE MORENO KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING? 

ANGELS OWNER SIGNED OFF ON SOME OF MLB's WORST DEALS

Arte passed on me. Guess he didn't want 68 HR in 2 Seasons.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have now missed the playoff's 3 seasons in a row. Unexceptable. Seems like every expert is willing to blame anything and everything but the owner himself. Arte Moreno has signed a handful of horrible contracts and has let go of guys that went on to have career years with other organizations. It's easy to blame Scioscia or Dipoto and before that Reagins for the teams lack of success lately but I feel it's time to put some of the blame on the head man in charge. 

Let's start with the first bad contract Moreno signed off on, Gary Mathews Jr. Arte okays a 5 year deal worth 50 Million dollars. 50 million for a outfielder that never hit over 20 HR and only one season where he hit over .300. Please  keep in mind the guy played for Texas where everyone rakes. What was Arte thinking? How bad was Mathews? The Angels actually paid $21.5 million on Mathews remaining contract just to get rid of him as the Mets picked him up. 

Then of course the infamous Scott Kazmir trade were they didn't really lose that much trading Tampa Bay infielder Sean Rodriguez and a pitching prospect but boy did the Angels have to eat that contract. In Scott's brief time with the Angels spanning 3 seasons he went 11-17 with a 5.13 ERA while only managing to pitch 188 innings in that span. The Angels finally bit the bullet and released Kazmir even though he still $14.5 million left on his contract. Talk about robbery, kids this is one reason why guaranteed contracts makes baseball a better sport to play then football. 

Next we look at the Vernon Wells contract that the Angels took off the hands of Toronto. While I am a fan of Wells it was clearly a  move the Angels wish they could have back. Vernon before coming to the Angels already looked to be in the decline of his very solid career but when he joining Anaheim his numbers really fell of the cliff. A career .280 hitter with the Jays over 12 years Wells has dropped all the way down to .220 with the Angels over the past 2 seasons. The performance just hasn't been consistent enough for any of the fans liking and hardly up to par for a guy making nearly 20 million a season. 

And of course last off season there was the huge 10 year 254 million dollar deal that will have the Angels paying  Albert Pujols until he is well no one really knows for sure how old he is right? After signing the mega deal in Pujols much like every player that gets a mega deal they struggle at first. See Jason Werth, Carl Crawford, Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran etc. While the deal isn't going to hurt the Angels in the short term it looks like the back end of the deal could turn into another A-Rod type situation where the bat speed won't be the same resulting in his power numbers not living up to the contract.  Of course if the Angels manage to win a World Series or 2 before the end of his contract I think Angels fans will be willing to except Albert's deal as being successful. 

These of course were the deals the Angels did pull off but what about the contracts they let slip away? Mike Napoli wasn't resigned and went on to a All-World Catcher with division rival Texas. Arte let's him go and Napoli turns into a 30 HR .320 batting average guy the very next year in a position where the Angels got absolutely no production out of. Grant it Napoli only hit .238 in his final season with the Angels but he did manage to blast 26 HR in 140 games and that will work people especially when his replacement Jeff Mathis hit .174 with 3 HR.  

Of course everyone remembers Arte being stubborn and not being willing to give Adrian Beltre that extra year on his free agent contract. Result? Texas grabs him and Beltre becomes the best 3B in baseball. Do you think the Angels could of used a 3B that hit over the past 2 seasons hit .315, drove in over 200 runs and hit 68 HR? What the hell was Arte thinking? Scared to sign off an extra year but was willing to give Albert a 10 year deal? Come on, that's being a clown owner.  

Lastl but definitely not the least important he oversees Fernando Rodney leaving to go to Tampa Bay. After a bad season with the Angels Rodney turns in one of the best seasons a closer has ever had. Now certainly no one saw that coming but does it really matter? We are seeing a trend of bad moves time and and time again. What seemed to be the Angels problem this season? Was it the bullpen? Yeah i think they had something to do with the Angels struggles this season. A bullpen of Rodney, Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs on the backend would of made  for a potent bullpen and certainly would of pushed the Angels into the playoffs and probably would of won them the division even after the horrible start. Fernando's WAR of 3.7 alone pushes the Angels into a Wild Card position.  

I understand the owner hires a General Manager to make personal decisions but people have to realize the owner is the one that signs off on deals after all he is signing everyone's paychecks.  The biggest flaws on the Angels in recent seasons have been 3B,  the Catcher position and the bullpen. Wow, think if the Angels didn't sign Pujols and had Beltre at 3B, Napoli at Catcher with Trumbo and Morales switching off at 1B and DH along with Rodney in the pen. What kind of team would we be looking at? Probably the best team in baseball while weakening the Texas Rangers who have been a dominant force in the AL during the same span. 

Arte come on man are you ever going to make a decent decision for the Halos?  

   

A-ROD Vs. V-DUB.

VERNON WELLS VS. ALEX RODRIGUEZ 

BATTLE FOR THE WORST CONTRACT IN MLB

A-Rod is the man at the moment that everyone is trashing for not performing up to standards. Let's compare A-Rod to a local huge contract underachiever - no i'm not talking about Albert Pujols, stop it of course I'm talking about Vernon Wells you already saw his name in the title of the article. In keeping with the what have you done for me lately mindset I will break down key stats from just the last 3 seasons. 

While Angels fans think that Vernon Wells contract is like roster carcinogen it really isn't any worse then what the Yankees are saddled  with in A-Rod's deal.  Angels fans fail to realize that while Wells average has fallen off the map he is still a power threat and plays a great LF. 

Captain Obvious: both players are getting paid way too much. They both have been on the decline of their careers for a couple seasons now and in a completely unrelated topic see http://diamondclubdirt.blogspot.com/2012/09/mlb-current-drug-testing-policy.html 

Last 3 Seasons Numbers

Vernon Wells contract:  7yrs/ 126 Million 

18 Mill a year

games 365

PA 1437

AB's 1338

Avg .244

Runs 175

Hits 327

HR 67

RBI 183

WAR total of 3.3

Alex Rodriguez contract: 10yrs/275 Million 

paid 29 Mill this season

games 358

PA 1552

AB's 1358

Avg .272

Runs 215

Hits 370

HR 64

RBI 244

WAR total of  9.6 

To put A-Rod's 3 season WAR total in perspectative Mike Trout this season  surpassed A-Rod's total in less then 1 full season.  

We can see that 10 million dollars more a year gets you 12 more  runs a season, 12 more hits a and 20 more RBI. (With less HR) Of course everyone thought Derek Jeter was done too, http://diamondclubdirt.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-captain.html (Unrelated article of course)  both these guys could find their swings again at anytime and that is why it is so difficult to take them out of the lineup. 

So I say calm down Angels fans it isn't the end of the world. 

2012 MLB AWARDS Part 2

THE 2012 RESENTMENT AWARDS: PART 2 

CY YOUNG & MVP AWARDS

I'm good now.    

AL Cy Young Award: FELIX HERNANDEZ Seattle Mariners.  My opinion the 26 year old Ace is the best right hander in the game and has been in the conversation for awhile now. He is only 13-6 this season but voters have showed they can get past records. It is actually far superior to when he won the Cy Young back in 2010 when he was barely .500 at  13-12. In fact his stats are pretty much in line with that season given he still has 1 more start. If King Felix was pitching in New York or Boston he would be one of the biggest stars in baseball. 
My Resentment towards the losing candidates.
David Price - doesn't pitch deep enough in games, sorry. 
Jerad Weaver- DL time. missed a prolonged portion of the summer. sorry.
Justin Verlander- Don't really have a knock on him other then he wasn't as good this season as last. not sorry. 


NL Cy Young Award: R.A. DICKEY NY Mets. The bottom line is R.A. Dickey had an outstanding season. This was the season that showed he wasn't a fluke. He has found "it" and hasn't lost "it" for a season and a half now. Improving in every possible way while currently 20-6 is going to have to be the favorite at this point.  He is now tied for 1st in Wins while 1st in the league in ERA and is 2nd in Strikeouts. He has already been screwed out of starting the All Star game let's not make it this award. 
My Resentment towards the losing candidates.
Johnny Cueto- My only fantasy player that didn't under perform this season.  Thank you.
Ardolis Chapman- You are a reliever. Go win that award. 
Matt Cain- Perfect game yes but his numbers just don't match up.
Clayton Kershaw- 2nd in ERA  and 1st in K's but missed some time
Gio Gonzalez- 6th in ERA and 4th in K's. leads league in Wins. Wins are overrated. 
Craig Kimbrel- You are a reliever. 


AL MVP Award: MIKE TROUT. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 
I am aware the Miguel Cabrera has put up better offensive numbers than Trout if you look at the raw offensive stats.  I ask you however isn't the objective of an offensive player to drive runs in and to score runs. This is the only way to win a ball game so therefore it is deemed important you see? If you add Miguel Cabrera's RBI + Runs Scored you get a total of 239. Mike Trouts total equal 202 but it took Miguel Cabrera 140 more AB's to reach that higher total. Given Trout's projected totals it becomes a wash = Both are having outstanding seasons. I am going to get why you shouldn't be fooled by the Triple Crown numbers in a second. 
What separates Trout from Cabrera is the defense. Trout plays an amazing CF and Cabrera well tries to play 3B and not get hurt. When you factor in runs Trout has prevented with his superior speed and athleticism it puts him over the top not only in my eyes but more importantly it puts him ahead in the WAR category. 
While Cabrera may walk away with the Triple Crown according to the stat WAR (Wins Above Replacement) he isn't even as valuable of player to his team this season as he was last year. He has a WAR of 6.6 as compared to a 7.3 last year.  Mike Trout's current WAR is a ridiculous 10.6 which puts him in the 25 BEST SEASONS EVER.  Ding Ding Ding Good night now. 


NL MVP Award: RYAN BRAUN. Milwaukee Brewers. Statistically he is having a better season than last when he stole the MVP from Matt Kemp.  His Slugging Percentage and OPS are higher and he already has more total bases and Home Runs. He is currently 1 behind last seasons total in RBI's so he will pass that category up as well. Is he going to win the real award going back to back? probably not. Is he having the best season in the National League? Yes. 
My Resentment towards the losing candidates.
Buster Posey- I'm not sure you are the best catcher in the National League. 
David Wright- You don't hit for enough power for my liking.
Andrew McCutchen- Not a good enough 2nd half. 
Yadier Molina- Posey making you look not as special as you are.