Saturday, November 19, 2005
Mailbag: A week of close award calls
11/11/2005
The A-Rod detractors of the world -- at least most of them -- took the week off from sending mailbag e-mails, but Rodriguez's supporters came out in full force over the past seven days.
But as we've done in the past few weeks, I'm not going to sit here and rehash all of the stats from the postseason. We'll address some other topics in this week's mailbag, then, at the end, post some of the letters we received in support of the Yankees' third baseman, just to give you a taste of what came in this week.
This was a week of close calls for the Yankees, who saw Robinson Cano finish second to Huston Street in the American League Rookie of the Year Award vote, Mariano Rivera finish second to Bartolo Colon in the American League Cy Young Award race and Joe Torre come in third behind Ozzie Guillen and Eric Wedge in AL Manager of the Year Award voting.
Monday, the AL MVP winner will be revealed, with -- you guessed it -- A-Rod battling David Ortiz for the award.
Let's get to the mail ...
As Joe Torre has said on many occasions, "Nobody is going to feel sorry for us." Well, it appears that nobody is ever going to vote for us either! Cano loses the Rookie of the Year, Rivera finishes second in the Cy Young. Now, A-Rod should be a cinch for MVP, but he seems sure to be beaten out by a glorified pinch-hitter.
Don't you think there is an unfair bias against the Yankees at awards time? Or, is it simply the Boston writers leaving our candidates completely off their ballots and thus assuring their defeat, no matter how deserving the Yankees candidates are? -- Bob T., Scituate, Mass.
Well, Bob, unfortunately for you, I must inform you that it wasn't the Boston writers' fault.
In fact, the two Boston writers who voted on the Cy Young had Rivera listed second and third, while one of Torre's four first-place votes came from a Boston writer.
It's hard to say that the Yankees aren't respected in the awards voting when they had second-place finishers in two of the three awards and a third-place finish in the other.
Yes, my opinion is that Rivera should have won the Cy Young, but I also understand those who feel that if only one pitcher in the entire AL wins 20 games, he is deserving of it.
As for Cano, I can't argue with the award going to Street. Cano had a great rookie season, but this was one of the deepest crops of rookies you'll ever see. Street had a spectacular season in a role which many pitchers have had trouble with. He is a very deserving winner.
I was just wondering if Chien-Ming Wang was eligible for Rookie of the Year Award. If he was, how come he got so little attention? If he wasn't, how close was he to being eligible? -- Kerry H., Hampshire, England
Wang was indeed eligible for the award, but after missing as much time as he did, it was unlikely that he was going to get much support for the award.
In a slow year, he may have received some votes, but with players such as Street, Cano, Jonny Gomes, Tadahito Iguchi, Nick Swisher, Gustavo Chacin and Joe Blanton out there, Wang's half-season and 8-5 record wasn't going to be enough to get him named on any ballots.
What are the chances the Yankees will land Juan Pierre? I think he would be a great fit for the Yankees as a true leadoff hitter, moving Derek Jeter to his usual No. 2 spot. Plus, Pierre can run down balls in center field that the Yankees haven't had caught in a while. -- Dan W., New York
Pierre's name is certainly in the mix as a potential trade target. So are Torii Hunter and Milton Bradley, though it is unclear what the Marlins, Twins and Dodgers will be looking for in exchange for their respective players.
I agree that Pierre would be a good fit in center, though his skills as a leadoff hitter aren't what people seem to believe they are. Yes, he steals a lot of bases -- he has averaged 38 stolen bases per year since 2003 -- but his on-base percentage last season was .326, which is not good enough to be considered a premier leadoff hitter. Pierre has also been caught stealing an average of 20 times per season in the past three years.
If the Yankees believe they would be getting the player that hit over .300 in four of his first five years, they should go after him. If they think he'll look more like he did in 2005, they should look elsewhere.
Why don't the Yankees just bring up Melky Cabrera next year to play center field? He's a switch-hitter who could take Bernie Williams' place in the lineup. -- Michael C., Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Based on Cabrera's performance during his brief promotion to the Majors last summer, I can't see him stepping in as the Yankees' starting center fielder next season. Cabrera hit .211 with no RBIs in 19 at-bats during his brief stint, but it was his performance at Triple-A Columbus which raised even more eyebrows.
Cabrera hit just .248 at Columbus, compiling a .309 on-base percentage in the process. That prompted the organization to demote him back to Double-A Trenton, where he started the season.
At 21, Cabrera has plenty of time to establish himself, but I don't see the Yankees turning over the center field job to him just yet.
Since the Yankees just declined Tino Martinez's option, do you think they will hotly pursue Paul Konerko? -- Izzy D., Boston
No. Brian Cashman has stated that he would like to see Andy Phillips win the backup first base job, helping the team get younger while creating some payroll flexibility at the same time.
If Cashman opts to look at the free agent market, he would likely go after a first baseman that would be willing to play part-time, similar to the way Martinez fit in last year. Konerko obviously does not fit that description, and I expect to see him back with the White Sox in 2006 and beyond.
Below is a sampling of this week's A-Rod reaction. Like I said at the beginning of the column, it was almost all in support of Alex, with the occasional angry letter thrown in. Keep the mail coming, folks.
A-Rod had a bad five games. End of story. He carried the team for most of the year and I'm sure he'll put up huge numbers again next year. Let's quit all the crying and just call this what it is, a bad five games. He'll bounce back and so will the Yankees. -- Matt K., Frisco, Texas
I can't believe this A-Rod debate is still going on. It seems as if the bashers didn't watch a game at all this past season, only the postseason. Anyone who thinks New York will trade or bench Alex is out of their minds. Get a grip, people. -- Steve S., Waterbury, Conn.
Anyone that says A-Rod should be traded needs to get over it. The Yanks have much bigger fish to fry than getting rid of the best player of our generation. The Yanks would not have been in the playoffs without him, and like you pointed out, even October heroes sometimes disappoint, Jeter and Bernie included. -- Carla H., Torrance, Calif.
I know that you're getting sick of all this A-Rod talk, but I just wanted to say that I'm ashamed to call myself a Yankees fan because of the way that these supposed Yankees fans are treating Alex. We have the honor of watching arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the game on a daily basis and we take it for granted. He had one bad playoff series in his career! So what! The 2005 Yankees wouldn't be anywhere close to the playoffs without Alex's contributions. I, for one, am honored and thrilled to say that Alex Rodriguez is a New York Yankee! -- Dan A., Belleville, N.J.
I'm getting sick of all the A-Rod bashing here. Did A-Rod play poorly in the playoffs? Yes. Would the Yanks have gotten to the playoffs without him? Absolutely not! A-Rod should be the AL MVP and shouldn't be thrown under the bus because he had a rough October. Make no mistake, A-Rod will retire in pinstripes probably holding a number of Major League records and a couple World Series rings. I can't wait to see what the people here have to say about him then. -- Matt K., Stevens Point, Wis.
It never ceases to amaze me that Yankees fans can be so caught up in the "what have you done for me lately?" mentality. The same people who were chanting "MVP" every time A-Rod came up to bat late in the season immediately turn on him as soon as he struggles in the postseason. Am I crazy, or is baseball still a TEAM sport where everyone has to contribute? Point your finger wherever you want, but the 2005 Yankees just didn't get the job done in the ALDS. -- Jeff H., Dover, Del.
Had Alex played even marginally during the last 15-game stretch of the regular season, the Yanks would have been sitting out all of October. ALL of the big league sluggers were shut down during the postseason: Manny [Ramirez], [David] Ortiz, [Jason] Giambi, [Gary] Sheffield, A-Rod, [Vladimir] Guerrero -- the list goes on and on. The players that won the division series and World Series were the small ball players. -- Mike M., Sterling, N.Y.
Would anyone who saw Dave Winfield play in the 1981 postseason think he was a future Hall of Famer? I think it is smarter to judge A-Rod on his stats over 162 games than over five games, and he was outstanding both offensively and defensively for most of the year. -- Dave R., Winnipeg, Manitoba
As crazy as it does sound, A-Rod actually does have a killer instinct. He works harder than any player in the game and is phenomenal in all facets. I see his career path being a lot like Michael Jordan's was in basketball. When Jordan decided to no longer presume the team's success or lack thereof fell only upon his shoulders, he lightened up, let his skills take over and became the greatest clutch performer the game had ever seen. A-Rod is inches from that emergence and I will laugh when he hoists a World Series MVP trophy. -- Steve S., Brewster, N.Y.
As far as A-Rod goes, Yankee fans are being treated to perhaps the best talent in baseball and yet he manages to get bashed for it. This only goes to show how spoiled Yankees fans are -- including myself. -- Rolando R., New Jersey
If Michael Jordan would have missed his last-second shot against the Utah Jazz of the 1998 NBA Finals, would people have decided to turn against him? Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever, while A-Rod is one of the greatest baseball players ever. When Jordan hit shots, the crowd went crazy, and when A-Rod hits homers, the fans go crazy as well. So why are people hating on A-Rod? -- Cameron B., Indianapolis.
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
The A-Rod detractors of the world -- at least most of them -- took the week off from sending mailbag e-mails, but Rodriguez's supporters came out in full force over the past seven days.
But as we've done in the past few weeks, I'm not going to sit here and rehash all of the stats from the postseason. We'll address some other topics in this week's mailbag, then, at the end, post some of the letters we received in support of the Yankees' third baseman, just to give you a taste of what came in this week.
This was a week of close calls for the Yankees, who saw Robinson Cano finish second to Huston Street in the American League Rookie of the Year Award vote, Mariano Rivera finish second to Bartolo Colon in the American League Cy Young Award race and Joe Torre come in third behind Ozzie Guillen and Eric Wedge in AL Manager of the Year Award voting.
Monday, the AL MVP winner will be revealed, with -- you guessed it -- A-Rod battling David Ortiz for the award.
Let's get to the mail ...
As Joe Torre has said on many occasions, "Nobody is going to feel sorry for us." Well, it appears that nobody is ever going to vote for us either! Cano loses the Rookie of the Year, Rivera finishes second in the Cy Young. Now, A-Rod should be a cinch for MVP, but he seems sure to be beaten out by a glorified pinch-hitter.
Don't you think there is an unfair bias against the Yankees at awards time? Or, is it simply the Boston writers leaving our candidates completely off their ballots and thus assuring their defeat, no matter how deserving the Yankees candidates are? -- Bob T., Scituate, Mass.
Well, Bob, unfortunately for you, I must inform you that it wasn't the Boston writers' fault.
In fact, the two Boston writers who voted on the Cy Young had Rivera listed second and third, while one of Torre's four first-place votes came from a Boston writer.
It's hard to say that the Yankees aren't respected in the awards voting when they had second-place finishers in two of the three awards and a third-place finish in the other.
Yes, my opinion is that Rivera should have won the Cy Young, but I also understand those who feel that if only one pitcher in the entire AL wins 20 games, he is deserving of it.
As for Cano, I can't argue with the award going to Street. Cano had a great rookie season, but this was one of the deepest crops of rookies you'll ever see. Street had a spectacular season in a role which many pitchers have had trouble with. He is a very deserving winner.
I was just wondering if Chien-Ming Wang was eligible for Rookie of the Year Award. If he was, how come he got so little attention? If he wasn't, how close was he to being eligible? -- Kerry H., Hampshire, England
Wang was indeed eligible for the award, but after missing as much time as he did, it was unlikely that he was going to get much support for the award.
In a slow year, he may have received some votes, but with players such as Street, Cano, Jonny Gomes, Tadahito Iguchi, Nick Swisher, Gustavo Chacin and Joe Blanton out there, Wang's half-season and 8-5 record wasn't going to be enough to get him named on any ballots.
What are the chances the Yankees will land Juan Pierre? I think he would be a great fit for the Yankees as a true leadoff hitter, moving Derek Jeter to his usual No. 2 spot. Plus, Pierre can run down balls in center field that the Yankees haven't had caught in a while. -- Dan W., New York
Pierre's name is certainly in the mix as a potential trade target. So are Torii Hunter and Milton Bradley, though it is unclear what the Marlins, Twins and Dodgers will be looking for in exchange for their respective players.
I agree that Pierre would be a good fit in center, though his skills as a leadoff hitter aren't what people seem to believe they are. Yes, he steals a lot of bases -- he has averaged 38 stolen bases per year since 2003 -- but his on-base percentage last season was .326, which is not good enough to be considered a premier leadoff hitter. Pierre has also been caught stealing an average of 20 times per season in the past three years.
If the Yankees believe they would be getting the player that hit over .300 in four of his first five years, they should go after him. If they think he'll look more like he did in 2005, they should look elsewhere.
Why don't the Yankees just bring up Melky Cabrera next year to play center field? He's a switch-hitter who could take Bernie Williams' place in the lineup. -- Michael C., Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Based on Cabrera's performance during his brief promotion to the Majors last summer, I can't see him stepping in as the Yankees' starting center fielder next season. Cabrera hit .211 with no RBIs in 19 at-bats during his brief stint, but it was his performance at Triple-A Columbus which raised even more eyebrows.
Cabrera hit just .248 at Columbus, compiling a .309 on-base percentage in the process. That prompted the organization to demote him back to Double-A Trenton, where he started the season.
At 21, Cabrera has plenty of time to establish himself, but I don't see the Yankees turning over the center field job to him just yet.
Since the Yankees just declined Tino Martinez's option, do you think they will hotly pursue Paul Konerko? -- Izzy D., Boston
No. Brian Cashman has stated that he would like to see Andy Phillips win the backup first base job, helping the team get younger while creating some payroll flexibility at the same time.
If Cashman opts to look at the free agent market, he would likely go after a first baseman that would be willing to play part-time, similar to the way Martinez fit in last year. Konerko obviously does not fit that description, and I expect to see him back with the White Sox in 2006 and beyond.
Below is a sampling of this week's A-Rod reaction. Like I said at the beginning of the column, it was almost all in support of Alex, with the occasional angry letter thrown in. Keep the mail coming, folks.
A-Rod had a bad five games. End of story. He carried the team for most of the year and I'm sure he'll put up huge numbers again next year. Let's quit all the crying and just call this what it is, a bad five games. He'll bounce back and so will the Yankees. -- Matt K., Frisco, Texas
I can't believe this A-Rod debate is still going on. It seems as if the bashers didn't watch a game at all this past season, only the postseason. Anyone who thinks New York will trade or bench Alex is out of their minds. Get a grip, people. -- Steve S., Waterbury, Conn.
Anyone that says A-Rod should be traded needs to get over it. The Yanks have much bigger fish to fry than getting rid of the best player of our generation. The Yanks would not have been in the playoffs without him, and like you pointed out, even October heroes sometimes disappoint, Jeter and Bernie included. -- Carla H., Torrance, Calif.
I know that you're getting sick of all this A-Rod talk, but I just wanted to say that I'm ashamed to call myself a Yankees fan because of the way that these supposed Yankees fans are treating Alex. We have the honor of watching arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the game on a daily basis and we take it for granted. He had one bad playoff series in his career! So what! The 2005 Yankees wouldn't be anywhere close to the playoffs without Alex's contributions. I, for one, am honored and thrilled to say that Alex Rodriguez is a New York Yankee! -- Dan A., Belleville, N.J.
I'm getting sick of all the A-Rod bashing here. Did A-Rod play poorly in the playoffs? Yes. Would the Yanks have gotten to the playoffs without him? Absolutely not! A-Rod should be the AL MVP and shouldn't be thrown under the bus because he had a rough October. Make no mistake, A-Rod will retire in pinstripes probably holding a number of Major League records and a couple World Series rings. I can't wait to see what the people here have to say about him then. -- Matt K., Stevens Point, Wis.
It never ceases to amaze me that Yankees fans can be so caught up in the "what have you done for me lately?" mentality. The same people who were chanting "MVP" every time A-Rod came up to bat late in the season immediately turn on him as soon as he struggles in the postseason. Am I crazy, or is baseball still a TEAM sport where everyone has to contribute? Point your finger wherever you want, but the 2005 Yankees just didn't get the job done in the ALDS. -- Jeff H., Dover, Del.
Had Alex played even marginally during the last 15-game stretch of the regular season, the Yanks would have been sitting out all of October. ALL of the big league sluggers were shut down during the postseason: Manny [Ramirez], [David] Ortiz, [Jason] Giambi, [Gary] Sheffield, A-Rod, [Vladimir] Guerrero -- the list goes on and on. The players that won the division series and World Series were the small ball players. -- Mike M., Sterling, N.Y.
Would anyone who saw Dave Winfield play in the 1981 postseason think he was a future Hall of Famer? I think it is smarter to judge A-Rod on his stats over 162 games than over five games, and he was outstanding both offensively and defensively for most of the year. -- Dave R., Winnipeg, Manitoba
As crazy as it does sound, A-Rod actually does have a killer instinct. He works harder than any player in the game and is phenomenal in all facets. I see his career path being a lot like Michael Jordan's was in basketball. When Jordan decided to no longer presume the team's success or lack thereof fell only upon his shoulders, he lightened up, let his skills take over and became the greatest clutch performer the game had ever seen. A-Rod is inches from that emergence and I will laugh when he hoists a World Series MVP trophy. -- Steve S., Brewster, N.Y.
As far as A-Rod goes, Yankee fans are being treated to perhaps the best talent in baseball and yet he manages to get bashed for it. This only goes to show how spoiled Yankees fans are -- including myself. -- Rolando R., New Jersey
If Michael Jordan would have missed his last-second shot against the Utah Jazz of the 1998 NBA Finals, would people have decided to turn against him? Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever, while A-Rod is one of the greatest baseball players ever. When Jordan hit shots, the crowd went crazy, and when A-Rod hits homers, the fans go crazy as well. So why are people hating on A-Rod? -- Cameron B., Indianapolis.
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
