Street is ROY

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 8:42 PM PDT

It's not even at the All-Star break of his rookie year, and look what he's done.

He's the regular closer for his team
ERA under 2.0
BAA under .200
More strikeouts than hits plus walks
Has yet to give up a single Home Run

Almost every team in the league must be kicking themselves for not picking him in the first round. A sandwich pick one year, and leading the ROY race by a mile the next year. Like all good breaks though, it comes with a touch of bad news. The first is more teams will be drafting college pitchers, even relievers, to try to replicate our success. I say let them try, we'll just have to stay further ahead. I'd rather people learn from our successes than from our failures. The second touch of bad news is that a ROY will cost us big time when it comes to contract extension time. I'm sure Crosby's agent got him a whole lotta extra dough because of the ROY award, and no doubt Street's agent will do the same. Again, a small price to pay, and Street richly deserves it.

Poll

Will Street win ROY

Yes

60 votes

No

12 votes

72 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 35 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Before we get

too sure about ROY, remember that there are 13 other teams and we don't see other teams' guys that much. Guys like McPherson, Mauer, and J. Reed have 2/3 of a season to establish their season.

That being said, no one really leaps to mind as a rookie taking the league by storm. Street should certainly have a shot at the All-Star team, given the paucity of "A's rep" options.

One thing's for sure: special guy. Keep that arm fresh and happy, please!

Nico

by Nico on Jun 4, 2005 8:55 PM PDT reply actions

mcpherson and reed

but not mauer, he was a rookie last year.

by xbhaskarx on Jun 4, 2005 9:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Mauer

Still a rookie elligible for ROY, by playing time rules.

by OaktownTribesman on Jun 5, 2005 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Bangs head on desk

For not reading entire thread before posting...

by OaktownTribesman on Jun 5, 2005 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Streets my ROY

He's proven to be above average he's just gonna get better.

by leeroy on Jun 6, 2005 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Hmmm

I put NOTA (None of the Above) in the poll, but it was somehow dropped. I then tried adding it and that also didn't work. Every poll needs one, especially a yes or no one.

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 8:59 PM PDT reply actions

Have you seen Joe Mauer's stats?

He's unreal. I think he still has rookie eligibility, and the everyday catcher on a contending team with an OPS > 800 will surely get consideration...and rightly so.

Fearing Mecir since 2000.

by salb918 on Jun 4, 2005 8:59 PM PDT reply actions

No,

spent too much time on the DL. DL time counts on rookie eligibility.

"First of all, I'm not calm about it. Every time they lose, I freak out." - Andy Painter

by secret ASian man on Jun 4, 2005 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions

I stand corrected

Fearing Mecir since 2000.

by salb918 on Jun 4, 2005 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Hmmm

BA says one thing, somebody else says another... weird. Any links to the definitive ruling?

by OaktownTribesman on Jun 5, 2005 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions

SecretAsianMan is right

he's not a rookie.

The next time I slap a guy's ass, can we all just assume it's because I wish I was a baseball player?

by devo on Jun 4, 2005 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Even if he were eligible

I'd still like Street's chances.

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions

If anything...

The visibility of the closer role, and the overvaluing of the save statistic, will weigh heavily in Street's favor come voting time.

I couldn't honestly care less about ROY voting...I'm just savoring the fact that we have Huston locked into the closer's role for the next six years.

by Vic @ Athletics Nation on Jun 4, 2005 9:00 PM PDT reply actions

And we have Duke for the next 5

I would lock up contracts with both of them now. I can't wait till Garcia grows up either.

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions

let's not forget

3 of his 6 earned runs came on this play:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=250420112

"The Mariners loaded the bases off Street (1-1) on singles by Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez and pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed. With two outs, Dobbs, batting for Miguel Olivo, hit a sinking liner that a diving Eric Byrnes couldn't catch in left field. The ball rolled past him and all three runners scored to give the Mariners a 7-4 lead."

by xbhaskarx on Jun 4, 2005 9:06 PM PDT reply actions

Did you see the play?

How earned was it? Would a better fielder have caught it?

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions

It was a single all the way

2 of the 3 runs were legit.

The next time I slap a guy's ass, can we all just assume it's because I wish I was a baseball player?

by devo on Jun 4, 2005 9:26 PM PDT up reply actions

yep

a smarter outfielder would never have dove for it.

by xbhaskarx on Jun 4, 2005 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions

i don't know about that

either 1 or 2 runs were legit. i don't remember.

by xbhaskarx on Jun 4, 2005 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Because saves are a high profile stat

I'd say he's the favorite as of now. Figure he saves about 25 w/ an ERA of 3.0 and a WHIP of 1.25. That'd be a great season.

Mauer would be a stud if he could stay healthy. If he had eligibility and stayed off the DL, I think he'd win easily, given the hype he's had for the last few years.

I'll try not to swear.

by Tony on Jun 4, 2005 9:28 PM PDT reply actions

Mauer

If he wasn't injury prone, he'd by ROY last year. I do agree that saves are a high profile stat and that would give him an advantage against all of the D-Mac hype down south.

"First of all, I'm not calm about it. Every time they lose, I freak out." - Andy Painter

by secret ASian man on Jun 4, 2005 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions

If Street keeps this up...

he will run away with this thing. Say he ends up with around 30 saves and an era around 2...voters love those kinds of numbers! Its true that closer is a very visible role, and that will help...it will also help that not too many other rookies are making much of a case right now.

Only time will tell, but if he keeps this up, he will have a heck of a case!

A's fan for life!!!

by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 4, 2005 10:16 PM PDT reply actions

i agree

but i think mcpherson, reed, and even swisher are all still in the running. they all started off slow but all three have done well in the last few weeks (or week in swisher's case).

by xbhaskarx on Jun 4, 2005 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

30 saves?

That would take a pretty excellent year to pull that off... he'd have to pitch like a reliever who got 45 saves in a full year.

I think McPherson has the most hype now and he's on a winning team, and he's a hitter. I'm guessing he's going to get it unless he really craters.

by Apricot on Jun 4, 2005 10:36 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah, that would be an excellent year...

of course, it would take more than just him pitching well, the team would have to put him in enough save opportunities to get him there too. But if he were to put up like 30 saves, he'd have a very good case for the ROY...

A's fan for life!!!

by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 4, 2005 11:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't forget about

Gustavo G Adolfo Chacin. He's been very solid.

by Reg on Jun 4, 2005 10:25 PM PDT reply actions

good point, reg--

I knew there was someone I couldn't think of, and that's exactly who it was.

Nico

by Nico on Jun 4, 2005 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Thus far...

Yea. But at this point last season, Mulder was the Cy Young frontrunner. So let's not get ahead of ourselves... there's still Reed, McPherson, Swisher, and guys like Dontrelle Willis who can just come out of nowhere.

by dchu on Jun 4, 2005 10:34 PM PDT reply actions

Yes,

we can have this discussion one week after the ROY is announced this Winter and have a much better chance of being accurate. : -- }

Nico

by Nico on Jun 4, 2005 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Street is the guy coming out of nowhere

It took one injury for him to make the team, and two more for him to reach the closer spot.

by Bambi on Jun 4, 2005 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions

its true...

I doubt many people, if any, are thinking about Street as potential ROY outside of AN. But if he keeps this up, he'll get more exposure.

A's fan for life!!!

by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 4, 2005 11:51 PM PDT up reply actions

i really like his chances

i really think he can maintain an ERA in the 2s and pretty much continue to dominate, and 25-30 saves is reasonable, assuming the A's win more than 60 games this year.also, you cant forget about tadahito iguchi.even though some voters dont like to give it to japanese imports (ie,hideki matsui 2003), hes having a pretty good year right now

by stabino on Jun 5, 2005 12:08 AM PDT reply actions

Our ROY

He'll outperform Blanton, Swisher, Johnson, maybe he'll be the best in the few years, but how long has it been since a closer won ROY?

You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club wont be worth a dime.-Babe Ruth

by doublehustle22 on Jun 5, 2005 1:34 AM PDT reply actions

Don't worry about Street getting extra money

quite yet, he is not even eligible for arbitration for two more years and he has to continue that pace for awhile before
Beane locks him up to a long term deal. 2 saves does not 30 make. When he gets a save against the 3 and 4 hitters of a really good team, let's get excited. For now, I am very happy. If either of these saves were against the RAngers or Angels I would be much more impressed and if they were on the road. That is the true test of a closer.

by china bob on Jun 5, 2005 2:12 AM PDT reply actions