Neyer: Iguchi for R.O.Y. - Say it ain't so!

by Dog Days on Aug 30, 2005 1:41 PM PDT

I was all jazzed a few weeks ago when I finally broke down and bought access to ESPN Insider. The main reason? I'd get to read Rob Neyer on a regular basis again. Well, today he surprised me a bit with this posting about the American League Rookie of the Year:

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=neyer_rob&id=2146006&CMP=ILC-INHEAD

Something else that has changed: the battle for the American League's Rookie of the Year Award. It wasn't that long ago that I basically conceded the prize to Robinson Cano, but that was probably just my famous pro-Yankees bias doing my thinking for me.
Unless Cano enjoys a big September or the voters lose their minds, he's not going to win. Among the five AL rookies with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, Cano's .704 OPS ranks fourth, and well behind Chicago's Tadahito Iguchi (.792), Oakland's Nick Swisher (.775) and Toronto's Russ Adams (.769). And Cano's .299 on-base percentage is easily the worst among the five (Seattle's Jeremy Reed is the fifth, and he has a .321 OBP).

Reader Paul Maslin argues that the AL Rookie of the Year actually should be a pitcher: Oakland's Joe Blanton or Huston Street. Both are fine candidates and would win in some seasons, but at the moment, I'm not sure how you vote for anybody but Iguchi, the second baseman with the team that has the best record in the league.

What's that? You don't want to vote for a 30-year-old with a ton of professional experience? I don't blame you. But the rules don't allow for distinctions between different "classes" of rookies. And until they do, we simply have to vote for the best "rookie," whether we think he's really a rookie or not.

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well, at least

he gave Street and Blanton some props.

Iguchi went out and made 3 errors and effectively cost the White Sox the game last night.

Just let it all work out, folks-- it's only August 30.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 1:52 PM PDT reply actions

what horrible reasoning from neyer

"I'm not sure how you vote for anybody but Iguchi, the second baseman with the team that has the best record in the league."

that's it? that's all he's got?

by that idiotic logic, is he voting Grudzielanek
for MVP??

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Aug 30, 2005 1:54 PM PDT reply actions

Here's my diary on the subject...

http://www.athleticsnation.com/story/2005/8/24/135653/982#commenttop

I sent this email to a columnist and to Sports Illustrated.

Best Coliseum promotion of the year? 2005 Oakland A's baseball.

by baseballgirl on Aug 30, 2005 1:56 PM PDT reply actions

Nice effort

But again even you ignored Blanton.

His numbers are way too good to ignore.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Blanton not in running

Cahcin of TOR has better numbers if you are going to consdier someone like that.

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 30, 2005 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

no he doesnt

ERAs are identical; Blanton has much better WHIP and OPS allowed. And of course he has been much much better than Chacin since June 1-- pitching more important games since the Blue Jays are basically out of contention.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions

you all should have learned by now...

that when i get on a case,

a) I'm usually right and b) I don't let go.

DJ to majors? Check.

A's best rotation in baseball? Check. (This was doubted for weeks by various people-- the evidence is now incontrovertible)

A's a great team period? Check.

And so it is for Cupcake Fever.

Catch it.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Those weren't exactly your predictions in May

when the A's were awful. But let's not go there any further.

I sipped the Kool-Aid, and it tastes gooooooooood!!!

by kaweahkaweah on Aug 30, 2005 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Note the word

"usually".

That covers May, right?? lol

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Okay....

We'll overlook that month. :-)

I sipped the Kool-Aid, and it tastes gooooooooood!!!

by kaweahkaweah on Aug 30, 2005 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions

OAKTOON

You are funny.... DO your forget no matter how dumb of stat it is Wins matter.

You are right ERA similar but 11-7 record better than 8-9.

if a starter wins it, it will not be blanton. Unless he some how puts up numbers in Sept like he did in AUG and that is very unlikely v the comp we face.

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 30, 2005 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Records are meaningless

Blanton can't make the team score runs.

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Aug 30, 2005 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions

They aren't meaningless for voters

Which sort of matters.

by RLangford on Aug 30, 2005 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Ugh

You really believe your own propaganda, don't you?

by grover on Aug 30, 2005 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions

For the last time! I didn't ignore Blanton!

My other 4 picks where Sports Illustrated's top 5 picks. I stuck with THEIR data, not mine.

Best Coliseum promotion of the year? 2005 Oakland A's baseball.

by baseballgirl on Aug 30, 2005 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

but you obviously ignored Blanton ;P

$$$ Cha-CHING! $$$

by eamb on Aug 30, 2005 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions

What is her problem?

Doesn't she like Cupcakes? I bet she also hates puppies. :)

by Jennifer on Aug 30, 2005 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions

dfslkjsdlkgjldkjdslkjfslksdlj

Best Coliseum promotion of the year? 2005 Oakland A's baseball.

by baseballgirl on Aug 30, 2005 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

What about puppy cupcakes?

I'll bet Nico likes those ...

It's tough out there, Pootie. You got drugs ... crime ... gorillas ...

by monkeyball on Aug 30, 2005 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Pupcakes?

Woof woof!

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Aug 30, 2005 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Wasn't that a Donny Osmond song ?

by green star oakland on Aug 30, 2005 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Channeling Greil Marcus

"'What About Puppy Cupcakes,' Donny Osmond's ill-fated attempt at 'gritty relevance,' was on its surface merely a whitebread, upper-middle-class appropriation of Bobbie Gentry's 1967 'Ode to Billy Joe.'

"But in its transposition of a working-class teen abortion drama into a cruel, supercilious mocking of an overweight Presbyterian teen who moves into an all-Mormon suburban enclave, we can see the absurdities of the pop marketplace at work.

"Whereas Gentry struck a fatalist, epic pose in 'Bobby Joe,' Osmond plays a sort of carnival barker in the hooting, calliope-driven 'Puppy Cupcakes.' (Incidentally, the pre-ironic use of a toodling calliope as the main melody instrument in 'Puppy Cupcakes' reinforced its status as a novelty number. Perhaps Osmond was attempting to invoke some awful childhood zeitgeist coulrophobia; perhaps his manager was stuck with a warehouse full of calliopes he wanted to move in the ensuing calliope fever he anticipated would follow in the wake of 'Puppy Cupcakes.' In any event, the motivations are lost in the 'Hang Ten'-T-shirt fever-dream of middle '70s.)

"Osmond introduces the song with a gravid voiceover of sorts -- that gives the peculiar effect of Michael Jackson narrating a 'March of Time' newsreel. From there, it's a downhill slide of wheezing calliope, jangling tambourines, and sub-Sonny-and-Cher harmonies."

It's tough out there, Pootie. You got drugs ... crime ... gorillas ...

by monkeyball on Aug 30, 2005 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions

frighteningly brilliant

have you been using the ouija board again ?

by green star oakland on Aug 30, 2005 10:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't scare me like that!

I thought you meant that Greil was dead!

It's tough out there, Pootie. You got drugs ... crime ... gorillas ...

by monkeyball on Aug 31, 2005 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions

dude........

i'm speechless

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Aug 31, 2005 12:47 AM PDT up reply actions

ok..

i take it back. They ignored Blanton.

By the way, many more mentions of Blanton at various sites in last 24 hours. Gammons, Kurkjian, Karabell, etc..

Cupcake fever is Growing

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Does Neyer have an email address?

Best Coliseum promotion of the year? 2005 Oakland A's baseball.

by baseballgirl on Aug 30, 2005 2:38 PM PDT reply actions

yup

rob.neyer@dig.com

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 30, 2005 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

if you send him your RoY analysis

include blanton this time!
screw SI's equallly ridiculous rookie rankings...

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Aug 30, 2005 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions

i mean

SI and Neyer = both ridiculous, not you...

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Aug 30, 2005 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Is he

that biased, the best team in MLB, who cares it matters how the individual performs, not just because the team is good. If somehow Blanton has a huge month and Street gets 20 saves they'll easily be top 5.

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 Aug 30, 2005 3:32 PM PDT reply actions

When was last time...

a starting pitcher won ROY? Anyone?

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 30, 2005 3:45 PM PDT reply actions

Willis

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 Aug 30, 2005 3:57 PM PDT reply actions

Ok so in past 10 years (20 opportunities)

2 starters have won ROY.
Wood and Willis.

Wood was 13-6 with a 3.4 ERA 233 K's in 170 IP.

Willis 14-6 3.3 ERA.

---
Please understand I am not bashing Blanton he is great and may deserve the ROY but he will not win it. SP need to blow people away to get it, and as Blanton is on par wit Chacin I do not see them coming close.

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 30, 2005 4:21 PM PDT reply actions

Don't worry, Iguchi won't win ...

I'm going out on a limb to predict the White Sox won't even win their division. They are perfectly capable of executing a monumental collapse. Their starting pitching is already showing chinks in the armor, and that's all they've got. They still have a quite a few games left against Cleveland and Minnesota, and both teams have the pitching to shut down the Sox offense. It's still a three team race, for sure.

by iceplant on Aug 30, 2005 4:53 PM PDT reply actions

Neyer's reasoning was lazy

Incredibly so for him. And in a month even he won't sound like that. If one of the A's deserves the award, that player will have an big September and win the award. It's much more likely a big month in the spotlight will happen for a player on the A's than for Iguchi. And since they really are so close, this month will decide it.

by RLangford on Aug 30, 2005 5:44 PM PDT reply actions

Neyer's been slipping a bit

Yesterday he actually said "Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler are among the better TV guys around..."

But then he went on to slam them because they made idiotic statements like "1) Finley is going to carry the club for one or two weeks before the season's over (care to make a bet on that one, Dave?), and 2) Chone Figgins has a good chance to become the next Johnny Damon. And as I said, that's just two games. You can find gems like those nearly every night."

Seems to me like that would preclude them from being two of the "better TV guys around..." Maybe a more apt description would be "blatant homers who annoy viewers to the point of making their ears spontaneously bleed"

Usually Neyer's one of the better columnists out there... maybe he's on/off of his relevant "medicine" this week...

by RickeySteals on Aug 30, 2005 5:58 PM PDT reply actions