2013 BBA Award Ballot

“Recently I made a chair. When I was finished, I thought it was a good chair. I submitted it to the Indiana Fine Woodworking Association who felt it merited consideration for an award. It’s been a real whirlwind.” - Ron Swanson

I imagine this is how Mike Trout feels around award season. But then the BBWAA gives his award to Miguel Cabrera because the Tigers' back deck didn't collapse when it rained like the Angels' season did. See, in this metaphor baseball is woodworking or... Just go ask Ken Tremendous what point I was trying to make. He writes gooder words than me.

Around this time last year, I submitted my ballot for the BBA (Baseball Bloggers Alliance) and resisted the temptation to vote Mike Trout for every award including Homecoming Queen and best rapper since Biggie. Trout did take home the BBA's Stan Musial for best player and Willie Mays for best rookie. Of course, Miguel Cabrera and his Triple Crown trounced Trout in the BBWAA's voting despite the youngster's historic season. One year later, does Mike Trout face the same fate? You betcha.

AL Stan Musial (top player)
1. Mike Trout
Trout followed the greatest season ever by a 20-year-old with the greatest season ever by a 21-year-old. He improved his walk rate and decreased his strikeout rate and set a new record for the amount of times I just say "Mike Trout" to random people in a year by 250. I have the first recognized case of Trout Tourette. Anyway, Trout led baseball in fWAR again by more than two wins. This year he beat out Andrew McCutchen 10.4 to 8.2 and was the best player in baseball despite an underwhelming defensive season according to advanced metrics.
2. Miggy Cabrera
He's the best hitter in baseball when healthy. And the Tigers make the playoffs. And Topps still prints RBI numbers. So, all of the BBWAA's old school criteria is met. Hand that man another MVP.
3. Josh Donaldson
.301/.384/.499 with good defense and baserunning that did not resemble a sleepy puppy. That gets you a 7.7 fWAR and a top five MVP vote.
4. Chris Davis
5. Evan Longoria
6. Robinson Cano
7. Manny Machado
8. Max Scherzer
9. Felix Hernandez
10. Adrian Beltre

NL Stan Musial
1. Andrew McCutchen
Cutch was second to Trout in fWAR and has a similar skill set. Cutch also has the luxury of not having to get his dress shirts with a customized neck size. Shoulders. Shoulders is Mike Trout's neck size.
2. Yadier Molina
Molina missed time but he's probably being underrated by Wins Above Replacement for his defense. Points deducted for only finishing third in the Molina family pie eating contest. Bengie came in first and second.
3. Clayton Kershaw
4. Carlos Gomez
CarGo 2.0 now with less injuries!
5. Paul Goldschmidt
6. Matt Carpenter
7. Adam Wainwright
8. Joey Votto
9. Troy Tulowitzki
10. Matt Harvey

AL Walter Johnson
1. Max Scherzer
21 wins and a 2.74 FIP. He has something for everyone.
2. Felix Hernandez
3. Yu Darvish
4. Anibal Sanchez
5. Chris Sale

NL Walter Johnson
1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Adam Wainwright
3. Matt Harvey
4. Cliff Lee
5. Jose Fernandez

AL Willie Mays (top rookie)
1. Wil Myers
2. Jose Iglesias
3. Brad Miller

NL Willie Mays
1. Jose Fernandez
2. Yasiel Puig
3. Julio Teheran
3B. Shelby Miller
3C. Gerrit Cole
And that's without Hyun-Jin Ryu. The NL was loaded with rookies.

AL Connie Mack (top manager)
I more or less throw some names into a hat and pick three. Is this Jim Riggleman's year?!?!
1. Joe Maddon
I don't put his name in the hat because he's awesome.
2. John Farrell
3. Terry Francona

NL Connie Mack
1. Clint Hurdle
Hahaha. I really don't put much thought into these. Nor should I.
2. Mike Matheny?
3. Don Mattingly?

AL Goose Gossage (top reliever)
1. Koji Uehara
2. Greg Holland
3. Drew Smyly

NL Goose Gossage
1. Craig Kembrel
2. Kenley Jansen
3. Trevor Rosenthal

2012 BBA Award Ballot

It's time once again for the BBA (Baseball Bloggers Alliance) award balloting. The baseball award season is great because arguing about stuff is fun. The awards themselves aren't as important as we make them appear with the never ending coverage. Sure, a few MVPs will look good on your Hall of Fame resume or a CY Young will get you that bonus to restock the jet ski fleet at your other beach house.

But the voting matters more now than ever due to the Twitter era. The awards have become about the newfangled stat nerds (or sabermetric friendly crowd) and the old school baseball, "hey kids, RBI are cool" gang getting together for a 140 character or less battle to the death. Or something like that.

In order to show how serious I take the BBA ballot, I will not vote Mike Trout for every award even if he deserves it.

AL Stan Musial (top player)
1. Mike Trout
In the past 20 years, only Mike Trout (10.7 rWAR in 2012) and Barry Bonds (11.6 in 2001 and 2002) have had a 10.5 or higher Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement. Trout also broke records left and right for being too good too young.
2. Miguel Cabrera
The Triple Crown will probably win Miggy the MVP. You win this round, RBI.
3. Robinson Cano
4.Adrian Beltre
I wonder if people will notice him when he gets into the Hall of Fame.
5. Justin Verlander
6. Joe Mauer
Led baseball in OBP.
7. Edwin Encarnancion
8. David Price
9. Josh Hamilton
10. Austin Jackson

NL Stan Musial
1. Buster Posey
2. Ryan Braun
Had a better 7.9 fWAR in 2012 than his 7.6 fWAR in 2011.
3. Andrew McCuthcen
The Pirates blew his chance to win but McCutchen is a monster.
4. Chase Headley
He's a Padre.
5. Yadier Molina
I have no problem with Molina finishing higher. The youngest Molina is clearly the best Molina and Christmas is now a little awkward.
6. David Wright
The Mets are four games away from being mathematically eliminated in 2013.
7. R.A. Dickey
Too many Mets.
8. Aramis Ramirez
9. Clayton Kershaw
10. Matt Holliday

AL Walter Johnson (top pitcher)
1. Justin Verlander
2. David Price
3. Jered Weaver
4. Felix Hernandez
5. Chris Sale
Or Yu Darvish.

NL Walter Johnson
1. R.A. Dickey
The most fascinating pitcher in baseball. Brought sexy back to the knuckleball.
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Gio Gonzalez
4. Cliff Lee
He's so good and went 6-9. Pitcher wins are silly.
5. Johnny Cueto

AL Willie Mays (top rookie)
1. Mike Trout
The BBA should change the name of this award. This should be..what's more than unanimous?
2. Yu Darvish
3. Yoenis Cespedes

NL Willie Mays
1. Bryce Harper
Harper and Trout have ruined us for all future rookies. Both were better than advertised.
2. Wade Miley
3. Norichika Aoki

AL Goose Gossage (top reliever)
1. Fernando Rodney
Dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria.
2. Greg Holland
3. Darren O'Day

NL Goose Gossage
1. Craig Kimbrel
2. Aroldis Chapman
3.Kenley Jansen

AL Connie Mack (top manager)
I still don't really understand how to measure this one. It's easier to pick out a manger who is bad at his job than find one who is especially good at his.
1. Buck Showalter
2. Bob Melvin
3. Joe Maddon

NL Connie Mack
1. Davey Johnson
Jim Riggleman was so close!
2. Dusty Baker
3. Some other NL manager
3. Don Mattingly?

More to come on the end of season hardware after I'm wrong about everything. Everything except Mike Trout.

BBA NL Goose Gossage Award Ballot 2011

Ah, the good old reliever of the year ballot. The BBA has to remind me every year this is NOT for best mustache. Oh, and saves are a stupid, stupid stat. Let's roll...

1. Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta
Not much to this one. Kimbrel led all relievers with a 3.2 fWAR (Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement) and was my choice for the BBA Willie Mays award for rookie of the year, which he won. Over 77.0 innnings, Kimbrel tossed a 2.10/1.52/1.94 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) pitching line with a staggering 14.84 K/9. And sure, he recorded 46 saves if you're the type of person who cares about that stuff. But if you like saves, you probably don't know how to text message and aren't reading this.

2. Jonny Venters, Atlanta
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez rode Venters into the ground in 2011. That's actually true of Kimbrel and Eric O'Flaherty too and contributed to the Braves collapse down the stretch. Venters appeared in 85 games and pitched 88.0 innings. He threw a 1.84/2.78/2.88 pitching line which was hurt when he ran out of gas. In 12.1 September innings, Venters gave up seven runs on 13 hits and 10 walks. It wasn't pretty. But he was so brilliant for the rest of the season, I have a hard time penalizing him for his manager's mismanagement.

3. John Axford, Milwaukee
His 1.95/2.41/2.85 pitching line and 10.51 K/9 and 46 saves are all pretty enough. And maybe I should have voted for him higher but not because of the numbers. It's because of this...



If the BBA would let me vote for mustaches for the Goose Gossage award like I wanted to, Axford would have run away with this thing.

BBA AL Goose Gossage Award Ballot 2011

Ah, the good old reliever of the year ballot. The BBA has to remind me every year this is NOT for best mustache. Oh, and saves are a stupid, stupid stat. Let's roll...

1. Jonathan Papelbon, Boston
I don't have any clue how other BBA members vote for reliever of the year. I'm not against voting for a closer, despite the very defined role, if he was the best reliever in the league. In this case, Papelbon had a monster year. Strap on your nerd boots. The 2.94 ERA might scare off some voters but he had 1.53 FIP, 2.16 xFIP, 1.88 tERA and a 1.58 SIERA. What put Paps over the top for me was his 8.70 K/BB ratio.

2. Mariano Rivera, New York
I feel a little dirty putting two closers in the top two spots but I don't like my relievers to walk hitters and Mo don't walk hitters. He had just a 3.4 BB% but when you throw just one pitch, I guess you get pretty good at locating it. The saves and 1.91 ERA will probably get him some first place votes too. I'm afraid I'm conforming.

3. David Robertson, New York
There is plenty to like about Robertson. He had a 1.08/1.84/2.46 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) line to go with a 13.5 K/9 and an 89.8 LOB%. I actually said I'd vote for him first on a podcast a few weeks ago. So Dave, if you were listening, sorry bro. You might win anyway, I'm terrible at the Goose Gossage award. Much better at mustaches.

BBA NL Willie Mays Award Ballot 2011

After a full year of writing nonsense, the Baseball Blogger Alliance has yet to kick us out and still encourages us to vote on stuff. And not just things we know like "how good did I look in dress socks and sandals." Which, of course, the answer is always "very." Next up is the Willie Mays award for rookie of the year.

1. Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta
Kimbrel was lights out in 2011. I'd mention his ridiculous save total if I felt like it meant anything. But it doesn't and these two sentences were a complete waste of all of our time. Over 77.0 innings of relief, Kimbrel posted a 2.10/1.52/1.94 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) pitching line and an insane 14.84 K/9. He struck me out twice just looking up his stats on Fangraphs and I was wearing my lucky high socks and everything.

2. Wilson Ramos, Washington
Unlike the American League crop of rookies, I lost interest in the National League's group immediately after Kimbrel. Brandon Belt never got a fair shake in San Francisco and I refuse to believe Darwin Barney is a real person. Ramos had a good year behind the plate for the Nats hitting 15 homers and a .267/.334/.445 line. Plus the Nats got him in a trade for Matt Capps who sold me an Icee last week at the Discount Zone.

3. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta
Freeman had a really nice year belting 21 homers on his way to a .282/.346/.448 line. He only scored a 1.0 fWAR (Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement) but UZR really hated his first base defense. His -12.6 UZR (ultimate zone rating) makes him the worst defensive first baseman in baseball for 2011. It's hard to judge somebody on one season's worth of UZR, especially at first base. It wouldn't surprise me if Freeman fares better in this category.

BBA AL Willie Mays Award Ballot 2011

After a full year of writing nonsense, the Baseball Blogger Alliance has yet to kick us out and still encourages us to vote on stuff. And not just things we know like "how drunk was I last night." Which, of course, the answer is always "very." Up next is the Willie Mays award for rookie of the year.

1. Michael Pineda, Seattle
Pineda looked every bit like 1A to Felix Hernandez's 1 in the Mariners rotation this season. In 171 innings, Pineda threw a 3.74/3.42/3.53 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) pitching line. Pineda also struck out a very impressive 9.11 hitters for every nine innings. If only the Mariners would have kept Doug Fister in that rotation. Is a sentence I never thought I'd write.

2. Dustin Ackley, Seattle
The second Mariner on this ballot was their best hitter. Ackley led the M's with a 2.7 fWAR (Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement) which was good for over half of their total 5.1 fWAR for position players. Oh, I see why they were so terrible now.

3. Eric Hosmer, Kansas City
Hosmer took a hit on his 1.6 fWAR because UZR didn't like his defense at first base. I have no problem throwing that right out the window. He hit 16 home runs and a .293/.334/.465 line. In roughly the same amount of plate appearances, Mark Trumbo hit 29 home runs and will surely get some votes. Even as an Angels fan, I can't vote for his .291 OBP.

Also Rans...

Brett Lawrie, Toronto
Lawrie is the AL rookie of the year. He posted an identical 2.7 fWAR as Ackley in 205 fewer plate appearances. That friends, is insane. If he'd carried a .293/.373/.580 line of a full season instead of just 43 games, Lawrie would be getting MVP votes.

Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay
Jennings suffered the same fate as Lawrie in time it took to get called up. Jennings did acquire 287 PA's and just hit 10 home runs and a .259/.356/.449 line to go with 20 stolen bases.

Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay
Hellickson could easily win this thing with a 13-10 record and a 2.94 ERA. But his 4.44 FIP (fielding independent pitching) and .223 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) suggest Hellickson's ERA was a product of Tampa's great defense.

BBA NL Connie Mack Award Ballot 2011

After a full year of writing nonsense, the Baseball Blogger Alliance has yet to kick us out and still encourages us to vote on stuff. And not just things we know like "how sick will I get from eating that." Which, of course, the answer is always "very." First up is the Connie Mack award for manager of the year.

1. Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee
It seems like Roenicke isn't a big fan of bunting or, especially, sac bunting. Did I do any research to back that up? No, but it's adorable that you asked. Look, as long as a manager isn't butchering a lineup or bullpen, I don't see much of a difference between them. Roenicke did a fine job with a good lineup and rotation and K-Rod didn't punch anyone, that we know of. This award will probably go to Kirk Gibson and I wouldn't argue with that choice so...

2. Kirk Gibson, Arizona
Nobody was really expecting the Diamondbacks to win the NL West or win 94 games. But Gibby turned Ian Kennedy into a Cy Young candidate and Justin Upton into an MVP candidate with a strict conditioning program of taping their eyelids open and showing them his 1988 home run on loop for days at a time. It paid off. Well, Joe Saunders became an unwilling assassin for the Communist Party but you have to expect some casualties with that kind of training.

3. Jim Riggleman, Washington
The Nationals almost finished the season at .500 with an 80-81 record. Take a bow Jim Riggleman, surely your efforts were appreciated with a contract extension.

3. Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia
The Phillies, 102-60, finished with baseball's best record behind Manuel. According to my simulation, one of those drinking bird toys would have won 107 games with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in its rotation.

BBA AL Connie Mack Award Ballot 2011

After a full year of writing nonsense, the Baseball Blogger Alliance has yet to kick us out and still encourages us to vote on stuff. And not just things we know like "how awesome does that dog look wearing a hat." Which, of course, the answer is always "very." First up is the Connie Mack award for manager of the year.

1. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay
I think Maddon is one of the smartest managers in baseball despite his time in Anaheim when Mike Scioscia would smack him with a ruler every time he read something about sabermetrics. Maddon has his share of goofs but, for the most part, he helps his team win games instead of blowing them. It doesn't hurt that he's backed by one of the smarter organizations in baseball. With a full year of Desmond Jennings and Matt Moore next season, Maddon might want to get comfortable in this spot.

2. Joe Girardi, New York
Resident Yankee enthusiast, Derwood, pitched Girardi for top manager. I'm sure he was making a reasonable argument but all I heard was a pencil scratching Derek Jeter into the leadoff spot.

3. Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Hollywood
20 wins in a row and he had to deal with Brad Pitt and the nerd from Superbad?

3. Jim Leyland, Detroit
Jose Valverde didn't blow a save all season long. That's just good bullpen management.

3. Terry Francona, Boston
I had Francona as my top manager last year. And sure, they didn't make the playoffs again and had an epic collapse but I still think he's a great manager. He won't be unemployed for very long unless John Lackey is his publicist. Francona taught Jacoby Ellsbury to hit 30 home runs. Prove me wrong. Despite the end of the season debacle, let's not forget they rebounded from a 0-53 start this year.

Off Base 2011 AL All Stars

For some reason, the Baseball Bloggers Alliance granted me membership and occasionally asks me to vote on things. This time it's for the All Star Game.

Disclaimer: I may tend to overemphasize WAR (Wins Above Replacement) but at least I'm not some homer voting for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Catcher: Alex Avila, Detroit
9 HR, .300 AVG, .373 OBP, .532 SLG, .390 wOBA, 2.5 WAR
Avila is having a pretty good season which is more than you can say about the majority of catchers in the AL. Plus, his presence keeps the Tigers from having to stick Victor Martinez behind the dish.
Next In Line: Pass
If forced to choose, I suppose it's Carlos Santana.
10 HR, .232 AVG, .360 OBP, .414 SLG, .341 wOBA, 1.8 WAR
Santana has been a disappointment this year and I was tempted to put Matt Wieters here until I looked up his on base percentage. Woof.
Fans Pick (6/21): Russell Martin, New York
Yeah, yeah. He's not having a bad season but Avila is better. I'm actually a little surprised that Avila is second in voting.

First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston
15 HR, .359 AVG, .410 OBP, .609 SLG, .437 wOBA, 7.4 UZR, 4.4 WAR
Gonzalez is having the monster season everybody expected out of him and might be the first half AL MVP. It's really hard to find a flaw in his game. I hate Boston and their tremendously run front office.
Next In Line: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
15 HR, .327 AVG, .449 OBP, .580 SLG, .434 wOBA, -2.3 UZR, 3.2 WAR
Miggy is the model of consistency. He might have some off the field issues but once the season starts all he does is rake. Paul Konerko has been fantastic this season but Cabrera has 50 points of on base on him.
Fans Pick (6/21): Adrian Gonzalez, Boston
And, of course, Mark Teixeira is second in voting.

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, Boston
6 HR, .274 AVG, .390 OBP, .397 SLG, .360 wOBA, 8.6 UZR, 3.5 WAR
I really struggled between three players here but ultimately chose Pedroia because of his on base percentage and fielding. But it could have gone in another direction...
Next In Line: Howie Kendrick, Orange County
7 HR, .305 AVG, .364 OBP, .481 SLG, .374 wOBA, 7.8 UZR, 3.2 WAR
I might be cheating a little bit here because only 4.2 of Kendrick's UZR has come at second base since he's also played some first and outfield. Ben Zobrist was the other guy I liked but he's outclassed in OBP by both Pedroia and Kendrick even though Howie hates walking.
Fans Pick (6/21): Robinson Cano, New York
Not surprising at all. He certainly hits for power and the Yankees clearly don't care about middle infield defense.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, New York
13 HR, .296 AVG, .375 OBP, .510 SLG, 6.9 UZR, 3.6 WAR
What can I say? A-Rod is having a really nice season.
Next In Line: Kevin Youklis, Boston
11 HR, .279 AVG, .395 OBP, .506 SLG, .395 wOBA, -3.1 UZR, 2.8 WAR
He has a great OBP as usual and is the best of the rest. Evan Longoria has struggled since returning from his injury, Adrian Beltre has a .306 OBP and Alberto Callaspo is Alberto Callaspo.
Fans Pick (6/21): Alex Rodriguez, New York
Yeah.

Short Stop: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland
12 HR, .296 AVG, .345 OBP, .498 SLG, .378 wOBA, -5.0 UZR, 2.8 WAR
Cabrera is having somewhat of a breakout season. He's already doubled his previous season high in home runs. I am surprised UZR doesn't much care for his defense.
Next In Line: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago
6 HR, .289 AVG, .348 OBP, .423 SLG, .341 wOBA, 5.9 UZR, 3.0 WAR
Ramirez has similar stats to Cabrera but might be the best fielding short stop in the AL. A flip flop of the two for the top spot wouldn't bother me. What bothers me is...
Fans Pick (6/21): Derek Jeter, New York
If Jeter is the starting short stop, I might skip the ASG. Jeter's 0.5 WAR is tied with Elliot Johnson. This is why you can't have fan voting and make the ASG count for something. Side note: somebody sent me a Jeter biography to review and I lost it.

Right Field: Jose Bautista, Toronto
22 HR, .325 AVG, .470 OBP, .654 SLG, .474 wOBA, -4.7 UZR, 4.5 WAR
Joey Bats has cooled off some since I was school girl giddy over his .500+ OBP but he's still a beast. The Blue Jays are talking about moving him back to third.
Next In Line: Carlos Quentin, Chicago
17 HR, .256 AVG, .358 OBP, .535 SLG, .389 wOBA, 0.4 UZR, 2.2 WAR
Matt Joyce with his higher average and on base is also an acceptable answer.
Fans Pick (6/21): Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Josh Hamilton
They got Joey Bats right.

Center Field: Curtis Granderson, New York
21 HR, .278 AVG, .356 OBP, .584 SLG, .401 wOBA, 1.3 UZR, 3.9 WAR
Granderson, all of a sudden, learned how to hit lefties and hit them hard. That was always the major flaw in his game and now he looks like a star. I mean, he does still strikeout at a 27% clip. But he hits lefties now!
Next In Line: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston
8 HR, 24 SB, .310 AVG, .372 OBP, .374 wOBA, 1.5 UZR, 3.1 WAR
As much as I wanted to put Denard Span and his silly 10.2 UZR in this spot, I couldn't put him past an Ellsbury who gets on base 37% of the time. That's a dangerous guy.
Fans Pick (6/21): Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Josh Hamilton
The fans have two right.

Left Field: Brett Gardner, New York
4 HR, .286 AVG, .363 OBP, .432 SLG, .347 wOBA, 13.2 UZR, 2.8 WAR
Gardner won't make the All Star team and Yankees fans are always looking for ways to upgrade left field but Gardner might be a star in another market. He's a natural center fielder and is spectacular in left. He is in the top ten in voting but I doubt he finishes there. Those might be some of the kindest words I've ever written about a Yankee.
Next In Line: Brennan Boesch, Detroit
10 HR, .300 AVG, .359 OBP, .485 SLG, .364 wOBA, 0.3 UZR, 1.8 WAR
Boesch won't make the team either but he's having a nice season. I'm not sure if anyone outside of Detroit or fantasy circles realizes it though.
Fans Pick (6/21): Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Josh Hamilton
Sure, this would probably be Hamilton's spot if he hadn't missed a month with an injury. He's still going to make the team and is having a really good season. He just missed a lot of time.

DH: David Ortiz, Boston
17 HR, .313 AVG, .391 OBP, .586 SLG, .421 wOBA, 2.6 WAR
Big Papi has looked like he was finished on a few occasions over the past couple of seasons. But in 2011, Ortiz is raking again. He's hitting so well that he's driving Terry Francona to the brink of insanity in considering playing Adrian Gonzalez in the outfield during interleague so Ortiz can play first base.
Next In Line: Victor Martinez, Detroit
6 HR, .332 AVG, .383 OBP, .498 SLG, .381 wOBA, 1.6 WAR
After Ortiz, it's not a great year for the designated hitter. There aren't even that many full time DH's. Martinez has played 20 games behind the plate but I'm counting him so I dont have to plug in Billy Butler or Bobby Abreu.
Fans Pick (6/21): David Ortiz, Boston
No way to argue with that.

Starting Pitcher: Jered Weaver, Orange County
2.01 ERA, 2.48 FIP, 3.41 xFIP, 3.7 WAR
I can make a case for four or five other guys but, let's face it, I love Weaver. And with the lowest FIP and second lowest ERA, he deserves it too.
Next In Line: Justin Verlander, Detroit
2.54 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 3.09 xFIP, 3.0 WAR
Verlander has one no-hitter this year and fell just short of picking up a second. Verlander and Weaver were both first round picks in 2004 along with number one overall pick Matt Bush.

Relief Pitcher: Jordan Walden, Orange County
2.45 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 3.08 xFIP, 1.3 WAR
Sure, he walks too many hitters but he throws 100 MPH on the reg and is fun to watch.
Next In Line: Al Alburquerque, Detroit
2.05 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 2.38 xFIP, 0.9 WAR
His name is Al Alburquerque. I rest my case.

Off Base 2011 NL All Stars

For some reason, the Baseball Bloggers Alliance granted me membership and occasionally asks me to vote on things. This time it's for the All Star Game. Next time I hope it's about dogs wearing hats.

Disclaimer: I may tend to overemphasize WAR (Wins Above Replacement) but at least I'm not some homer still voting for Buster Posey.

Catcher: Brian McCann, Atlanta
13 HR, .305 AVG, .380 OBP, .532 SLG, .386 wOBA, 2.8 WAR
McCann has been the best catcher in baseball but has an easier path to the ASG with Buster Posey out for the season. There shouldn't even be a question about this selection.
Next In Line: Miguel Montero, Arizona
9 HR, .278 AVG, .354 OBP, .483 SLG, .364 wOBA, 2.4 WAR
Montero appears pretty close to McCann in WAR but evaluating catcher defense is a tricky thing. Even though Dave Cameron explained it to me in 140 characters or less, I'm still not sure how they calculate defense for catchers into WAR. McCann is clearly the superior hitter. Montero is underrated though.
Fans Pick (6/20): Brian McCann, Atlanta
Too easy to screw up.

First Base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee
20 HR, .306 AVG, .426 OBP, .608 SLG, .439 wOBA, 0.6 UZR, 3.7 WAR
Fielder might not be the prettiest site at first base but he's absolutely mashing at the plate. I think he's eating cheeseburgers again.
Next In Line: Joey Votto, Cincinnati
9 HR, .318 AVG, .440 OBP, .489 SLG, .406 wOBA, 2.7 UZR, 3.2 WAR
Votto is probably the best first baseman in the NL. It was hard for me to pick Fielder over him but the 100+ points of slugging won me over even though Votto is the better OBPer. It's also worth noting that Votto's .377 BABIP looks sustainable compared to his MLB track record.
Fans Pick (6/20): Albert Pujols, St. Louis
This should come down a bit after the injury. Votto is second in voting.

Second Base: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee
14 HR, .287 AVG, .356 OBP, .498 SLG, .375 wOBA, 1.9 UZR, 3.3 WAR
A healthy Weeks is great player. He's not Chase Utley in the field but he's not terrible either.
Next In Line: Danny Espinosa, Washington
13 HR, .242 AVG, .321 OBP, .464 SLG, .348 wWOBA, 4.9 UZR, 2.8 WAR
He doesn't walk much and strikes out a lot but he has some serious pop for a second baseman. It seems like he's being overlooked outside of fantasy circles.
Fans Pick (6/20): Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati
Weeks is second and, because it's fan voting, Utley is third. I'd like to see Espinosa get some more love.

Third Base: Chase Headley, San Diego
2 HR, .295 AVG, .389 OBP, .402 SLG, .357 wOBA, -2.7 UZR, 2.0 WAR
It is a wasteland for National League third baggers. Headley hasn't shown the usual power for the hot corner spot this season but he's a solid OBPer even if the BABIP comes down a little. It's hard to imagine Headley is a below average fielder after posting an incredible 16.5 UZR last year.
Next In Line: Ryan Roberts, Arizona
10 HR, .258 AVG, .345 OBP, .458 SLG, .354 wOBA, 0.7 UZR, 2.1 WAR
Talk about criminally overlooked...
Fans Pick: Placido Polanco, Philadelphia
Well, he does play for a team people have heard of.

Short Stop: Jose Reyes, New York
3 HR, 26 SB, .338 AVG, .382 OBP, .511 SLG, .395 wOBA, 0.7 UZR, 4.3 WAR
He's arguably your first half NL MVP. And if he keeps this up, some team is going to significantly over pay for a career slugging percentage and one year of good health.
Next In Line: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
13 HR, .274 AVG, .338 OBP, .488 SLG, .357 wOBA, 7.2 UZR, 3.0 WAR
Tulo has cooled off after his ridiculous start and fallen well behind Reyes as the top NL short stop even though he's much slicker fielder.
Fans Pick (6/20): Troy Tulowitzki
I fully expect Reyes to have passed Tulo when the next update comes out. Yuniesky Betancourt is in 5th. Hahahahaha.

Right Field: Justin Upton, Arizona
12 HR, .301 AVG, .382 OBP, .521 SLG, .397 wOBA, 2.9 UZR, 3.3 WAR
Still just 23-years-old, Upton is on the verge of super stardom. Is what my keeper league team is hoping for.
Next In Line: Carlos Beltran, New York
10 HR, .276 AVG, .370 OBP, .479 SLG, .372 wOBA, -0.3 UZR, 2.3 WAR
I don't love this pick and could easily be talked into three or four other guys here. Lance Berkman has the best season stats but I can't, in good conscience, stick a traffic cone in right field for the ASG.
Fans Pick (6/20): Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday
They really need to designate outfield spots.

Center Field: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles
20 HR, 21 SB, .328 AVG, .420 OBP, .620 SLG, .452 wOBA, -8.3 UZR, 4.2 WAR
He's flat out raking. I haven't watched enough of him to know if Kemp is the disaster in center that the metrics make him out to be.
Next In Line: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
1o HR, .289 AVG, .393 OBP, .474 SLG, .388 wOBA, 6.5 UZR, 4.0 WAR
He's really, really good. Kemp just has him blocked.
Fans Pick (6/20): Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday
Oddly, not a center fielder among them.

Left Field: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
15 HR, .309 AVG, .395 OBP, .550 SLG, .417 wOBA, -4.2 UZR, 3.4 WAR
The Brewers don't run the best defensive club out there but they sure can hit.
Next In Line: Michael Morse, Washington
13 HR, .306 AVG, .352 OBP, .546 SLG, .383 wOBA, -3.0 UZR, 1.5 WAR
Okay, Matt Holliday is probably more deserving and will get voted in anyway but Morse has been fun this season. Sue me.
Fans Pick (6/20): Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday
Braun and Holliday are getting in for sure.

Starting Pitcher: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia
2.51 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 2.35 xFIP, 4.2 WAR
He's still the best but...
Next In Line: Cole Hamels, Philadelphia
2.51 ERA, 2.21 FIP, 2.48 xFIP, 3.6 WAR
Eerily similar.

Relief Pitcher: Jonny Venters, Atlanta
0.57 ERA, 1.99 FIP, 2.23 xFIP, 1.5 WAR
Venters has been the Braves workhorse, pitching 47.1 innings so far. He's been lights out just like his bullpen counterpart...
Next In Line: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta
2.84 ERA, 1.75 FIP, 2.34 xFIP, 1.4 WAR
Kimbrel also has an insane 13.74 K/9.

Hall Of Fame Rewind

The BBWAA survived a little website hackeration earlier today but righted the ship in time to announce Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar are the 2011 Hall of Fame class. I won't spend much time discussing Blyleven and Alomar because, let's face it, they're both Hall worthy.

Blyleven spent more time sweating it out but his career 90.1 WAR was not to be excluded again. And yes, I realize that only around six voters are spending time pouring over Wins Above Replacement. Fine, I understand that some of these voters are set in their old-school ways and won't embrace the new metrics because they didn't get the typewriter with dial-up access to AOL. To those voters, I submitted his willingness to drop the f-bomb live on air and his awesome beard from his Angels days. So I did my part.

Alomar on his second year on the ballot picked up an extra 126 votes for a whopping 90.0%. Alomar hit .300/.371/.443 over his career while playing overrated defense. That is not to say that Alomar wasn't a very good second baseman but should not be confused as the greatest fielder at his position. But again, I have no qualms over Alomar's selection or deservedness. Even the jump from 73.7% to 90.0% isn't that big of a surprise considering the amount of voters who simply won't consider any player during their first year of eligibility.

HOWEVER, that last point is no excuse for Jeff Bagwell receiving only 41.7% of the "yes box" punches. Bagwell hit 449 home runs and .297/.408/.540 over his career which would make him one of the top five first basemen in the sport's history. For a guy who was never connected to steroids, he sure does have a lot of suspicion surrounding him now. Bags HAS to get in eventually and you should be able to tell how serious I am about this because I used all caps for two words in this paragraph.

Tim Raines fell short again and will immediately become the new Bert Blyleven for all of the crusading, basement-dwelling writers. Raines might be taking a hit for his flirtation with cocaine. I actually hope that's the reason because I can't see a reason to keep the second best leadoff hitter of all time out of the Hall. Yet, I don't understand how cocaine can be condemned on a different level from that of the amphetamine usage during the 70's.

I'm nowhere close to be included in the BBWAA because I believe they have a rule that a writer should have more than four readers to be included in their club. Stupid secret handshake elitists. But I did get a ballot for the BBA. The BBA also recommended just Alomar and Blyleven and you can see the full voting here. Here is my ballot followed by career WAR and the actual BBWAA totals for each player...

1. Bert Blyleven, 90.1 WAR, 463 votes, 79.7%

2. Jeff Bagwell, 83.9 WAR, 242 votes, 41.7%

3. Tim Raines, 71.0 WAR, 218 votes, 37.5%

4. Roberto Alomar, 68.2 WAR, 523 votes, 90.0%

5. Mark McGwire, 70.6 WAR, 115 votes, 19.8% (down from 23.7% from last year)

6. Larry Walker, 72.2 WAR, 118 votes, 20.3%

7. Barry Larkin, 69.8 WAR, 361 votes, 62.1% (3rd best this year, next year's best shot)

8. Edgar Martinez, 71.6 WAR, 191 votes, 32.9%

9. Rafael Palmerio, 75.5 WAR, 64 votes, 11.0% (doesn't look good)

10. Kevin Brown, 77.2 WAR, 12 votes, 2.1%

Kevin Brown receives this year's Price Is Right losing horn for, despite his HOF WAR, not reaching the 5% mark and is one and done in the Hall of Fame voting.

BBA Recommends Alomar, Blyleven For Hall Of Fame

BBA RECOMMENDS ALOMAR, BLYLEVEN FOR HALL OF FAME

Second baseman Roberto Alomar and starting pitcher Bert Blyleven were named today as the recommended 2011 Hall of Fame class by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Alomar, who is on the ballot for his second year, and Blyleven, looking at his fourteenth time, both finished just shy of the BBA's recommendation in 2010 at just a fraction under the 75% threshold. As was the case last year, both Alomar and Blyleven received the same amount of votes from the BBA membership in 2010, but this time it was enough to push them into the recommended status.

Both players received 117 votes out of the 154 ballots cast, resulting in a 75.97% approval rate. Again echoing the vote taken at the end of 2009, shortstop Barry Larkin was the third man in the balloting, missing selection by being named on just 70.78% of the ballots.

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance's vote has no impact on the official vote taken by the Baseball Writers of America and the members of the Hall of Fame. However, the BBA has been often a predictor of awards granted by the writers, matching their selection in fourteen of the sixteen major awards in the last two postseasons combined.

The final voting results are as follows:

Roberto Alomar, 75.97%

Bert Blyleven, 75.97%

Barry Larkin, 70.78%

Jeff Bagwell, 62.34%

Edgar Martinez, 59.09%

Tim Raines, 54.55%

Mark McGwire, 44.16%

Lee Smith, 38.96%

Alan Trammell, 35.71%

Don Mattingly, 33.12%

Larry Walker, 31.17%

Fred McGriff, 27.27%

Jack Morris, 25.97%

Rafael Palmerio, 20.78%

Dale Murphy, 16.23%

Dave Parker, 12.34%

Harold Baines, 10.39%

Kevin Brown, 9.09%

John Franco, 7.14%

Tino Martinez, 5.19%

John Olerud, 5.19%

Al Leiter, 4.55%

Bret Boone, 3.90%

Juan Gonzalez, 3.90%

Marquis Grissom, 2.60%

Benito Santiago, 1.30%

Bobby Higginson, 0.65%

Charles Johnson, 0.65%

Kirk Rueter, 0.65%

Carlos Baerga, 0.00%

Raul Mondesi, 0.00%

BJ Surhoff, 0.00%

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was established in the fall of 2009 for the purpose of fostering collaboration and communication among bloggers from across baseball. The BBA has quickly grown to its current membership of 256 blogs, including some of the most prominent blogs on the internet, spanning all major league teams and various other general aspects of the game.

More information about the BBA can be found at their website, www.baseballbloggersalliance.com, or by contacting the founder and administrator of the organization, Daniel Shoptaw, at founder@baseballbloggersalliance.com.

Celebrating The Baseball Bloggers Alliance

While Off Base was just born on May 30, 2010, we could not be prouder members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. And as soon as our esteemed founder Daniel Shoptaw declared December 10th BBA Day, we decided to honor his creation the only way we knew how. Pure nonsense. So I tracked down the MLB headquarters in New York...



And then I sent some of my minions to stage a protest until Major League Baseball recognizes the BBA as the literary force it is. My demands were one press credential to a game of my choosing, a link to the BBA on the MLB.com homepage, three hot dogs and one of those Baskin Robbins sundaes in an Angels helmet...



The results were less than satisfactory. For all of our trouble, we received a stern talking to and a coupon for 35% off of a Fudgie the Whale from Carvel.

Occasionally, I'll stray from the nonsense to write some actual baseball content around here. I couldn't be more grateful to Daniel for starting the BBA to create a haven for all of us baseball nerds to get together and share our opinions on our beloved pastime. I've been blogging about sports for several years now. I started Monkeys Throwing Darts years ago and it had some relative success thanks to the ridiculousness known as the Lingerie Football League. But baseball has always been my true passion and the BBA provides a fantastic support system.

In creating the BBA, Shoptaw has not only given baseball bloggers a venue to gain a greater audience but has created a structure similar to the BBWAA. The BBA was created in April of 2009 but didn't start gaining momentum until September of that year. It now boasts over 230 member blogs ranging from team specific sites to general baseball to fantasy and history.

The BBA votes on the same major awards that the BBWAA does even though Shoptaw was politely asked told to alter the names of said awards in order to not conflict with those of the BBWAA. Surprisingly, the BBA and BBWAA have only differed in the 2009 NL ROY and the 2010 AL MOY awards in the two years of the BBA's existence. A feat that I believe reflects the continuing influence of the blogosphere on the mainstream media. But I do have a pretty high opinion of ourselves.

The BBA also has a weekly radio show on Blog Talk Radio that I somehow fell backasswards into hosting one week. I have not been asked to return even though I felt my 43 minute House of Pain remix of Take Me Out To The Ballgame was groundbreaking.

There's even an App for that. An iPhone app for the BBA was recently released and it is pretty impressive. Julian from Splashing Pumpkins did an amazing job spearheading the project and you should definitely go get the app now. Don't forget to bookmark us! It also begs the question... Where's your app, BBWAA?

I'd love to go on and on about the BBA because we are a proud member and I believe it is still just in its infancy. This is how great institutions are built. Shoptaw has put together an impressive group of intelligent, passionate baseball writers and the future is bright for the BBA. But, if you'll excuse me, I have a BBA Hall of Fame ballot to fill out and these 14 open tabs of Fangraphs aren't going to read themselves.

Want more? Here's an interview with Daniel Shoptaw about the BBA.

BBA Announces Hamilton, Votto Win Stan Musial Award

HAMILTON, VOTTO TAKE HOME STAN MUSIAL AWARD

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance concluded their award season today by naming the best player in each league for 2010. When all the votes were tallied, two men were comfortably ahead.

Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton, who hit 32 home runs and fashioned an OPS of 1.044 while leading the Rangers into the playoffs, won the award in the American League. Hamilton received sixteen first place votes and 261 points overall, which put him ahead of his nearest competitor, Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera, by roughly 70 points.

In the National League, helping Cincinnati to an unexpected divisional title paid off for first baseman Joey Votto. After a season where he cracked 37 home runs and posted a 1.024 OPS, Votto also received sixteen first-place votes toward his total of 252 points. He also denied St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols the chance to win back-to-back BBA awards. Pujols was selected as MVP by the BBA in 2009, but placed second with 197 points in this year’s voting.

Winners of other Alliance awards also received votes in the Musial balloting. In the American League, Walter Johnson winner Felix Hernandez received 21 points, while Goose Gossage selection Rafael Soriano had a single mention. On the senior circuit, Walter Johnson winner Roy Halladay placed fourth in the voting with 101 points.

The complete voting results are as follows (first place votes in parenthesis):

American League
Josh Hamilton, Texas (16) 261
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit (4) 188
Robinson Cano, New York 158
Jose Bautista, Toronto (1) 146
Adrian Beltre, Boston 107
Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay (1) 102
Paul Konerko, Chicago 65
Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay 56
Joe Mauer, Minnesota 50
Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland 44
Felix Hernandez, Seattle 21
Vladimir Guerrero, Texas 13
Justin Morneau, Minnesota 12
Delmon Young, Minnesota 10
Cliff Lee, Seattle/Texas 8
CC Sabathia, New York 8
Alex Rodriguez, New York 7
Clay Buchholz, Boston 4
Mark Teixeria, New York 3
Jon Lester, Boston 2
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle 2
Nick Swisher, New York 2
Jim Thome, Minnesota 2
Kevin Youkilis, Boston 2
Brett Gardner, New York 1
David Ortiz, Boston 1
Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay 1

National League
Joey Votto, Cincinnati (16) 252
Albert Pujols, St. Louis (3) 197
Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado (1) 118
Roy Halladay, Philadelphia (1) 101
Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego 98
Troy Tulowitski, Colorado 98
Ryan Zimmerman, Washington 93
Matt Holliday, St. Louis 84
Aubrey Huff, San Francisco 32
Adam Wainwright, St. Louis 17
Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado 16
Josh Johnson, Florida 16
Dan Uggla, Florida 16
Jayson Werth, Philadelphia 16
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee 13
Prince Fielder, Milwaukee 10
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia 9
Martin Prado, Atlanta 7
Jason Heyward, Atlanta 6
Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee 5
David Wright, New York 5
Adam Dunn, Washington 4
Kelly Johnson, Arizona 4
Andres Torres, San Francisco 1

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in the fall of 2009 to encourage cooperation and collaboration between baseball bloggers of all major league teams as well as those that follow baseball more generally. As of this writing, the organization consists of 233 blogs spanning all 30 major league squads as well as general baseball writing.

The BBA is organized under a similar structure as the Baseball Writers of America, where blogs that follow the same team are combined into “chapters” and only two votes from the chapter on an award are counted. The blog chapters that are focused on general baseball were allowed two votes as well, which they could use both on the same league or split between the two leagues.

Chapters generally followed one of two methods when casting their ballot. Either representatives of the chapter were given the ballots for voting or a “group ballot” was posted, accounting for both of their votes.

Ballots are posted on the respective blogs and for this award, were tabulated on a 13-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point scale for first through tenth place. In the interest of transparency, links are given below for the ballots. Chapter affiliation is in parenthesis. Those chapters that decided on the group method are noted with an asterisk.

American League
Camden Crazies (Baltimore)*
The Bottom Line (Boston)*
The Tribe Daily (Cleveland)*
Motor City Bengals (Detroit)
Switch Hitting Pitchers (Detroit)
One Royal Way (Kansas City)*
Twinkie Talk (Minnesota)
Seth Speaks (Minnesota)
Bronx Baseball Daily (New York)*
Contract Year (Oakland)
Rise of the Rays (Tampa Bay)
Infield Fly (Toronto)
The Blue Jay Hunter (Toronto)
Advanced Fantasy Baseball (Fantasy)*
Victoria Seals Baseball Blog (Other)*
Misc. Baseball (History)*
Blogging From The Bleachers (General)*

National League
Blog Red Machine (Cincinnati)
Marlin Maniac (Florida)
Marlins Diehards (Florida)
Feeling Dodger Blue (Los Angeles)
The Eddie Kranepool Society (New York)*
Dugger’s Corner (Philadelphia)
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? (Pittsburgh)*
The Outfield Ivy (St. Louis)
Pitchers Hit Eighth (St. Louis)
Friar Forecast (San Diego)*
22gigantes (San Francisco)*
Advanced Fantasy Baseball (Fantasy)*
Victoria Seals Baseball Blog (Other)*
Misc. Baseball (History)*
Ron Kaplan’s Baseball Bookshelf (Miscellaneous)*
Blogging From The Bleachers (General)*


Prior Winners: 2009: Joe Mauer, Minnesota; Albert Pujols, St. Louis

The official website of the BBA is located at www.baseballbloggersalliance.com. The BBA can be found on Twitter by the handle @baseballblogs and by the hashmark #bbba. Members of the BBA may be heard at Blog Talk Radio every Tuesday night with their call-in show, BBA Baseball Talk, which may also be downloaded as a podcast from iTunes. For more information, contact Daniel Shoptaw at founder@baseballbloggersalliance.com.