Year End Award Series - Baseball Player Of The Year 2002

[GonzoStyle]

Like the movie awards, pick your choice for player of the year. Naturally there are atleast another 10 that coulda made the list so you can write in your choices.

Once again since there is no MVP debate here on wether a player should win for personal achievement or how he impacted his team with his play. This is stricly on who was the best player of the year so I am going with A Rod hands down.

He led the majors with 57 homers, five more than he had in 2001, to break the single-season record for home runs by a shortstop for the second straight year. He has hit 40 or more homers in five straight seasons. He also led the AL with 142 RBIs this season, hasn't missed a game since joining the Texas Rangers in 2001. Defensively, he committed just 10 errors while making a career-high 472 assists.

[Arpikarhu]

based strictly on stats and not on team effect then this isnt much of a contest.

[GonzoStyle]

You'd be surprised my furry friend while his stats might have him above most if not all, there are others whose stats are just as if not more impressive. Namely Sorianos stats for a second year player.

[The Jays]

I go for Sori... one homer shy of joining the 40-40, his average, his runs, stepped up as a lead-off guy, and decent 2cd baseman... A-Rod did alot, but I feel Sori was the best...

[Arpikarhu]

based on a second year player yes, but i thought those sort of intangibles were not to be counted

[The Jays]

.... how can we have a poll if it's based on stats? we have to factor in a whole buttload of opinions and such, with a small percentage of bias....

[Arpikarhu]

shut up newbie!

[GonzoStyle]

Well it's up to you personally, what I meant by stricly as an individual player was that like the controvery with the MVP you count on a player as an individual and not on team impact. I mean if you really are adamant about it fine vote that way, there is no set rules, it's whomever you feel was the best in 2002. I am just saying that it should be on an individual basis, so A Rod shouldn't be discounted cause his team was shitty.

While Soriano didn't have as many home runs he made up for it with Batting average, hits and speed.

[Galt]

So, apparantly cock size isn't a criteria for consideration since Nomar isn't even listed.

PS. Pedro had a much better year than Zito



Edited By Galt on 1040189829

[Arpikarhu]

if intangibles count and things like years in the majors and so forth, then i would like to change my vote to soriano. though he had better protection in the line-up than a-rod...........

[The Jays]

.... ugh, you guys are so so so harsh on us new people, and act all cliquish and other stuff, and your mean and you have no lives and you should get real lives and all that stuff...... but Sori is still the better man.... :thumbs-up:

[GonzoStyle]

I shoulda clarified it more I am sorry. Like I said what I meant by strictly a players stats is not vote for A Rod cause he had the most homers and rbi's but vote for the player and not the player and how he helped his team, which is the controversy with the MVP award.

Each player has his own stats that are worthy in their own right.
johnson for winning the pitching triple crown
bonds for breaking the walk record yet again and winning the batting title
a rod for leading the league in homers and rbi's
sori and vlad for almost making the 40/40
smoltz for his saves, etc.

[Arpikarhu]

nomar led AL shortstops in errors, so piss off galt!

[The Jays]

now I understand... well, then I vote for Soriano.....

[GonzoStyle]

Nomar's nose is more aerodynamic than others so he is cheating.

[PeterDragon]

Once again since there is no MVP debate here on wether a player should win for personal achievement or how he impacted his team with his play. This is stricly on who was the best player

The same way you can't disregard stats for MVP, I don't think you can fully disregard how a player impacted his team.

That is why, as much as I feel he can be an Asshole, I cast a vote For Bonds.
Got his homers, played defense (although doesn't quite have range he used to), took his walks when they wouldn't pitch to him, and pushed his team into post season.
One reason you can't disregard team is that it is easier to hit homers when they don't mean much - It is much harder to perform while being pitched around, and when you only have 1 or 2 opportunities to help your team.

It really is too bad A-Rod chose to take the money and play with a nothing team - I'd love to see him on a winner again (unless it was the Braves)

[GonzoStyle]

It's an opinion vote so no one can blast you for your opinion, bonds very well deserves it as much as anyone in my opinion.

[PeterDragon]

It's an opinion vote so no one can blast you for your opinion,

that never stopped anyone before.... ;-)

[GonzoStyle]

I was trying to state that several people on the list easily deserve the recognition. A Rod excelled ofcourse but everyone is also forgetting randy johnsons accomplishments this year. Bonds winning the batting title at 37 while still hitting an astonishing 46 homers while collecting almost 200 walks. So A Rod is not neccessarily the basic choice is what I am trying to say, just my choice.

[Sir O]

Bonds is so far ahead of every other position player, it's silly to pick anyone else. His stats absolutely dwarf A-Rod's, who comes in a very distant second. Soriano? Maybe in fantasy land...

For pitchers, I'd go with RJ easily, but I think Bonds' year as a hitter is better than Johnson's year as a pitcher, which is an amazing feat considering he won the pitching triple crown.