I can't believe we aren't talking about this - Possible Triple Crown in AL

[buddahj 308]

Miguel Cabrera is leading the AL in batting with a .327 avg, 2nd in HRs with 42 (1 behind Hamilton) & 1st in RBIs with 133. I can't remember the last time someone's been this close so late in a season.

[Nostack 29]

Tied for 1st in the HR department now. Four more to go.

[Chief Dick 346]

Miguel Cabrera is leading the AL in batting with a .327 avg, 2nd in HRs with 42 (1 behind Hamilton) & 1st in RBIs with 133. I can't remember the last time someone's been this close so late in a season.

 

 

I agree 100%. The media has totally screwed this one up. The last time this happened was in '67.

 

Holy dogballs this is rare.

[muck 22]

Carl Yastrzemski (sp?) was the last one to do this 45 years ago.

[chiefjay 18]

I think the media blew their wad on Trout so much that it would kind of trump their MVP pick if they covered the Triple Crown of Cabrera with full blown Jets / Favre / Tebow / Yankees / Red Sox / Lebron type coverage.

 

Media primarily being ESPN.

Edited October 1, 2012 by chiefjay

[Puddy 30]

We make batting .400 a big deal (which it is), but this feat is twice as rare. Go Miggy!

 

Question is...if the Tigers clinch tonight (knock on wood), do they play Cabrera the last two games or get his some rest? This feat is so rare, I'd hope they'd let him play.

[Chief Dick 346]

We make batting .400 a big deal (which it is), but this feat is twice as rare. Go Miggy!

 

Question is...if the Tigers clinch tonight (knock on wood), do they play Cabrera the last two games or get his some rest? This feat is so rare, I'd hope they'd let him play.

 

 

Leyland would play him. He knows how rare this thing is. And I personally hope they play him. And luckily for him he gets a dynamic pitching staff to go against the next 3 days.

[buddahj 308]

Cabrea has homered tonight. I think that puts him one up on Hamilton.

[Puddy 30]

Cabrea has homered tonight. I think that puts him one up on Hamilton.

4-5 with the homerun. Tigers clinch. Let's go triple crown. Last one was the year before I was born. Would be really cool to see one in my lifetime, especially from a Tiger.

[Sunday Couch Potatoe 427]

4-5 with the homerun. Tigers clinch. Let's go triple crown. Last one was the year before I was born. Would be really cool to see one in my lifetime, especially from a Tiger.

 

Pulling for him it is a remarkable feat! Go get it Miggy

[Cyclones 1]

Talk about bad luck for Cabrera, pulling out a triple the same year Mike Trout emerges as hands down the best player in baseball. Trout's WAR is over 57% higher than Miggy's, and he wasn't even called up until the end of April. He's also the best defensive player in baseball at a premium position. Unimaginably there is a decent chance Miggy could win the triple crown but not the MVP - I wonder what kind of odds you could have gotten on that before the season started.

 

From Jayson Stark's column on his MVP ballot (he has Trout 1st)

 

We just understand that Trout's insane 10.5 WAR are one more clear indication that he's a better baseball player than even one of the greatest hitters of our lifetimes. I've often said that if I had to pick one hitter to send to home plate with a big game riding on it, I'd pick Cabrera. But that doesn't mean he's been a better baseball player than Mike Trout. And remember, that Triple Crown isn't the only historic achievement that belongs in this argument. Trout is the first player EVER to hit 30 homers, steal 45 bases and score 125 runs in one season.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Cyclones

[Puddy 30]

Will be interesting to see what happens. Do all these newfangled sabermetrics mean a ton to the voters...I have no idea.

[chiefjay 18]

Trout's WAR is over 57% higher than Miggy's.

 

Trout did a admirable job turning Pujol's season around, I hear he had batting cage sessions with him.

[whomper 530]

Trout's WAR is over 57% higher than Miggy's.

 

Trout did a admirable job turning Pujol's season around, I hear he had batting cage sessions with him.

 

 

I hear Trout just brokered a peace between Palestine and Israel

[buddahj 308]

I hear Trout just brokered a peace between Palestine and Israel

 

 

too soon???

[godtomsatan 26]

Trout's WAR is over 57% higher than Miggy's.

 

Trout did a admirable job turning Pujol's season around, I hear he had batting cage sessions with him.

 

 

Trout was awesome the first six weeks of the season in Salt Lake City.

 

Cabrera's BAC is over 58% higher than Trout's right this second.

[detlef 125]

The notion of not giving the award to a triple crown winner who, btw, is on a division champ in favor of a guy who plays for a team who did not make the play-offs seems insane to me. I keep hearing about Trout's WAR, like it's the clinching argument. Sure, maybe it's great.

 

But if it's some measure of how much better they are with him than they would be with some stiff playing his position, it is only fair to mention that the Angles, at this point, are exactly as likely to win the WS as they would have been if you swapped every starter on that team for a local beer league softball team.

[Gopher 483]

I'm torn on this one... Nothing against Trout, but to me, the term "Most Valuable Player" indicates that the team wouldn't be where they are, without said player. That can be said for Cabrera and the Tigers, most definitely. As for Trout and the Angels, you really can't say that. In other words, without him, they'd be in the same basic position (on the outside, looking in), most likely. I don't know... It's not so much that they won't make the playoffs, though, as it is that they drastically underachieved, pretty much all season. Crazy as it sounds, I'd be less inclined to argue against Trout winning the MVP if he played on an absolutely shltty team, as opposed to a team that was many people's pick to win the WS... and they aren't even going to make the play-in game.

 

On the other hand, what Trout did this year was amazing... It doesn't have a title (like "Triple Crown"), but it's just as rare, if not more. Not to mention, there's absolutely no argument which guy is the better all-around player. Tough call.

 

Edit: The more I think about it, the more I think it has to be Trout. Not only did he do something that's never been done before, he's among the best in the game, defensively. And, as others have mentioned, he's done it in a short season, at a premium position. If Miggy wins the TC, that's great for him and Detroit, but it will go down as the year that someone won the TC, but not the MVP. Doesn't take anything away from what he's done... It just happened to take place in a year when Trout did something even more rare, in his rookie season no less.

Edited October 3, 2012 by Gopher

[Chief Dick 346]

Jeesus you young bucks: Miguel Cabrera WON THE TRIPLE CROWN!!!

 

Holy Whomperballs this is rare. If that doesn't say MVP, then what will? He let that team to a division championship for crissakes. Good Lord what more do you want?

[buddahj 308]

Jeesus you young bucks: Miguel Cabrera WON THE TRIPLE CROWN!!!

 

Holy Whomperballs this is rare. If that doesn't say MVP, then what will? He let that team to a division championship for crissakes. Good Lord what more do you want?

 

I agree with CD. Cabrera should be the MVP.

[Cyclones 1]

I believe the Angels have the best record in the American league since the day Trout was called up - the problem is, they were so bad before him they couldn't make up enough ground in the 5 months he played. Trout did things this season that have NEVER been done before. Not just by a rookie, but period. Swap Trout and Miggy and Detroit probably would have clinched the central 3 weeks ago, and the Angels would have hovered under .500 all year. Miggy is a liability defensively, Trout is the best defensive center fielder in the game - and that is a premium position.

[detlef 125]

Another thing, people keep throwing in the "not just by a rookie" bit when they make the case for Trout. Sort of trying to make a point without officially making a point. Just don't make the point at all because that only matters if you're talking about ROY. You don't get special consideration as an MVP candidate if you're a rookie.

 

And, now we're talking about what might have happened had they called him up earlier or the two (who play different positions (one of whom selflessly moved from his preferred one to make room for Fielder) where swapped, etc.

 

All to make a case for a guy who will be watching the play-offs from home over a guy who won the first triple crown in 45 years and is on a team who won their division.

[Chief Dick 346]

I believe the Angels have the best record in the American league since the day Trout was called up - the problem is, they were so bad before him they couldn't make up enough ground in the 5 months he played. Trout did things this season that have NEVER been done before. Not just by a rookie, but period. Swap Trout and Miggy and Detroit probably would have clinched the central 3 weeks ago, and the Angels would have hovered under .500 all year. Miggy is a liability defensively, Trout is the best defensive center fielder in the game - and that is a premium position.

 

 

Yeah, but that's implying that the Angels had no talent to work with around him. They had just as much offensively as the Tigers.

[Cyclones 1]

I actually have no dog in the fight - my own logic tells me that Miggy is probably the best hitter of my generation (he hits for a high average and great power, averaging something like .320/34/120 for his career,) but Trout is a better "baseball player" (and no slouch stats wise either.)

 

Statistically, this season for Miggy probably only ranks 3rd or 4th for him as a season, but the fact that he won the TC has people buzzing. It will likely be a close vote and you can't really argue against either guy. Miggy's stats aren't "historic" the way Trout's are, but he came out on top of the three main categories.

[Chief Dick 346]

I actually have no dog in the fight - my own logic tells me that Miggy is probably the best hitter of my generation (he hits for a high average and great power, averaging something like .320/34/120 for his career,) but Trout is a better "baseball player" (and no slouch stats wise either.)

 

Statistically, this season for Miggy probably only ranks 3rd or 4th for him as a season, but the fact that he won the TC has people buzzing. It will likely be a close vote and you can't really argue against either guy. Miggy's stats aren't "historic" the way Trout's are, but he came out on top of the three main categories.

 

 

I can agree with this.