Yesterday I commented on a variety of the top baseball things of the 200’s. Today I give you my all-decade team. These are my choices for best of the decade. One proviso, no one tainted by the steroids scandal can make the team, so no Bonds, no Sosa, no Palmeiro, no Clemens. I’m making no judgement on guilt or innocence, but exclude the player until such time as we can determine if his numbers are bogus. If they aren’t, I’ll be glad to change the list, but until then, here they are. I’ve made one exception as noted below along with the reasons for the exception. The outfielders are designated A, B, and C. The order is alphabetical and nothing else should be construed from the order.

1b-Albert Pujols. This may have been the easiest choice of all. Maybe the greatest First Baseman I’ve ever seen and I can go back to Gil Hodges and company. It’s been a great era for First Basemen and Pujols is clearly the best.

2b-Chase Utley. It’s not been a great era for Second Basemen, but Utley is the best of the lot. He’s a good fielder and a first rate hitter with some speed and power. He does have a tendency to tail off a bit at the end of a season and gets hurt a lot.

ss-Derek Jeter. Yankees captain and sparkplug. Not as good as some people seem to think (he is not the second coming of Honus Wagner) but still one heck of a shortstop. Seems to be on the downside of his career, but still putting up excellent offensive numbers. He may be next to 3000 hits.

3b-Alex Rodriguez. Multiple MVPs (2) and several home run titles. I’ve made an exception for him on the steroids issue, because he seems to have been clean since Texas and still puts up excellent numbers. He’s had some bad postseasons, but so did Ruth, Cobb, Williams, and DiMaggio.

Outfield A-Torii Hunter. Superb centerfielder. Also a good hitter. Seems to be a positive influence in the clubhouse.

Outfield B-Manny Ramirez. I get a little tired of his act and I cringe when the ball is hit his way, but wow can he hit the ball. World Series MVP and major contributor to breaking an 80 years plus championship drought in Boston.

Outfield C-Ichiro Suzuki. An absolute hitting machine. Most hits in one season, speedy, good fielder, helped make Japanese players more acceptable to US audiences. Between US and Japan he may end up with 4000 hits.

Catcher-Joe Mauer. May become the greatest hitting catcher ever. Certainly already among the best. Also a fine defensive backstop. Has 2 batting titles (no catcher has more and only 1 has as many) and an MVP.

DH-David Ortiz. Dominent DH for much of the decade. Lots of power, little speed, not much of a fielder, but crucial to Boston winning in 2004 (when he was league championship MVP) and in 2007. Seems to be deeply on the downside of his career.

Pitcher-Randy Johnson. I saw Spahn, Koufax and Carlton so it’s tough to call him the greatest left hander I ever saw, but he is very, very good. Three Cy Young Awards in the decade, one World Series win and the MVP to go with it, and lots and lots of wins and strikeouts. He’s through now and I hope he hangs it up (I’ll get to see him in Cooperstown quicker).

Closer-Mariano Rivera. The best postseason closer ever, although he botched game 7 of the 2001 World Series and 2 chances to close out the 2004 AL championship. Still he’s just better than anyone else, and he’s not bad in the regular season either.

There they are, team. So who’d I forget?

Last night, I was watching MLB Network and they had a segment counting down the top nine players of the decade.  Take a look at these players and some of the stats they’ve put up over the last ten years:

#9: Jeff Kent- .300 average, .889 OPS, 754 runs scored

#8: Chipper Jones- .311 average, 273 home runs, 921 RBI

#7: Mariano Rivera- 2.08 ERA, 397 saves, 4.9 K/BB ratio

#6: Ichiro Suzuki- .333 average, .811 OPS, 973 runs scored

#5: Derek Jeter- .317 average, .844 OPS, 1,088 runs scored

#4: Manny Ramirez- .317 average, 1.018 OPS, 933 runs scored

#3: Alex Rodriguez- .304 average, 435 home runs, 1,243 RBI

#2: Barry Bonds- .322 average, 1.241 OPS, 772 runs scored

#1: Albert Pujols- .334 average, 366 home runs, 1,112 RBI

Over all, I really like this list and agree with most of it.  I think the only player on here could move up a little bit is Ichiro.  This man came from Japan in 2001, won the MVP and Rookie of the Year in his first season, and has accumulated 2,030 hits in nine years!  I’m more partial to Ichiro because he is one of the few players in Major League Baseball that is a pure hitter, but the stats don’t lie, and over the last decade, only Albert Pujols had a higher batting average than Ichiro.

With that being said, having Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols occupy the top two spots is very appropriate.  Say whatever you would like to say about Barry Bonds, he did absolutely dominate the game during this decade, particularly the first five years.  From 2001-2004, he won four straight MVP Awards; that’s insane!  Yes, he’s under speculation for performance enhancing drugs (and I think he did them while they were outlawed by MLB), but if you solely look at the stats, Bonds is definitely one of the best this decade.

I’m very happy that Albert Pujols was elected by MLB Network as the player of the decade.  He debuted April 2, 2001 and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting every year and has won the award three times (‘05, ‘08, and ‘09).  What is even more shocking is what an average year for Pujols is: .334 average, .427 OBP, 42 home runs, 129 RBI, 124 runs scored, while only striking out 66 times!  Most guys would kill to have one year like that, but that’s just normal for “The Machine.”

So, congrats Albert, you are far and away the best player this decade.  Now, the race starts all over again in 2010 to see who will dominate the next decade.

First of all, I must unfortunately open my blog on a sad note, and give my condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Chris Henry, who tragically passed away this morning after falling off the back of a pickup truck.  My thoughts are will all who love him, especially his young children.

Instead of attempting an awkward and transparent transition, I’ll move on to my topic for today.  With the 2000s coming to a close, it seems appropriate to look back on the decade in sports.  With every other major sports outlet recording their “of the decades” I figured I would join in with my End of the Decade Awards.  I will be looking at various categories in both sports and pop culture (for the fun of it) and giving my picks for the best of the decade in various categories.  So without further adieu, we move to the much anticipated (and by that I mean “anticipated by no one”) baseball awards:

Pitcher of the Decade:

The Winner:  Mariano Rivera

The Runners-Up:  Roy Halladay, Randy Johnson, C.C. Sabathia, Johan Santana

Rivera is my choice for Pitcher of the Decade, and, truth be told, it was a relatively easy decision.  He’s played in all but two All-Star games in the 2000s and finished in the top five of Cy Young voting three times.  He never finished outside of the top ten in saves, having led the league twice, and posted an ERA under 2.00 six times.  Furthermore, he’s been an almost unbeatable postseason pitcher, never posting an ERA over 3.00 in the postseason this decade.  Simply put, he’s unquestionably been the most dominant pitcher in his era, and possibly ever.  His main competition for the award comes from Santana and Halladay, who have had excellent decades as well.  Santana has won two Cy Youngs and led the league in ERA three times.  However, he’s struggled in the postseason, having a career ERA of 3.97, including one postseason in which he posted a 10.80 ERA.  Halladay also has impressive stats and boasts a Cy Young award, which has always eluded Rivera, but he’s never pitched for a contender, and he’s had a few years with sub-par ERAs, including a 10.64 ERA over nineteen games to open the decade.  Randy Johnson merits consideration, having won three consecutive Cy Youngs to start the new millennium, but suffered a serious decline over the last half of the decade.  Sabathia’s career has been the opposite of Johnson’s, as he struggled to open the 2000s, having posted an ERA over 4.00 four times, but emerged as baseball’s premier starting pitcher over the latter half.  While all five nominees have had a tremendous ten years, Rivera gets the nod because of his sheer dominance throughout the entirety of the decade and his stellar postseason resume.

Manager of the Decade

The Winner: Mike Scioscia

The Runners-Up: Ron Gardenhire, Tony LaRussa, Charlie Manuel, Joe Torre

Scioscia gets my nod as the best manager over the last ten years, as he’s made the Angels a perennial contender, often doing so with a lower payroll and less star power than his competition.  He won the Manager of the Year Award twice in the decade, and led the Angels to a World Series title.  His closest competition for the award is Gardenhire, whose fundamental, hard-nosed approach to baseball has helped make the Twins a steady force in baseball, despite often having inferior talent, and comparatively meager financial means.  The Twins have lost a virtual All-Star team worth of talent over the decade (Torii Hunter, Johan Santana, Luis Castillo, Christian Guzman) yet still manage to compete in the always treacherous AL Central.  However, he’s never led his team to the World Series, and that, ultimately, is why he just missed out on the award.  Joe Torre has had a stellar career, never having missed the postseason in the decade, but loses some points for usually having the most talented teams, and his tendency to mismanage the pitching staff.  Manuel gets overlooked for this award because of his struggles in the earlier part of the decade with Cleveland, where he was ripped for his undermanaging.  LaRussa, like four of the five other candidates, delivered a World Series victory this decade, but has also fielded some underwhelming teams and disappointing playoff exits.

Player of the Decade (Non-Pitcher)

The Winner: Albert Pujols

The Runners-Up: Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki

Pujols should be the obvious choice for Player of the Decade, as he’s clearly been the most dominant player over the last ten years, and could go down as one of the greatest players ever to play the game.  He’s a three time MVP, eight time All-Star, and Rookie of the Year winner.  He’s led the league four times in OPS, Slugging, Total Bases, and Runs Scored, despite often lacking protection in the lineup.  He’s also betted .322 in the postseason with 13 homers.  Furthermore, he’s managed to avoid any substantial PED allegations, which cannot be said for competitors, Bonds, Ramirez, and Rodriguez.  While all three have statistics that could, at least, rival (but not surpass) Pujols, they have their shortcomings as well.  Bonds was dominant during the beginning and middle parts of the decade, but faded out toward the end.  Ramirez has been one of the great run producers in the game’s history, but can’t account for his complete uselessness in the field.  A-Rod has won three MVPs this decade, but has been much maligned for his poor postseason performances, until this year, and didn’t have a truly meaningful at-bat in the decade until joining the Yanks midway through the 2000s.  Jeter has been a consummate sportsman and leader, and has been the game’s best ambassador throughout the steroid era.  However, statistically, he can’t quite live up to Pujols.  Ichiro has also been impressive, and shows no sign of slowing down at his age, but the Mariners are often irrelevant in the baseball world, keeping him out of the postseason and the public eye for most of his career.

Baseball Team of the Decade:

The Winner: New York Yankees

The Runners-Up: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

This is really a two team race, in my opinion, between the Yankees and Red Sox.  Both have clearly been the most dominant teams throughout the 2000s.  Both teams won two World Series titles, and both teams are consistently among the league’s best.  The tiebreaker is that the Yankees have won eight division titles, to only one from the Red Sox (Tampa Bay having the only other American League East championship).  Really, an argument can be made for either squad, especially given that the Yankees had a rough (by their standards) 2008, but the dominance within the league inches them slightly ahead of their arch rivals.  The Angels and Cardinals have consistently fielded competitive squads and are almost always contenders, but they have fewer World Series titles and appearances than the other two.  The Phillies are the fifth nominee by virtue of their strong teams in the latter half of the decade, but they weren’t as impressive in the first part of the 2000s.

Pop Culture Nominee #1

Movie of the Decade

The Winner: In Bruges

The Runners-Up: Crash, Inglourious Basterds, The Man Who Copied, Requiem for a Dream

As I tend to not be a fan of the big blockbusters, and favor foreign and independent films, many of my nominees may be unfamiliar to most people, but In Bruges gets my nod for the best film of the 2000s.  Having debuted last year, the film stars Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two hit men hiding out in the small town of Bruges, Belgium.  It’s basically the perfect movie, as far as I’m concerned, as it blends real, witty humor, with a beautiful story of redemption.  Farrell turns in a strong performance in the lead role, combining strong comedic timing with real emotional subtleties.  Crash won the Best Picture Award in 2004, and forces Americans to look at the way race is perceived in modern culture, and stars a strong ensemble cast, including Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Sandra Bullock, and Ludacris.  Inglourious Basterds is, in my estimation, Tarrantino’s best work, and was easily the best film of the past year, bolstered by an amazing performance from Christoph Waltz.  The Man Who Copied is a little known Brazilian film that features a quirky love story and a dose of magical realism.  It also combines action, crime, and peril with romance and humor in a seamless way.  Last on my list, but probably second in my heart, is Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, a brilliant adaptation of Hubert Selby’s novel.  It starts Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans as four addicts, looking to find happiness in a grim, unforgiving New York City.  All five of them are must sees in my opinion, and get the nod in my first non-sports related award of the decade.  Next time, we’ll take a look at college sports and my choice for album of the decade.

A deal that was seemingly consummated weeks ago, was finally made official today.

The Seattle Mariners officially announced the signing of 3B Chone Figgins to a four-year, $36 million contract. The deal also includes a $9 million option for 2014.

Figgins is officially a Mariner

My two biggest free agent bust hitters are now off the market. Marco Scutaro, who signed last week with the Boston Red Sox was the other one.

I know I am in the minority with thinking Figgins is going to be a bust. For me, Figgins is Juan Pierre Part 2.

Do I think Figgins will be good for the Mariners in 2010 and 2011? Yes, I do. Do I think he is going to have the year he had in 2009 ever again? No, I don’t.

It’s going to be in the third and forth years of this deal when he is 34 and 35 that the Mariners are going to regret this deal. I believe in those years that Figgins will be nothing more than a high-priced platoon player/pinch-runner.

The reason Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik was interested in signing Figgins was because Figgins fits into what the Mariners are trying to build right now in Seattle. The Mariners are building a team around speed and defense.

With Figgins at third and Jack Wilson at short, the Mariners have a vacuum on the left side of their infield. They might be the best defensive left side in baseball in 2010.

Offensively, Figgins will hit at the top of the lineup and he and Ichiro should give the Mariners a one-two punch that will put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses and pitchers.

Figgins in 2008 set career highs in runs (114), walks (101), OBP (.395), and strike outs (114). As Figgins gets older, the strike outs will pile up, the speed will decline, and then what do you have?

You have a $9 million player with little speed and little power–you have a $9 million platoon player.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

The Mariners made the off-season's first big splash with the signing of Figgins to fill their void at third.

Jack Zdrunciek wasted no time in letting Seattle fans know his intentions for the 2010 season—the Mariners are gunning for an A.L. West title. With the calendar turning to December and baseball’s annual winter meetings looming, the M’s are rumored to be in the final stages of a deal that would bring the 31-year-old Chone Figgins to Seattle to serve as the team’s third baseman for the next four seasons. Though terms of the deal haven’t been finalized, it is estimated that Figgins would receive around $9 million a year through 2013, with a potential option for the 2014 season. Seattle struggled all season at third base, with poor offensive production from an injury-riddled Adrian Beltre and his replacement Jack Hannahan, and the position was clearly a focus of Zdrunciek heading into the offseason.

Figgins’ signing is a true double-edged sword for the Mariners. Not only does Seattle add a talented and versatile veteran to their roster, but in doing so they also rob division foe Los Angeles of one of their most consistent and popular players. Figgins has spent his entire eight-year career with the Angels, serving as a super utility man before settling in at the hot corner, and is coming off his most productive season yet. The pint-size sparkplug was one of the game’s best leadoff batters in 2009, hitting .298 with 42 stolen bases and 114 runs scored. An extremely patient batsman, Figgins led the American League with 101 walks and will provide the Mariners with a vast upgrade over last year’s two-hole hitters (.294 OBP vs Figgins .395). While he will be replacing a Gold Glove caliber player in Beltre, Figgins’ good range and strong arm at third certainly won’t conjure up any images of Russ Davis; he’s a solid player across the board.  

Figgins will combine with Ichiro to form a dynamic duo at the top of the Mariners' order.

The Mariners were second to last in the AL in OBP, batting average, OPS and runs scored in 2009 and the arrival of Figgins should help to address those glaring needs. Though Figgins spent all of last season leading off it’s unlikely that he will usurp Ichiro at the top of the order. Instead, manager Don Wakamatsu will probably bat him directly behind Suzuki, giving Seattle one of the best 1-2 punches in the game (the two combined for 408 hits, 202 runs and 68 stolen bases last year). Now that the Mariners are set at the top of the order, the rest of the offseason will be spent looking for someone to drive in Suzuki and Figgins (Russell Branyan? Matt Holliday? Jason Bay?) and starting pitching to back up Felix Hernandez (Erik Bedard? Jarrod Washburn? Josh Johnson?). Zdrunciek and Co. are just getting started in their preparation for 2010, but this signing is certainly a strong start for Seattle.

From the outset this looks like a major coup for the Mariners, but the final grade of this signing hinges on two major factors: Figgins productivity at the end of the contract and what the Angels are able to get out of the 18th pick in next year’s draft (which they receive as compensation from the M’s). In the mean time Seattle fans should enjoy this deal as it shows the front office’s commitment to creating a competitive ballclub. Figgins isn’t the final piece of the puzzle, but he will play a major role in helping the Mariners challenge for a division title and a chance to return to the postseason for the first time since 2001.

Of the 18 players selected to for the Silver Slugger award, for being the best hitting player at their position, only three of them had award bonuses their contracts:

2009 National League Silver Sluggers

2009 American League Silver Sluggers

It’s a great award to put on the mantle, but it’s a bonus that very few put in their contract.  I was hoping that Zambrano would have an award clause in his contract for his bat.  Hopefully he can negotiate it for 2013.  The Silver Slugger is not respected in the contractual sense compared to its defensive counterpart – The Gold Glove.  Even Ichiro’s crazy contract of round trips, personal assistants and housing allowance or Braun’s contract of having a suite for all home games did not include an award for something they are paid to do – hit.

In the future, I would like to see a Silver Slugger award for an American League pitcher and the best NL and AL pinch hitter.  Pinch hitters like Matt Stairs should get an award for doing what may be the hardest job in baseball – come off the bench and hit.

Pujols, Hanley, and Zambrano

Here are the 2009 MLB Silver Slugger Award recipients (courtesy of MLB.com).

American League

1B Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees

2B Aaron Hill – Toronto Blue Jays

3B Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays

SS Derek Jeter – Yankees

OFs Torii Hunter – Angels, Ichiro Suzuki – Mariners, and Jason Bay – Boston Red Sox

Designated Hitter Adam Lind – Blue Jays

National League

1B Albert Pujols – St. Louis Cardinals

2B Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies

3B Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals

SS Hanley Ramírez – Florida Marlins

OFs Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers and André Ethier and Matther Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers

C Brian McCann – Atlanta Braves

Pitcher Carlos Zambrano – Chicago Cubs

Congratulations to you all!

Read more at the links below.

Silver Sluggers a Mix of Old and New (English)

Los Mejores con el Madero en Su Posición (Spanish)

Also have a look at the 2009 MLB Season in Review at this link.

The 2009 Gold Glove Award winners have been announced. *Sigh*. I’ve made it known that I believe the Gold Glove Awards are a joke and I know I am not alone. I want to believe that the award will one day actually go to the best fielders. I hold hope. Well, 2009 was not a year the award took a step forward. In fact, it took a step back, which is very hard to do.

Here are all the 2009 winners with my notes on each:

C – Yadier Molina (STL) – This was one of those without-a-doubt winners. There was no other catcher even close to him. He is the best at throwing out runners, blocking balls in the dirt, and one of the best at calling a game. He is also the best at blocking the plate and catching the ball with a runner charging at him like a raging bull. This is one of the few the voters got right, mainly because it was almost impossible to get wrong.

C – Joe Mauer (MIN) – This is not an awful selection but Gerald Laird deserved to win it here. Laird is the best in the AL at throwing runners out and any scout will attest that he is a plus defender behind home plate. The Fielding Bible Awards (which is the real award for fielders in my opinion) also suggests that Laird is the best in the AL. Mauer wins here because the managers tend to look at offensive stats and star names first. Again, Mauer is not a bad selection but Laird deserves to win.

1B – Adrian Gonzalez (SD) – First base is tough here. I can live with Gonzalez but I do think Derek Lee and Albert Pujols were better. Pujols doesn’t get the win due to his 13 errors but he still managed to have a .992 fielding percentage and the most range at the position in the NL. I can flip a coin between the three but I do believe Pujols got robbed here and the Fielding Bible also believes so; he scored a 95 (out of a possible 100) points. The only man that had a chance to win over him was Casey Kotchman, the best fielding first baseman in the game in my opinion, but he did not log enough innings at first for me to warrant giving him the award.

1B – Mark Teixeira (NYY) – Another close call. Tex has incredible hands and plus range. The only better everyday defender at 1B is Kevin Youkilis but he only totaled 647 innings at the position because he was asked to play third for a chunk of the season. Tex only posted a -4.1 UZR/150 as well. Lyle Overbay posted a -0.8 but had the best fielding percentage and the second most assists and should get a mention here.

2B – Orlando Hudson (LAD) – Not even close. Chase Utley, again, gets violently robbed. Utley posted an +11.3 UZR/150 and from scouts that I have talked to he is the best fielding second baseman in the entire league. I have to agree with them. Hudson posted a below average -3.7 UZR/150. Not even close to what Utley did. This is a complete shame and Utley has now been robbed for the fourth and possibly fifth year in a row.

2B – Placido Polanco (DET) – He was voted the winner thanks to only making two errors. While it is important to not throw the ball in the stands and not kick it around it is more important to reach balls out of your zone. Ben Zobrist, in a rare case for me, should get the Gold Glove here. He destroyed everyone in UZR/150 by posting a +30.8 compared to Polanco who had a +11.0, which is Gold Glove caliber. Zobrist loses a little credit due to all the positions he had to play and his lack of innings at the position. I rarely, if ever, vote for a guy with 714 innings at the position but when your UZR/150 is almost three times as high as the second place fielder then you deserve some credit. Oh, and I saw him play almost all 714 innings and his range and arm are plus there, no doubt.

3B – Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) – He deserves this. Plus arm, plus hands, plus range. His UZR/150 of +20.1 is almost double the second best NL third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff at +10.7.

3B – Evan Longoria (TB) – A solid selection here but one can make an argument for Adrian Beltre. Longoria posted a UZR/150 of +19.2 and Beltre posted a +21.0 but Longoria gets the slight nod due to having a better arm and the best range and hands of any third baseman in the league. The Fielding Bible had Beltre at 76 points and Longoria at 75, for what it’s worth. A very close call here by all accounts.

SS – Jimmy Rollins (PHI) – This is almost laughable. Troy Tulowitzki, Rafael Furcal, Brendan Ryan, and J.J. Hardy were all better at short. Tulowitki’s metrics don’t match what scouts say and what I’ve seen of him. Ryan has the best UZR/150 of +13.8 with Furcal at +8.5 and Hardy at +8.8. Tulo only posted a -0.9 so I have to discredit him some there but he did have the second most assists and putouts, not to mention the best range of any shortstop in the NL and a cannon of an arm. Rollins had a +2.9, which is a far cry from the Ryan, Furcal, or Hardy. The Fielding Bible gave the award to Jack Wilson (who posted a major league best +20.4 UZR/150) but he spilt time between the two leagues and didn’t log close to enough innings to give him the award. Tulowitzki was 2nd in the FB, losing by one point to Wilson.

SS – Derek Jeter (NYY) – Geez! This again. His range is poor. His arm strength is below-average. He looks bad on balls in front of him and to either side. Cesar Izturis posted a +14.1 UZR/150, Adam Everett a +13.6, and Elvis Andrus a +11.7. Jeter had a solid +8.4 but he is not match for any of the three mentioned above. This is another case where the managers looked at offensive numbers and notoriety first. The Fielding Bible had Jeter ranked 8th among AL shortstops with 3 points. Andrus was first among AL shortstops at 69 points.

OF – Michael Bourn (HOU), Matt Kemp (LAD), Shane Victorino (PHI) – Let me start by stating that I hate how the award isn’t divided among all three outfield positions. Why does the infield get divided and not the outfield? Makes zero sense to me. Anyway… Bourn is a solid selection here. He has incredible wheels, great range, and a decent arm. His UZR/150 is +8.7 with 11 assists and the Fielding Bible had him as the highest rated NL centerfielder with 40 points. Kemp posted a + 3.2 but only received 12 points in the FB but does have the best arm of any centerfielder and had 14 assists. Victorino is another laughable selection. He has poor range, makes bad judgment calls on balls hit in front of him, a weak arm, and only gets credit because he dives for balls even though most centerfielders would be camped under them. His UZR/150 is -4.2 and he received 14 points in the FB. Better selections would have been Nyjer Morgan (+35.8 and 13 assists), Randy Winn (+20.1 and no errors), Tony Gwynn (+19.4), and Hunter Pence (+5.3 and 16 assists).

OF – Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Torii Hunter (LAA), Adam Jones (BAL) – The AL winners consist of two guys that received their 9th award in a row and one first time winner. Ichiro posted a +11.3 UZR/150 with 5 assists and 93 Fielding Bible points, Hunter a -2.1 with 2 assists and 25 FB points, and Jones -4.1 with 9 assists and 2 FB points. I am unsure as to how the managers chose Jones. I know exactly why they chose Ichiro and Hunter, although there were many better selections. Franklin Gutierrez had a +27.1 UZR150 with 6 assists, 97 points in the Fielding Bible, and possibly the most range of any player in the game. Carl Crawford had a +17.5 with 6 assists and had 99 points in the Fielding Bible. Of the 10 voters, 9 gave Crawford first place votes and one gave him a second place vote. He is by far the best defensive leftfielder and has now won 3 of 4 Fielding Bible Awards and no Gold Gloves. What a shame! Ryan Sweeney posted a +27.6 and 11 assists and 60 FB points. David DeJesus had a +15.1, 13 assists, no errors, and 68 FB points (thanks to Crawford). Rajai Davis had a +16.2, 8 assists, and 42 FB points. Juan Rivera had a +15.0 with 11 assists and 65 FB points.

P – Adam Wainwright (STL) – I would’ve taken teammate Joel Pineiro and Johan Santana over Wainwright. He makes all the right plays but he is not a Gold Glover.

P – Mark Buehrle (CHW) – The right choice here. He is the best fielding pitcher in the AL, hands down. He is great at holding runners and picking them off too.

So, with all that said, here are my selections for the Gold Glove Awards:

C – Yadier Molina (NL)
C – Gerald Laird (AL)
1B – Albert Pujols (NL)
1B – Mark Teixeira (AL)
2B – Chase Utley (NL)
2B – Ben Zobrist (AL)
3B – Ryan Zimmerman (NL)
3B – Evan Longoria (AL)
SS – Troy Tulowitzki (NL)
SS – Adam Everett (AL)
OF – Nyjer Morgan (NL), Hunter Pence (NL), Michael Bourn (NL)
OF – Franklin Gutierrez (AL), Carl Crawford (AL), Ryan Sweeney (AL)
P – Joel Pineiro (NL)
P – Mark Buehrle (AL)

As you can see, I only agreed with 6 out of 18 of the selections that the voters made. While some of the selections were decent and not far off there were far too many that were purely laughable and simply had zero thought when they were voted for. It’s time for MLB to re-evaluate the Gold Glove voting process and take it out of the hands of the managers and into the hands of the scouting directors.

If one year is good, two years is better. Welcome back Junior.

It looks like Seattle Mariners fans will have to get ready for a few more standing ovations (though it’s highly unlikely they’ll mind) with today’s news that Ken Griffey Jr. has reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Mariners. Exact terms of the signing have yet to be released, but the contract is thought to be similar to last year’s salary of $2 million plus another $3 million in incentives (ticket sales, merchandise, etc). A bargain at any price, bringing Junior to the Mariners was a no-brainer. The Kid is an institution in Seattle, and although his numbers might not bear it out, 2009 was a rousing success for both Griffey and the Mariners.

Seattle came into last season as a franchise in limbo. The team was fresh off one of the worst years in the club’s history, losing 101 games and generally looking like a team that didn’t care whether they won or lost. The clubhouse was fractured, fingers were pointed and no one seemed to be having any fun (except of course, for the teams that played the Mariners). Enter Griffey, who after a nine-year stint in Cincinnati and Chicago, came home to the city that never stopped loving him. The Kid was integral in creating a clubhouse atmosphere that fostered winning and was even able to break the normally quiet Ichiro out of his shell, with the two soon becoming best friends. Griffey was always quick with a smile or a prank and never complained about his diminished role as a platoon player; he was a consummate professional,  and the perfect fit for a Mariners team looking for leadership. Although not the sole reason for their dramatic improvement, the impact of Griffey’s return cannot be overstated as a factor in transforming Seattle from a 61-win team to an 85-win team that stayed in the postseason hunt all year long. Here are some of the highlights of his first year back in Seattle:

Griffey's not the only one smiling with the word of his return to the Mariners.

–>Created neck-ties featuring manager Don Wakamatsu’s image and gave them to every member of the team to promote unity on road trips. He also handed out ties that had his picture and the words “World’s Greatest Teammate” on them.

–>Hit 400th career homerun as a Mariner, becoming the first player in major league history to record 200 HRs with one team (Cincinnati) and 400 HRs with another (Seattle).

–>After Adrian Beltre returned from a freak testicle injury, Griffey had the P.A. play the theme to “The Nutcracker” on Beltre’s first at-bat back.

–>Came through with a clutch pinch-hit, walk-off single against the Chicago White Sox in the 14th inning of an August game at Safeco.

–>Homered in three of his last five games of the season, raising hopes for a return to the diamond in 2010, and finishing the year 5th on the all-time homerun list with 630 career longballs.

Can Griffey finally capture a World Series in his last go-round with the Mariners?

Does Griffey have anything left in the tank for 2010? He wasn’t great at the dish in ‘09, finishing  the year with a .214 average, but he still managed to hit 19 HR’s with 57 RBI’s and there is some optimism that Junior’s offseason knee surgery will help him to perform better next year. It’s unclear what kind of role Griffey will have for the Mariners next season, but his signing makes it unlikely that Seattle would go after someone like Hideki Matsui (another DH-type with bad knees). While some might argue that Griffey’s return will hinder the growth of Seattle’s younger talent like Mike Carp or Michael Saunders (players who would lose at-bats to Junior), the veteran seems content with whatever playing time he is offered, and could serve as a great mentor to the next wave of Mariners’ hitters (who better to take advice from than a first ballot hall-of-famer). Besides, Ken Griffey Jr. has done enough for the city of Seattle and the Mariners franchise (a virtual afterthought in the baseball world before he arrived) that he deserves to go out on his own terms. Think of him like Bobby Bowden, but without the straw hat, Southern accent and strong odor of Bengay.

Two thousand and nine was a great year for the Mariners, climbing from the AL West cellar into playoff contention, and now with one more season of Griffey, Seattle has its sights set on a return to the postseason for the first time since 2001. M’s fans get another year with the greatest player ever to don turquoise (apologies to Muggsy Bogues) and Junior gets one last crack at that elusive World Series title, the only thing missing from an otherwise storied career.

It’s been almost 15 years since the Mariners crashed the playoffs in 1995 and came this close to making their first Fall Classic. Can Griffey finally lead Seattle to the promised land and finish what he started all those years ago? Why not? If Jack Zdrunciek signs some key free agents to surround Griffey, Felix Hernandez and Ichiro, anything can happen. Seattle’s favorite son is back where he belongs, and Mariners magic will once again sweep through the streets of the Emerald City. The 2010 baseball season can’t start soon enough in Seattle—Ken Griffey Jr’s back, the sun is shining and there’s reason to believe that this might be the most special year in the Mariners’ history. Let’s play ball!

Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. has signed a 1 year deal with the Seattle Mariners.  The deal is said to be similar to his 2009 deal where he had a base salary of $2 million in addition to $1.15 million in incentives.  Most of the incentives were based on attendance figures.  In 2009, Griffey hit 19 home runs, drove in 57 runs, but hit .214.

The Mariner’s play on this decision is largely attendance based.  They figure having Griffey on the roster will bring in more fans.  They have franchise names such as Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez, but the $3 million per year for Griffey is a steal to get a few more people through the gates, to buy their concessions and their souvenirs.  They drew almost 2.2 million people to Safeco Park in 2009.  A small decrease from the 2.3 million that attended in 2008, but that was largely based on the poor economy.  They figure the return on investment with Griffey will outweigh the $3 million.

Not a Gold Glover in my books

Here’s something that doesn’t come as a shock, mostly because we’ve come to expect garbage like it: Derek Jeter was awarded a Gold Glove yesterday, despite having about as much range as Troy Glaus. Here’s the thing with Gold Gloves, though — they’re not given to the best fielders at each position, they’re given to average-to-good fielders that can hit (such is the reason Johnny McDonald will never win the award, even if he was a starter). That, and guys that make few errors, mostly because they don’t get to many balls. Jeter falls into both those categories, so maybe he’s perfect. Anyway, ESPN baseball genius Rob Neyer echos my sentiments in his SweetSpot blog (Well, maybe I should say I’m echoing his sentiments. Either way, we both think it’s stupid.)

Anyway, here’s the full list of American League Gold Glovers: Joe Mauer (C), Mark Texiera (1B), Placido Polanco (2B), Evan Longoria (3B), Jeter (SS), Torii Hunter (OF), Ichiro Suzuki (OF), Adam Jones (OF) and Mark Buerhle (P).

The National League hands out its Gold Gloves today — expect much of the same criteria.

There were very few things that Seattle Mariner centerfielder Franklin Gutierrez couldn’t catch in 2009; so few things that he earned the nickname “Death To Flying Things.”

A Rawlings Gold Glove award, baseball’s highest accolade for defensive prowess, however, was one of those things Gutierrez just couldn’t snag.

In an announcement made Tuesday, the official 2009 American League Gold Glove outfield consists of the stalwart defensive standards of Ichiro Suzuki and Torii Hunter and first-timer Adam Jones.

Seattle’s Suzuki and Los Angeles’ Hunter both took home the award for their ninth consecutive seasons. Baltimore’s Jones, in just his second full Major League season, earned the Gold Glove despite playing, by all advanced defensive metrics, an average centerfield.

It was an award that Gutierrez, who patrols Jones’ former-centerfield in Seattle’s Safeco Field, should have won.

In 2009, Gutierrez played the best defense of all Major League Baseball players, not just outfielders.

The .985 fielding percentage is not indicative of how amazing Gutierrez was defensively. The almost-antiquated statistic is an effective measure of how well a player performs routine plays, but it doesn’t effectively take into account non-routine plays involving range or arm accuracy or arm strength.

To put the inefficiency of the statistic into perspective, fellow Seattle Mariner Yuniesky Betancourt owned a .968 fielding percentage in 2009. And so did Texas Ranger shortstop Elvis Andrus. Yet, Betancourt is routinely lauded as the “worst defensive shortstop in the history of the world” and Andrus is heralded as anything but.

Ultimate Zone Rating is quickly becoming the standard for measuring defensive efficiency. According to fangraphs.com, the relatively new metric is: “The number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs, outfield arm runs, double play runs, and error runs combined.”

UZR exposes players’ defensive shortcomings. Yuniesky Betancourt’s negative-23.9 UZR reveals a molasses-like fielder with little range and the inability to make even routine plays. Andrus’ plus-11.7 shows a rookie with above-average range and defensive ability. Betancourt cost his team runs with his lackluster defense; Andrus saved them.

No player possessed a better UZR in 2009 than Franklin Gutierrez. In fact, it wasn’t even close.

Gutierrez saved his team 29.1 combined runs in 2009. Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton was the next closest centerfielder with a positive-11.0 mark. Among all fielders, Tampa’s Evan Longoria was Gutierrez’s closest contemporary, but still fell 10 points short, posting a UZR of plus-18.5.

His positive-29.3 range runs saved was also 10 points higher than the next closest everyday fielder.

Gutierrez’s UZR was the best in a season since the inception of the statistic in 2002.

When one takes into consideration his solid offensive season, Gutierrez was worth almost six wins over the course of the Seattle Mariner’s 2009 season. His estimated worth was $26.4 million, but he made just $455,000 this season. He’s arbitration-eligible this year and seems destined for a significant pay raise.

Gutierrez’s omission in the Gold Glove vote is just the most glaring gaffe betrayed on the award since Texas’ Michael Young won against a much more deserving field of shortstops in 2008.

The Gold Glove vote needs to be re-evaluated. Instead of taking into account just errors, fielding percentage and personal preference (it should be noted that coaches can not vote for players on their own team) new and adjusted statistics like UZR and range runs must be included.

How can “Death To Flying Things” not be a Gold Glove winner?

The managers who voted for the AL Gold Glove awards apparently were those guys managing in 1980, because obviously they didn’t watch any games this year, or check out the stats, or – well, pay attention…  Winners included Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter, Adam Jones, Evan Longoria, Derek Jeter, Placido Polanco, Mark Teixeira, Joe Mauer, and Mark Buerhle. [MLB]

Now, Torii Hunter hasn’t been the best centerfielder in the AL for probably five years, but he makes enough flashy catches to earn notice on Baseball Tonight.  Baltimore’s Adam Jones and Seattle’s Franklin Gutierrez flew all over the field and made all of the Oriole and Mariner pitchers look better.  Hunter was solid – don’t get me wrong – but I think he won it because he had won it before and not because he deserved it.

Jeter and Polanco are both dependable and make few errors, and while Polanco had a good season I might have considered Aaron Hill first.  And Jeter?  Don’t get me started.  How can the guy with the lowest range factor (chances per nine innings) of all shortstops with at least 200 innings in the field get the award???  Elvis Andrus was robbed.

I’m good with the rest – Longoria is great, Tex solidified the Yankees infield, and Joe Mauer is the best catcher in baseball with the bat, and only Yadier Molina is his equal in the field.

Other News…

Let the bidding begin – followed by cries that MLB executives are deliberately talking about the depressed free agent market…  MLB’s future union chief, Michael Weiner, says that execs are anonymously setting the stage through the press for making lowball offers to potential free agents.  [ESPN]

The soon-to-be 82 Vin Scully says he’s going to call the 2010 Dodgers season, but might walk away after the year to spend more time with his family.  He’s been a Dodger voice for 60 years…  [ESPN]

Despite a slew of bad calls in the post-season, GMs aren’t interested in expanding the use of instant replay.  Sheesh.  [SI]

Mark Cuban didn’t get to buy the Cubs, but he’s interested in finding a good deal.  With the McCourts going through the throws of a divorce, the Dodgers might be in his sights.  [FoxSports]

John Smoltz says he still wants to pitch – apparently feeling better, and not wanting to go out like he did last year…  [FoxSports]

Free Agent Filings… Rich Aurilia (SF), Jerry Hairston (NYY), and Elmer Dessens.  Others considering other options, Russell Branyan, who turned down a one-year deal from Seattle, and Jason Kendall.

Happy Birthday! Rabbit Maranville (1891), who was the greatest fielder of his day…  Perfectly timed with the announcement of Gold Glove winners…  Also Pie Traynor (1898), Hal Trosky (1912), Cory Snyder (1962), Roberto Hernandez (1964 – probably can still hit 90), Damion Easley (1969), Rey Ordonez (1971), Mike Bacsik (1977), Matt Garza (1983).

Ichiro Suzuki won net als Torii Hunter zijn negende Golden Glove (Bron: Keith Allison-Flickr)

Ichiro Suzuki en Torii Hunter hebben dinsdag hun negende Golden Gloves op een rij gewonnen. Als laatste buitenvelder kreeg Adam Jones van de Baltimore Orioles zijn eerste Golden Glove.

Naast Jones kregen ook derde honkman Evan Longoria en werper Mark Buehrle voor het eerst de eer. Placido Polanco kreeg de prijs voor de tweede keer na een jaar afwezigheid. Net als vorig jaar was het Joe Mauer die met de prijs voor beste defensieve catcher vandoor ging.

Yankees

De kampioenen van dit jaar, de New York Yankees, hebben twee spelers in het gouden team. Kortestop Derek Jeter won voor de vierde keer uit zijn carrière en eerste honkman Mark Teixeira voor de derde keer.

Negen

Ichiro en Hunter komen met hun negende Golden Gloves in de buurt van een illuster gezelschap. Recordhouders in het buitenveld zijn legendes Roberto Clemente en Willie Mays met ieder twaalf handschoenen. Andruw Jones, Ken Griffey Jr., en Al Kaline volgen met tien. Jones en Griffey zijn nog steeds actief. Jones speelt echter zelden en Griffey wordt vooral als aangewezen slagman opgesteld.

AL Golden Glove winnaars 2009

• P- Mark Buehrle – Chicago White Sox
• C- Joe Mauer – Minnesote Twins
• 1B- Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees
• 2B- Placido Polanco – Detroit Tigers
• 3B- Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays
• SS- Derek Jeter – New York Yankees
• OF- Torii Hunter – Los Angeles Angels
• OF- Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners
• OF- Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles

It’s baseball award season and time for bonuses to be paid out.  They announced the American League Rawling’s Gold Glove winners today and a few of them made extra scratch for doing what they’re already paid to do.  Here’s the run down:

Mark Buehrle:  $25,000

Joe Mauer:  $25,000

Mark Teixeira:  none

Placido Polanco:  $25,000

Derek Jeter:  none

Evan Longoria:  $25,000

Torii Hunter:  $100,000

Adam Jones:  none

Ichiro Suzuki:  $50,000

Jones is young and assuming that his agents at JR Sports do their job correctly, he’ll probably get a Gold Glove award bonus in his 2010 contract.  He has a $25,000 All Star selection bonus in his 2009 contract.

I was looking over the Yankee contracts and no current Yankee has a Gold Glove bonus.  Maybe it’s Yankee policy to not give out a bonus for something they are expected to do.  Or maybe it’s because they are already giving them dump trucks full of cash.  Although Alex Rodriguez’s contract does have milestone bonuses based on how many home runs he hits in a Yankee’s uniform and other award bonuses such as most All Star votes, no current Yankee has bonus for their defensive work.

Wednesday is the Senior Circuit’s turn to get their Gold Gloves.  MLB.com already predicts Jimmy Rollins, Brandon Philips and Yadier Molina as 2010 winners.

In the last nine years, the economy has gone from mighty juggernaut to slightly healthier than a veal calf. We thought the World was coming to an end (Y2K) and we watched Jay-Z and Brett Favre retire and come back. Some of us even watched two American League players become arguably the greatest fielders at their respective positions in more than a generation.

Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki are consistently flawless fielders. Anyone who cannot achieve joy watching Hunter track down a rocket in the gap or isn’t floored by Ichiro’s m16a2 of a right arm doesn’t deserve love. The two have roamed outfields in relative obscurity for their careers. Yes, Ichiro is a rock star in Japan and parts of America. Hunter plays in Los Angeles for a perennial playoff contender. So what?

The Los Angles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States of Earth of the Milky Way will always be a second class citizen to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And Seattle? Please. They will eventually play the San Francisco Giants in the World Series, and both teams will find a way to lose.

Obviously, both teams play on the West Coast. That really doesn’t help these players. And even though Hunter played for the Minnesota Twins for a decade, they really aren’t talked about. Doesn’t matter that they are regularly one of the most exiting teams in baseball.

These players, somehow, aren’t well-known. And that is just sad.

How do I back this up? Not empirically, that’s for damn sure.

It’s proven in who gets the advertising, and who gets the national recognition.

For one day each year, the All-Star game, casual fans a quick refresher on what these two are doing every day for their respective teams.

And then, they go back to toiling in virtual anonymity.

Should we feel sorry for them? Absolutely not.

Both are paid handsomely and get amazing health care to play a child’s game. Both are widely respected among their peers. Ichiro is a lock for the Hall of Fame, Hunter is getting there.

But that doesn’t change how sad it is that more people aren’t understanding and appreciating what these two do. If either of them played for the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees, they would be on the covers of video games. Their jerseys would be worn around the country by posers and ‘roided-up frat boys.

But maybe it’s good it’s like that. It keeps fans like us what makes us better than casual fans.

So congratulations to Ichiro and Hunter. I look forward to telling future generations about watching you two play the game with style, respect and hustle. (A preemptive “screw you” to all those who say since Ichiro rarely dives he isn’t gritty or doesn’t hustle.)

Thank you both for your energy and enthusiasm.

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter sure is stuffing his trophy case this year. The steady Yankees shortstop won his fourth Gold Glove on Tuesday, joining New York first baseman Mark Teixeira among the American League players rewarded for fantastic fielding.

“I’ve always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook,” Jeter said in a statement.

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter and Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki both won for the ninth straight season. First-time winners included Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones and Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.

Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco each earned their second award.

Rawlings has presented Gold Gloves annually since 1957. Managers and coaches vote on players in their own leagues before the regular season ends, but they may not select members of their own teams.

National League winners will be announced Wednesday.

It’s been a banner year for Jeter, who combined with Teixeira to help lead the Yankees past Philadelphia last week for the franchise’s 27th World Series title.

In addition to his fifth championship ring, Jeter also took home baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for excellence on the field and in the community, and his second Hank Aaron Award as the AL’s top hitter. In September, he broke Lou Gehrig’s club record for hits.

The Gold Glove is perhaps his most surprising piece of hardware, however. Jeter, who turned 35 in June, enjoyed one of his best defensive seasons after years of criticism for a lack of range.

A 10-time All-Star, Jeter won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2004-06. But detractors pointed to modern fielding stats that indicated his defense didn’t warrant such accolades. They said it was his bat that brought on the attention – and the New York spotlight.

This season, Jeter made a career-low eight errors and matched his personal best with a .986 fielding percentage, both ranking at the top of the AL charts. He anchored an outstanding Yankees infield as New York set a major league record by going 18 games without an error from May 14 to June 1.

“Playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense, and I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009,” said Jeter, who made 56 errors as a 19-year-old at Class-A Greensboro in 1993.

Teixeira played a big part in New York’s title, too.

In his first season with the Yankees after signing a $180 million, eight-year contract, Teixeira impressed with his reliable glove as well as his powerful bat. He saved runs with diving stops, nimble stretches and tough scoops. Teammates and opponents alike pointed to his substantial effect on the club’s overall defense.

A Gold Glove winner in 2005 and ‘06 with Texas, Teixeira committed just four errors this year and had a .997 fielding percentage.

“Solid defense is the most underrated component of winning baseball, but it is something I have always taken pride in,” Teixeira said. “Winning a third Gold Glove means a lot to me, especially when good defense helped our entire team reach the ultimate goal of a world championship.”

Mauer, a top contender for AL MVP, won his second consecutive Gold Glove after leading the Twins on a late charge into the playoffs.

Longoria, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, unseated Seattle’s Adrian Beltre at third base. Beltre, hampered by injuries this season, won the previous two years after a six-year run by Oakland’s Eric Chavez.

“It’s the one award that I’ve wanted to win since I started pro ball,” Longoria said in a statement. “I take a lot of pride in my defense, so this award is very special to me. It’s humbling to have your name associated with some of the great players who have won a Gold Glove, especially the third basemen.”

In addition to the voters, Longoria thanked teammate Carlos Pena, last season’s Gold Glove winner at first base.

“We all know how good he is. He probably saved me at least five errors this year, so without him the award might not have been possible,” Longoria said.

Buehrle pitched a perfect game against Tampa Bay on July 23. But when he allows runners, he’s particularly effective at holding them on.

The left-hander yielded only four stolen bases in eight tries this season and picked off eight runners. The only pitcher with more pickoffs was former teammate Clayton Richard, who had nine, according to STATS LLC. Chicago traded Richard to San Diego on July 31 in a package for ace Jake Peavy.

“Hopefully, I earned it this year,” Buehrle said.

Polanco, who has filed for free agency, committed two errors all season. He also won in 2007 – without making an error – before losing out last year to Boston’s Dustin Pedroia.

With nine Gold Gloves apiece, Hunter and Suzuki are one shy of the AL record for outfielders, shared by Ken Griffey Jr. and Hall of Famer Al Kaline.

Hunter receives a $100,000 bonus for winning the Gold Glove, while Suzuki gets $50,000. Buehrle, Longoria, Mauer and Polanco each earned $25,000.

Sure, this time of the year is slow but I love the fact that the awards start to come out. Today the A.L. gold glove winners were announced.  What is truly amazing about the release is that both Ichiro and Hunter have now both pulled in 9 (yes, 9) gold gloves each.  The three newcomers to the list are Adam Jones, Evan Longoria and Mark Buehrle.

Here is the full list:

The National League Gold Glove winners will be announced on Wednesday, 11/11/2009.

For the record, Triples Alley has a great breakdown on Joe Mauer and if he should have won the gold glove.

Not only ’tis the season for surgeries, trades, and free agency, but ’tis the season for handing out some hardware.

Baseball handed out its first set of postseason awards today. The American Gold Glove winners were announced today.

The Gold Glove award

Let’s take a look at who won an American League Gold Glove in 2009…

C. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins – .996 fielding percentage, 26 percent caught stealing percentage

1B. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees – .997 fielding percentage, -1.4 UZR

2B. Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers – .997 fielding percentage, 11.4 UZR

SS. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees – .986 fielding percentage, 4.8 UZR

3B. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays – .970 fielding percentage, 18.5 UZR

OF. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners – .988 fielding percentage, 10.5 UZR

OF. Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles – .996 fielding percentage, -4.7 UZR

OF. Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – .997 fielding percentage, -1.4 UZR

P. Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox – .982 fielding percentage

I think baseball did a good job with these selections. Believe it or not, the one selection you could really argue is Ichiro. Nelson Cruz (.990 fielding percentage, 11.6 UZR) or JD Drew (.992 fielding percentage, 10.5 UZR) would have been better selections as a right fielder.

Here is the one problem I do have with the Gold Glove awards. Why does baseball treat all the outfielders as one position? It doesn’t matter what position you play in the outfield, you are considered an “outfielder.”

Every year, either two center fielders win a Gold Glove, or two right fielders win, etc…

Why doesn’t baseball pick one left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder? Does that make too much sense?

The National League Gold Glove winners will be announced tomorrow.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

The American League's best offensive player? Sure, in bizarro world.

In a postseason rife with egregious umpiring mistakes and base-running gaffes it was perhaps the fans who turned in the worst performance of all, selecting Derek Jeter as the American League’s Hank Aaron Award Winner. Now, if this award was given to the third or fourth best Yankees’ player every year that wouldn’t be an issue, but the Hank Aaron Award is supposed to be given to the best offensive player in each league. The award is voted on by fans at MLB.com who narrow down a field of 90 players to the final two recipients, but judging by the shocking results, BCS computers must have been involved somehow. How else could a player who had the worst OPS (on-base plus slugging) of any Yankee infielder win the award for best offensive player?

It’s not like Derek Jeter was bad in 2009 as he finished the season with a .334 average, 18 HR’s, 66 RBI’s and 30 SB’s. Jeter ranked 3rd in the AL in both batting average and OBP, while finishing 4th in runs and 7th in SB’s. Those are fine numbers for any player, but perhaps a bit magnified by the spotlight that always shines on the New York Yankees (it wouldn’t be the first time something Jeter did was blown wildly out of proportion). To put Jeter’s stats in perspective his Hank Aaron Award counterpart in the NL, Albert Pujols, finished with the following stat line: .327-47 HR’s-135 RBI’s-16 SB’s. Sure it’s apples and oranges, but clearly Jeter’s numbers (which he posted while playing for the game’s best offense) weren’t that overwhelming.

In a perfect world Joe Mauer would have won the 2009 Hank Aaron Award. Of course in a perfect world, there wouldn't be Yankees fans.

In fact, here is a list of the players who finished ahead of Derek Jeter in OPS: Joe Mauer, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeria, Ben Zobrist, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez, Adam Lind, Kendry Morales, Jason Bay, J.D. Drew, Jason Kubel, Carlos Pena, Michael Young, Evan Longoria, Shin Soo-Choo, Jason Bartlett, Justin Morneau, Hideki Matsui, Torii Hunter and Robinson Cano. That’s right, Jeter was fifth on his own team in OPS and couldn’t even crack the league’s top-20. Granted OPS isn’t the only way to tell how effective an offensive player was, but it is a good indicator of a batter’s combination of power and plate discipline. So, the league’s “best offensive player” finished behind J.D. Drew, Jason Bartlett and Shin Soo-Choo…well that just doesn’t quite add up.

But if Derek Jeter wasn’t the AL’s best hitter, then who was? It could have been his teammate, Mark Teixeria, who after a slow start, hit .292 with 39 HR’s and 122 RBI’s. Or, it could have been the upstart Ben Zobrist, who despite 130 less at-bats, finished with more HR’s, RBI’s, extra-base hits and an OPS 70 points higher than that of Jeter (not to mention his 17 SB’s, 91 walks and ability to play at multiple positions). Any number of players could have laid claim to being the AL’s top offensive performer, but one man stood head and shoulders above the rest. A man revered for his sideburns, sweet swing and love of all things American. A man who breaks more hearts in day than Mola Ram does in a lifetime. A man named Joe Mauer. While that  kind of hyperbole is normally saved for Jeter, the season that Mauer had was nothing short of historic. The 26-year-old catcher hit .365 with 28 HRs and 96 RBI’s, even though he missed the first month of the season with back problems (suffered while. Joltin’ Joe led the AL by a wide margin in batting average, slugging, OBP and OPS, all while playing Gold Glove caliber at the game’s most physically taxing position.

Joe Mauer had one of the best offensive seasons of the past few decades, and arguably the greatest ever by a catcher, but failed to garner an award he rightly deserved because of the media’s (and dimwitted Yankees’ fans) never-ending love affair with Derek Jeter. It’s not all that surprising, but let’s hope the same thing doesn’t happen when it comes time to hand out the MVP.

Ichiro turns 36 years old today!!

Arguably the best hitter of the decade, Ichiro Suzuki has proven to be an extremely talented contact hitter, maybe one of the best ever.

In just 9 professional seasons in major league baseball, Ichiro has collected 2,030 hits.  In just nine years he has accumulated 200 or more hits in aech of those seasons.  His ability to get on base has not diminished since his debut season, and he seems to just be getting better.

For his birthday, I wish Ichiro perfect health.  And I want that health to hold until he gets into the 3,000 hits club.  Based on his average he will need just 4 more years to accomplish that task.  And while that means he will be 40 years old when that time comes, I do believe that he is conditioned to reach that mark with relative ease!!

Happy Birthday Ichiro!!!

he has decided to return to Japan! all the best, kenji! I’m gonna miss watching him when the mariners play now but at least ichiro and his 200hit seasons will still be there – the main reason I’m a huge fan of the mariners hehe. maybe when I move back to Japan someday I’ll go visit kenji, since fukudome is no longer in nagoya. (on a side note, I wonder how ibata is doing these days…)

anyway, I submitted my psych report yesterday. yet another 1 down. 1 TO GO. it’s hard to believe that (hopefully) by the end of this week I will almost be like a free bird, released from its cage. and the rest of the enclosure disappears nov6…