I’m not a particular fan of either team or pitcher. I try to be objective, which is why last year I agreed with Sabathia (innings) over Lackey (ERA) and both over Beckett, even though I’m an Angels fan as much as I root for any team in the AL. And even though Halladay has to be given credit value for his extra innings, ERA+ of 187 versus 155 in favor of Lee is not close (if you want a modern statistic) and old fashioned ERA of 2.36 versus 2.77 also isn’t close. If Lee doesn’t worsen, he will have a year for the ages, more than two runs below the league average ERA, before considering his exceptional WL record, and before considering that most other freaky good WL records have tended to come on pitchers who are on playoff teams (Sutcliffe’s CYA year is atop that list, but I recall Guidry, Koufax, Sabathia this year, etc.) So anybody who picks Halladay over Lee for CYA this year should learn to check their bias at the door.

Finally, for the guy who suggested that Gooden deserved a CYA for his rookie season instead of Sutcliffe, Gooden did have one more win than Sutcliffe, and EIGHT more losses, while pitching in a better pitcher’s park. Sutcliffe had a better ERA+ in 1984. Sutcliffe got all 24 first place votes for CYA. The Cubs beat the Mets for the division title. Take away both pitcher’s decisions, and the two teams would have been in a virtual tie instead of the Cubs winning the division by 6.5 games. Gooden had an excellent rookie season, but it wasn’t close to being as good as his sophomore season.. Gooden won the CYA in the only year he clearly deserved it. In fact, Gooden looks similar to Cliff Lee in that there is one year off the charts good, and the rest of the career (so far) doesn’t look like a CYA winner’s. After all those strikeouts his first two seasons, it looks like Gooden blew out his arm and was never quite the same pitcher again.

July 23!

I spent the first four months of the season waiting for the wheels to come off on Lee, but no dice there. It’s reminiscent of the Cy Halladay DID win, when he had to fight off a season-long challenge by Esteban Loaiza all year. Maybe Doc’s doomed to always being challenged by guys who were touch-and-go to make their teams’ rotations in spring training.

Mind you, Lee had a track record of success until last year whereas Loaiza was never much more than back-of-the-rotation filler until that season.

Personally, I just hope Halladay is recognized for his season by placing second. I’d hate for K-Rod’s big save totals to earn him more support, and it’s pretty clear to me that 250 innings of being the second-best starter in the league than 60 innings of being the fifth- or sixth-best closer.

I can see where someone might say Player A was better than Player B, but because Player B’s contributions led to his team making the playoffs while Player A was saddled with a terrible supporting cast, Player B’s contributions were “more valuable.”

I can see all that, but I don’t agree with it at all. I think it’s ridiculous to punish an outstanding player just because the rest of his team isn’t very good (or because the rest of his team is REALLY good and would likely make the playoffs with a chump like Scott Brosius playing his position).

David Wright suffered pretty heavily from that problem last year, and is a pretty good example of the flaws in typical MVP voters’ thinking. He was ahead of Rollins in terms of MVP consideration in virtually everyone’s mind going into September, and then he had a great September – far better than Rollins’ month – but because the rest of the Mets tanked and the Phils surged, Rollins won. If Wright had just somehow made his pitchers pitch halfway decent, he probably would have won.

The Cy Young award is for pitching performance this season, period. It’s not for who has been better over their career. It’s not for who you’d rather have next year. It’s for the best pitcher this season. period.

Now, if you think Halladay has been better this season, that’s fine. There are some non-ridiculous arguments to be made there. But this business of who you’d rather have or the suggestion that Lee is a “nobody”* are completely beside the point.

*(a ridiculous suggestion to make about a guy who has been in a big league rotation 4 of the last 5 seasons and was 4th in the Cy Young voting just two years ago)

Lee has had a remarkable, remarkable season, but I’d give Doc his second CYA.

I don’t care if you are pitching for the ‘27 yanks.

If you vote for krod I will fart on your pillow

Morneau’s struggles lasted until late May; Delgado’s lasted until late June.

Morneau’s struggles involved an OPS+ of (about) 100; Delgado’s, (about) 95.

Morneau’s good stretch included 2 months of OPS over 1.100; Delgado has one month like that, plus 8 games in September (so he could match or exceed Morneau’s hot streak if he keeps it up this month).

Season totals… Morneau’s triple crown stats are more impressive, largely because of a better average (.321/34/130 to .264/35/104). Morneau had a much higher RBI total, unless you think Delgado will drive in 25 runs or so in the last 17 games of the Mets’ season. Morneau takes OPS+ easily, 140 to 127.

So, to sum up: Morneau wasn’t as bad early in the season, and his bad streak lasted a month less. The hot streaks are basically equivalent for each player; Delgado a little hotter, Morneau a little longer. Adding that up, you have a clearly superior season from Morneau, barring an absolutely insane closing burst from Delgado. Delgado’s 2008 aspires to be like Morneau’s 2006 when it grows up.

Now factor in that Morneau wasn’t really a great MVP pick, and that there are multiple players in the NL at Delgado’s position who are having significantly better years (which wasn’t true in the 2006 AL)…