On our drive to Summerfest on Friday evening, a couple sodas in us, Mitch and I decided to have our first-half awards for the winners and losers of the first half of the Major League Baseball season.
The Chief: I feel that I can speak for Big Money, and say that this has been an excellent first half of the MLB season for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one, the extra playoff spot! So many times are still alive in the playoff hunt including your Milwaukee Brewers. We will give out the traditional awards, and then a couple others. Also you'll see Mitch and I take different players for the most part so another player can get a paragraph about themselves.
MVP
Big Money: Ryan Braun OF Milwaukee Brewers - Call me a homer (and I probably am) but there's no reason why Braun shouldn't at least get strong consideration for the honor. He's having a better year than last year, despite everything. He's had a cloud of the "steroid allegations" over his head. He's shown he can hit without Prince Fielder's protection, which was a legitimate concern for Brewers' fans. Bottom line: he hasn't missed a beat in 2012 while trying to shake the steroid allegations and all the haters. Look for a big second half from Braun as the Brewers look to get back in it.
Cy Young
The Chief: Gio Gonzalez P, Washington Nationals- Surprised? Honestly, there are about five or six pitchers that could be considered for the National League Cy Young; it's a complete loaded group. I went against giving to the knuckleballer R.A. Dickey whose year has been stellar, but Gonzalez is having a monster year. He is first in HR/9, tied for first in wins, third in K/9 and FIP, fourth in xFIP, and HR/FB meaning his fastball only goes yard five percent of the time he throws it.
Big Money: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants - Cain was 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA in the first half as the Giants surged toward first and caught the Los Angeles Dodgers thanks to their stellar pitching, spear-headed by Matt Cain. He started the All-Star game for the National League and let us not forget that he threw that perfect game against Houston no more than a month ago. I think he'll improve in the second half and so will the Giants.
Big Money: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants - Cain was 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA in the first half as the Giants surged toward first and caught the Los Angeles Dodgers thanks to their stellar pitching, spear-headed by Matt Cain. He started the All-Star game for the National League and let us not forget that he threw that perfect game against Houston no more than a month ago. I think he'll improve in the second half and so will the Giants.
Rookie of the Year
The Chief: Bryce Harper OF, Washington Nationals- This is not a lock as others might think. Harper is having a great year, but there are some other players who have been having quality rookie years. Harper is an enigma, and the type of player who would definitely get the award based on the name.
Big Money: Bryce Harper OF, Washington Nationals - I think it's a lock. Bryce Harper is the most highly-anticipated rookie in a long time and he's pretty much lived up to the hype. He hasn't really came up and hits a ton of bombs but he's only 19 and is holding his own on a first-place ball club. We can run downtown and print this one.
Big Money: Bryce Harper OF, Washington Nationals - I think it's a lock. Bryce Harper is the most highly-anticipated rookie in a long time and he's pretty much lived up to the hype. He hasn't really came up and hits a ton of bombs but he's only 19 and is holding his own on a first-place ball club. We can run downtown and print this one.
Comeback Player of the Year
The Chief: Carlos Beltran OF, St. Louis Cardinals- Seriously, what's in the f'ing water in St. Louis? These guys revive their career every damn time. Beltran struggled in San Francisco last year, and then had the huge expectations to replace Albert Pujols when signing with the Cards. Not only did Beltran live up to it, he could make a push for MVP this year.
Big Money: Aaron Hill 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks - Just to be different, I'll say Aaron Hill as a shot to win it. A guy that was given up on by the Toronto Blue Jays has come to Arizona and been good, if not great. Two cycles in a matter of days should tell you how hot this guy has been in the first half for AZ.
Big Money: Aaron Hill 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks - Just to be different, I'll say Aaron Hill as a shot to win it. A guy that was given up on by the Toronto Blue Jays has come to Arizona and been good, if not great. Two cycles in a matter of days should tell you how hot this guy has been in the first half for AZ.
Manager of the Year
The Chief: Davey Johnson, Washington Nationals- This really is a two-horse race unless some team comes out of complete nowhere to make the playoffs. Johnson is an older coach who has done a ton with all of his young talent. Sometimes, these older managers can really get through to young players. Johnson has done a great job.
Big Money: Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates - All the frustration of the past twenty-some years is starting to go away for the 2012 Pirates and they're playing wide open. As ESPN's Steve Berthiaume says, certain players have "want" which is basically saying they play their a$$ off every night and Pittsburgh has several guys who do that. Tip your hat to their manager Clint Hurdle.
Best Moment So Far
The Chief: Johan's no-no- There are couple you could go with here, but I will take Johan Santana's no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets have a long history that also included 'never having a no-hitter', but Santana changed that whether Cards fans believed it or not.
Big Money: Matt Cain's Perfecto - Who would have thought a normal week night would have been so exciting? Matt Cain's dominating performance against the Houston Astros took the baseball world by storm in a matter of minutes (thanks to social media). He had the whole country behind him and it was a great moment.
Big Money: Matt Cain's Perfecto - Who would have thought a normal week night would have been so exciting? Matt Cain's dominating performance against the Houston Astros took the baseball world by storm in a matter of minutes (thanks to social media). He had the whole country behind him and it was a great moment.
The Biggest Surprise
The Chief: Nori Aoki's rise to the top- I remember when the Brewers got Norichika Aoki, and thought 'that's a swell pick-up', although I did not think much of it. Who knew that he would be a complete igniter for the team at the top of the order. Easily, one of the reasons why the Brewers head is still above water.Big Money: R.A. Dickey's Dominance - I'll take the obvious one here. Nobody would have seen this coming but the Mets' R.A. Dickey has been damn near untouchable this year as he's throwing a knuckleball in the mid-80s. That's insane. He should have started the All-Star game for the NL but leave it to Tony LaRussa to not allow it.
Biggest Disappointment
The Chief: Justin Upton and the D-Backs- I picked the Diamondbacks to go to the World Series at the beginning of the year. It just seemed logical with their success last year, and I assumed Trevor Bauer would be up by the end of May. The D-Backs made a huge mistake leaving Bauer in Triple A. It also didn't help that Justin Upton has played like a little leaguer thus far.
Big Money: The Miami Marlins in general - They opened a brand new ballpark, hired an outspoken manager and signed a bunch of high-priced talent and it was going to be all smiles for the Marlins in 2012. Not so fast my friend. Heath Bell has been anything but lights out as the closer in South Beach, leading is brutal bullpen. The offense hasn't come around but they did go out and get Carlos Lee from the Astros to hopefully ignite it.
Big Money: The Miami Marlins in general - They opened a brand new ballpark, hired an outspoken manager and signed a bunch of high-priced talent and it was going to be all smiles for the Marlins in 2012. Not so fast my friend. Heath Bell has been anything but lights out as the closer in South Beach, leading is brutal bullpen. The offense hasn't come around but they did go out and get Carlos Lee from the Astros to hopefully ignite it.
Most overplayed storyline of the year
The Chief: That's a clown question bro- End this shit now. It has become the 'Winning' of the Summer of 2012. I cringe when people use it to me. It's way more annoying that Linsanity which also got overplayed. Shut it down please.
Big Money: Tim Kurkjian impersonations - I guess if I had to pick one that annoyed me most, it'd be the Kurkjian impersonations. It was cool the first guy or two but when every team felt they had to nominate someone to do it, it got sickening. I got your back, Tim.
Big Money: Tim Kurkjian impersonations - I guess if I had to pick one that annoyed me most, it'd be the Kurkjian impersonations. It was cool the first guy or two but when every team felt they had to nominate someone to do it, it got sickening. I got your back, Tim.
Bold Prediction of the second half
The Chief: One team third or worse will make the playoffs- Maybe this is me being optomistic, but some team always gets as SB Nation's Bomani Jones calls it, 'lemon booty' and tightens up late. I think either the Braves, Cardinals, Brewers, Marlins, or Diamondbacks somehow find a way to make the playoffs, and are the hottest team going into it.
Big Money: Philadelphia Phillies will make a run - Since Charlie has a way over-broad "bold prediction" I'll try to narrow mine to one team. The Philadelphia Phillies have to turn it around at some point. They recently got Chase Utley back and now Ryan Howard is coming back very soon to solidify the middle of the order. They will get better, no question. I had them in the WS so they WILL get better. My only concern is that they might become sellers at the deadline which will take them out of it for good.
-The Chief and Big Money
Big Money: Philadelphia Phillies will make a run - Since Charlie has a way over-broad "bold prediction" I'll try to narrow mine to one team. The Philadelphia Phillies have to turn it around at some point. They recently got Chase Utley back and now Ryan Howard is coming back very soon to solidify the middle of the order. They will get better, no question. I had them in the WS so they WILL get better. My only concern is that they might become sellers at the deadline which will take them out of it for good.
-The Chief and Big Money
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