Nov. 22, 2011
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have to call up the bankruptcy court and plead their case to halt their inevitable sale because they had just been robbed by the baseball writers of America. Not robbed by any monetary value, but robbed of an NL MVP award that was rightfully center fielder Matt Kemp’s for the taking.
Instead, Los Angeles native Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers was awarded the MVP award, and became the first Brewer since Robin Yount won his second AL MVP in 1989.
“The reason I won is because they put a better team around me,” Braun told the USA Today in a conference call. “It’s a result of 25 guys around you and putting you in that situation.”
In that case, the baseball writers of America need a dictionary refresher of what defines a most valuable player. Because Kemp did not have a better team around him like Braun did. To tell me that Braun won because he had a higher batting average and played for a team who made the playoffs for only the second time in almost 30 years (1982). To tell me Braun won the most valuable player award because he had the likes of Prince Fielder, a player who finished third behind Braun and Kemp in the MVP voting, backing him up in the lineup, is astounding.
Does Clayton Kershaw count? Because he won the NL Cy Young. Kemp was one home run away from becoming only the sixth player in major league history to hit for 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. A player who would have won the triple crown if not for Braun. First in home runs, first in RBI’s and first in runs scored (115). Did I mention Kemp won a Gold Glove?
My question is that if Braun were to go down with injury during the season, would the Brewers be that much worse without him?
Home runs? You have Corey Hart, Ricky Weeks and Prince Fielder for that. RBI’s and manufacturing runs? The aforementioned. The Dodgers lose Kemp, and their offense is even more atrocious than it already was. Unless we started seeing Jamey Carroll, Aaron Miles or (ahem) Juan Uribe start hitting home runs. But the Dodgers might have had a better chance seeing a game snowed out in Chavez Ravine than another 30+ homer player on the Dodgers.
In my eyes, the Dodgers are far worse without Kemp than the Brewers are without Braun. To hit for 39 home runs in a hitter-friendly Dodger Stadium for a disgruntled franchise in front of empty seats in which half of the season the team had nothing to play for is beyond impressive. It’s remarkable. And to be dubbed solely because the Dodgers were not a contender is wrong. Alex Rodriguez played for last-place Texas and won the award in 2002.
The Dodgers finished in third place in the NL West, a respectable 82-79, and probably would have been a 90-loss team and fighting for position in the NL West cellar if not for Kemp’s contributions not only offensively, but defensively.
And like Braun, Kemp is with the Dodgers for the long-haul, recently signing an eight-year, $160 million dollar extension. Last time I checked, that also puts Kemp with the Dodgers through 2020 just like Braun.
The most valuable player is the value of a player to his team. With a teammate who finished in third place in the MVP voting, it should be pretty clear Braun’s value on the Brewers is not nearly the value Kemp boasts in a Dodgers uniform.
Kemp joked with reporters he would be going for the 50-50 club next season. He very well might have to, or be the first player since 1967 to win the triple crown.
Because the baseball writers of America have a flawed definition of “MVP” in whatever dictionary they are looking at.
In the end, a team not in playoff contention, one home run short of the 40-40 club, and only two for three in the triple crown race isn’t good enough to win the MVP.