The Sweet Spot Awards: Part Three

PART THREE OF THREE

Most Valuable Player

American League: The pride of Anaheim can finally say that after three spectacular seasons, he has the most value in the American League. Mike Trout, the Angel’s 23 year-old phenomenon, has been nothing short of sensational. The five-tool player has astounded fans in virtually every aspect of his game and the case could be made that he hasn’t even hit his prime yet. He has led the league in runs for three straight years, has two (soon to be three) Silver Slugger awards and has captured the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. Now, after a season in which he hit for a respectable .287 average, crushed 36 homeruns, knocked in 11 runs and led all hitters with 7.9 WAR, Trout can finally take his much-deserved seat on the AL throne.

2014: Trout Season.

As fans, we all knew that this year would be special for the baseball world thanks to Derek Jeter’s season-long swan song. What we didn’t know was that we would get to experience a touching moment at the All-Star game when Jeter would be passing the figurative torch down to the new face of the game, Mike Trout. For the past 20 years, Jeter brought energy, excitement and jaw-dropping skill to America’s pastime. Now, fans get to witness a new rising-star become the face of baseball.

Passing of the torch.

Honorable mentions: Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox (.317 average, 36 HR), Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros (.346 average, 56 stolen bases), Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers (.335 average, 32 HR) and Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners (2.14 ERA, 236 innings pitched).

 

National League: Like I stated in one of my previous blog posts, I believe that Clayton Kershaw is the LeBron James of baseball. Is he the best in the game? That remains to be seen. But if he continues on the torrid pace that he has been riding the past four years, then we just might be witnessing the best that the game has to offer. Kershaw has already won the Cy Young award twice in his career and will most likely be the unanimous pick for the award this time around. He is the first pitcher to lead the league in ERA for four consecutive seasons.

Four years straight and no signs of stopping.

Some people might say that the MVP should be reserved for hitters, after all, pitchers have their own prize in the Cy Young. My issue with that argument is that the award is for the Most Valuable Player. Pitchers act as players in the game just as much as anyone else. If they hold more value than any hitter, why should they be ruled out?

Soaking it all in.

This race should be a lot closer than that of the American League. While I would cast my vote for Kershaw, Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins has had a MVP-deserving season of his own. Some might even call his numbers Trout-esque. The star outfielder hit 37 homeruns and drove in 111 runs even with an injury-shortened season. If only Stanton had played the last three and a half weeks with comparable numbers, he just might have dethroned Kershaw.

Honorable mentions: Stanton, Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates (.314 average, 25 HR, 18 stolen bases) Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants (.311 average, 22 HR) and Justin Morneau of the Colorado Rockies (.319 average, 82 RBI).

The push for increased Spanish translation in Major League Baseball

It’s downright foolish that a billion-dollar industry wouldn't have the financial capacity to hire translators for a massive percentage of their revenue source.

Yet here we are in 2014 and Major League Baseball is in that exact situation.

According to a study conducted by the Society of American Baseball Research in 2013, 26.9 percent of all players in Major League Baseball are Latino, many of whom consider English to be their second language.

Doesn’t it seem odd that almost a third of the players in our nation’s pastime are being overlooked to this day?

Carlos Beltran, proponent for added Spanish translation resources in Major League Baseball.

This issue has come up in the past with players voicing their frustration over this troubling conundrum.

Earlier this year, Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees was ejected from a game and suspended for having an illegal substance (pine tar) on his neck. After that game, the Dominican pitcher spoke with reporters in his broken English rather than his natural Spanish.

He was clearly uncomfortable as he stumbled over the few English words that he had in his limited vocabulary.

The drama came afterwards when his teammate, the prolific Carlos Beltran who grew up in Puerto Rico, angrily brought the topic up to those same reporters.

“It’s a problem because he can’t express himself the way he wants to,” Beltran said. “At the end of the day I know it’s a difficult moment for him as a person.”

Pineda stumbling through his presser after the notorious pine tar incident.

This problem is important because we’re not just talking about some annoying little hitch in the great game of baseball. This is the dismissal of the rights of almost a third of the players in the game.

Perhaps the strangest aspect to this problem is that the Yankees employ three full-time interpreters, all for the Japanese players on their team.

Did I miss something here?

Why do Japanese-speaking players get special treatment when it comes to their manner of communication?

Do Latino-born people have an easier time learning a completely new language?

It baffles me that this is an issue. What baffles me even more is that it can be totally eliminated with one simple solution:

Major League Baseball should be required to hire at least one full-time interpreter for each team. If the players don’t want to use them, they don’t have to. But at least give them the option and resources necessary for them to be able to communicate.

Bruce Chen translating for teammate Yordano Ventura.

After looking through the depth charts of every team in baseball, it is clear that virtually every single one has at least two Latino-born players, most teams with many more.

The number of Spanish-speaking players in baseball has increased steadily over the past 40 years and that trend probably won’t end any time soon.

Baseball is a beautiful game. Everybody should feel welcome, whether that means in the ballpark or in the dugout.

It’s really hard for somebody to feel welcome when they are denied their basic right of communication.

The Sweet Spot Awards: Part Two

PART TWO OF THREE

Cy Young

American League: Those who thought the king would relinquish his throne atop the league were sorely mistaken. In a season where six starters from the AL had at least 200 strikeouts, seven with sub-3.00 ERA and 17 with at least 200 innings pitched, only three pitchers boasted all three feats: John Lester of the Boston Red Sox/Oakland Athletics, Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians and Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners.

All three would have been fine recipients for the award, but King Felix is the most deserving.

All hail the King.

Hernandez had 28 more strikeouts than Lester (248 to 220), 16 1/3 more innings pitched (236 to 219.2) and allowed 24 fewer hits throughout the season (170 to 194).

Though Kluber was closer to matching Hernandez’s success than anyone in the league, he allowed 207 hits, which ranks ninth most in the league. He made up for most of them by averaging 10.27 strikeouts per game, but that awesome K/9 rate only goes so far when it comes to determining the best pitcher.

Hats off to the Cy.

Other notable pitchers who deserve recognition include Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers (252 strikeouts), Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox (2.14 ERA) and Phil Hughes of the Minnesota Twins (broke the single season record for having the largest strikeout to walk ratio).

National League: How can anyone dispute the fact that Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the best pitcher on the planet? He led the league in countless categories including ERA, runs allowed, wins, WAR, WHIP and no-hitters (technically he’s tied in this category, but his was the most impressive).

The best. 'Nuff said.

The only argument that one could have against Kershaw winning this award is the fact that he wasn’t even among the top 20 in innings pitched. While that case is valid, it almost makes Kershaw’s season seem more impressive. The fact that he gave the rest of the league a four-week head start and then dominated nonetheless justifies his case not only for Cy Young, but Most Valuable Player as well.

Adam Wainwright had a terrific season for the St. Louis Cardinals, as did Johnny Cueto for the Cincinnati Reds. There is no doubt about that. They each had 20 wins, more than 220 innings pitched and highly-respectable ERAs. However, they were in the wrong league in the wrong season.

Everybody expected Kershaw to take home the hardware this season with his killer fastball and legendary curveball, and he exceeded those expectations. Kershaw has led the league in ERA for four consecutive seasons, something that no pitcher has ever done before. At this point, it’s almost pointless to imagine anyone else taking the National League Cy Young award next season.

Kershaw after one of the most dominant no-hitters ever pitched.

In fact, I’m putting it on record:

Clayton Kershaw is the LeBron James of baseball. 

GardenFired.

The move had to be made, but that doesn’t make it easier to swallow.

For the first time in more than 25 years, the Minnesota Twins have fired their manager.

Ron Gardenhire took the fall for a team that has lost 92+ games for the past four seasons.

But let’s make something clear: He wasn’t driving this train down the wrong side of the tracks, he was doing his best to slam on the brakes while his team shoveled more and more coals into the furnace.

 

Gardy was ejected 72 times in his 13 years as manager

Gardenhire undoubtedly helped to save this team when he was named manager following the 2001 season. Back then, the league was talking about contraction. So what does Gardy do? He leads the team to 94 wins in the regular season, and their first post-season berth in 11 years.

The next manager will surely have a lot of pressure to succeed, but that is chump change compared to what Gardenhire had on his shoulders.

With that in mind, here are a few names to keep an eye on as the Twins seek new leadership.

Paul Molitor

This is the obvious choice. Molitor knows the game, is analytical to the point where he knows every little quirk of opposing players and was crucial to the improvement of the Twins young core this season.

Minnesota native, Paul Molitor

The Hall of Famer is known for his gritty playing style, his attention to detail and aggressiveness on the base paths. His guidance could push the raw talent of the Twins’ incoming talent to the next level.

Current status as candidate for the job: Favorite

Ozzie Guillen

While some Twins fans may hate the idea of bringing the hot-headed former manager back to relevance, he would actually be a solid hire. Guillen has experience managing at the major league level, is extremely popular among players and brings a unique energy that this team hasn’t seen in a very long time.

Ozzie waiting for the call

Though Guillen was fired from his last managerial job with the Miami Marlins, a fresh start with a young team could be beneficial to both parties. For it was Ozzie who lauded the Twins for their scrappy style of scoring runs in the golden days of 2006-2010, notoriously dubbing them the “Piranhas”. Bringing him back could resurrect that style of play for the Twins, one that has been highly successful in the past.

Status as candidate: Strong contender

Tony Peña

While Peña was a decent catcher throughout his 18 year career, his true calling is to be a coach . Known for his defensive prowess and unorthodox batting stance, Peña made his way to coaching in the minor leagues and was later promoted to manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2002. He won the American League Manager of the Year award in 2003 when he led his team to a winning record for the first time in nine seasons.

Managed the WBC team for the Dominican  Republic in 2013

Peña would bring a diversity to a team that has a young Latin-American core. Think about the benefits of having a Spanish-speaking manager who can effectively connect with players such as Danny Santana, Oswaldo Arcia, Kennys Vargas and incoming prospects such as Miguel Sano and José Berrios.

Status as candidate: Medium contender

Terry Steinbach

If the Twins were going to promote from within, my guess is Molitor would be more likely than Steinbach. Though he is highly respected in the Twins clubhouse, my guess is his style of managing would be too similar to that of Ron Gardenhire.

Current bench coach for the Twins chatting with the face of of the franchise. 

Also, I am predicting that Steinbach will interview for the managerial opening with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a very close relationship with Tony La Russa, who will lead the committee that decides Arizona’s new manager, and his style of play fits what the Diamondbacks are looking for.

Status as candidate: Long-shot

No matter who ends up taking the reigns as manager in Minnesota, I hope that they take their time in constructing the rest of their coaching staff. I am personally rooting for Doug Mientkievics to take a base coach position, Gene Glynn to take the bench coach spot and Chili Davis to be the new hitting coach.

It’s been a rough couple of years in Twins Territory. It’s time for change, no matter how bittersweet it may seem.

Let’s hope that the Twins can find a manager as great as their last one.

Thanks, Gardy.

The Sweet Spot Awards: Part One

It’s not about the money.

It’s not about the glory of being the best in the business.

It’s not even about hoisting the trophy over your head after all is said and done.

Baseball, my friends, is all about pushing one’s self, their team and the game itself ever forward.

Those that are able to do this most efficiently deserve recognition for their efforts. With that being said, here are the recipients of the first-ever Sweet Spot awards, given to those that I, Sweet Lou, deem most fitting.

PART ONE OF THREE

Rookie of the Year

American League: Though this year’s rookie class is nothing short of spectacular, one name clearly stands out above the rest. It’s not often that you see a rookie burst onto the scene and lead the majors in slugging percentage. And by not often, I mean never. Chicago White Sox 1B Jose Abreu has done just that. As of Sept. 18, the Cuban defector has mashed 35 homeruns, driven in 103 runs and intimidated pitchers all across the bigs at an astonishing rate.

Other notable candidates include IF/OF Danny Santana of the Twins (.321 BA, .360 OBP, 18 SB), SP Yordano Ventura of the Royals (3.19 ERA, 147 K) and Dellin Betances of the Yankees (1.33 ERA, 132 K, .75 WHIP). All three had stellar seasons and have bright futures, but it’s tough to justify them having a better rookie campaign over Abreu.

The Cuban Missle

National League: Even with the Mets’ lack of success over the past few years, they keep dishing out quality young pitchers. This year’s highlight from that rotation is right-hander Jacob deGrom. The 26-year-old leads all national league rookie starters in a plethora of categories including innings pitched (134.1), ERA (2.68), strikeouts (134), and dazzling locks of long brown hair (too many to count).

The only other notable candidate with enough playing time would be OF Billy Hamilton of the Reds, who has had a great rookie season with 56 stolen bases (with 10 games remaining in the season). Unfortunately, his dazzling speed is the only tool that really stands out. Jacob deGrom takes the cake.

Jacob "Samson" deGrom

In next week’s edition of The Sweet Spot, I will discuss my picks for Cy Young. Feel free to comment your take on the matter.

Stay sweet, friends!

Hope for a Hunter Homecoming

This idea makes too much sense.

Any Hollywood executives reading this can feel free to contact me – I know you’ll be excited.

Are you ready?

Torii Hunter should sign a one year deal with the Twins this offseason.

BOOM.

I’m not saying this because he is my favorite player.

I’m not saying this to pass the time until the playoffs start.

I’m saying this because it makes perfect sense.

And who doesn't miss that smile?

The Minnesota Twins are not good this year. They are on pace to finish dead last in the division yet again. They are too young to compete with the big kids.  And that’s okay.

The aspect that I like about the current state of my Twins is that they are raw.

With that said, it’s time to get cooking.

Terry Ryan, Ron Gardenhire and the rest of the Twins executives have lit the coals, so to speak, but they are stuck in a phase of waiting for things to heat up.

Hunter would act as a bottle of lighter fluid that would ignite this team into something the people want to see – fire.

It's time to bust out the number 48 jerseys

For such a talented yet inexperienced group of players like our current Twins, Hunter would add leadership, spunk and, most importantly, fun to a team that desperately needs it.

Not only that, But Torii Hunter loves to teach his teammates and is good at it. He would be the perfect mentor for the up-and-coming prospects and those who have already made it but are experiencing some growing pains.

Remember about 10 years ago when the Twins had a powerful young left-handed hitter who swung at too many sliders on the outside half of the plate? His name was Justin Morneau, and thanks to Hunter he would go on to belt 221 homeruns during his tenure with the Twins.

For it was Torii who had the guts to get into a scuffle with the struggling and irritable Morneau when his pre-game preparation started to get neglected. The two got into a heated argument, bumped chests a few times but eventually got through it. Though it wasn’t pretty, Hunter got the young first baseman back on track.

Hmmm… a young, powerful left handed batter who strikes out too much. Doesn’t that sound familiar?

Enter Oswaldo Arcia, whose splits against left handed pitchers, though very slowly improving, are downright ugly.

If he had the chance to pick Hunter’s brain on a regular basis, he would mature as a hitter and increase his offensive numbers considerably.

Undoubtedly the funniest guy in the major leagues

And that’s not all.

Just take a look this Christmas list of traits that Torii Hunter would help improve on our team.

He would be a guiding force in the clubhouse.

He would absolutely be an improvement in left field.

He would still supply a few homeruns (he had 17 in 2013 and has 15 so far in 2014).

He would help with the major league transition of Byron Buxton, the most highly-touted prospect the Twins have had since Joe Mauer, just as he did with Mike Trout a few years ago.

He would put fans back in the seats of Target Field. The man continues to get a standing ovation from Twins fans even while being on the opposing team, imagine what they would do if he was on our side.

One last curtain call...

Over the past few off seasons, I wanted the Twins to dish out big free agency contracts for better starting pitching. That’s not the case this year.

All I’m asking of them this year is a comfortable one year, $7.5 million contract so that I can see my old friend where he belongs.

Some of my happiest memories took place at the Metrodome, with a Homer-hanky in my hand and Torii Hunter donning a Twins jersey in the batter’s box.

I’m ready for some new happy memories.

Show me the Mo'ne

A smile almost as smooth as her fastball...

 

I’m sick of hearing jokes about the WNBA.

I’m sick of seeing guys wear a t-shirts that say “Cool story babe, now make me a sandwich…”
I’m sick of seeing the statistics on the disproportionality in female and male sports’ coverage in news programs.

And I’m sick to my stomach thinking that women feel excluded from the sport atmosphere in 2014.

Seeing such extensive coverage on Mo’ne Davis, this year’s Little League World Series phenomenon was a much needed breath of fresh air.

As a 13-year-old, she pitched a complete game shutout at the highest level available to her, and led her team all the way to the national quarterfinals.

That warrants a lot of nationwide attention, and even more respect from sports fans everywhere.

Those with the audacity to say that it is simply a publicity stunt for ESPN to give so much attention to a 13-year-old girl should check the numbers.

Davis is something special.

The stud pitcher arms herself with a fastball that touches 72 MPH, the effect of which would resemble a full-grown adult throwing a ball 95 MPH.

Davis took the mound at Dodger Stadium to throw out the honorary first pitch on Tuesday.
Who followed her? Only Clayton "Best Pitcher on the Earth" Kershaw...  

That is awfully impressive, not just for a female player, but for humans in general.

Her raw talent not only raised her own fame exponentially, but that of her sport as a whole.

In her team’s final game of the tournament, 34,000 fans packed the hosting stadium, with over five million watching on TV according to Sports Media Watch.

By comparison, the average MLB game brings in an average of about 27,500 fans.

Sure, we’re talking about a national tournament compared to the MLB regular season, but it’s still astounding for amateurs to outdraw professionals.

But is all of this attention being paid simply because Davis is a female in a sport and an entire industry that is theoretically built for men?

Well if that’s the case, why isn’t there nearly as much coverage on Kayla Roncin, another 13-year-old young woman in the Little League World Series?

The fact is Davis dominated Sports center on a nightly basis in August because of her likeability, her flair, her determination and most importantly her absolutely filthy fastball.

Not because she lacks a Y chromosome.

Not because she is some glitch in the athletic system.

Not because there was nothing else to talk about in the sporting stratosphere.

She earned it.

Like any other athlete that is recognized for their accomplishments, Mo’ne Davis practiced and polished her athletic gift to the point where she conquered the competition.

I shouldn’t even have to defend her like this. Frankly, I’m relieved that she has been showered with honors over the past few weeks.

I wasn't even reading Sports Illustrated at 13...

From being the youngest athlete ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated to throwing out the honorary first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, I hope that Davis is gladly soaking it all in.

Is she a surefire future major leaguer? Of course not.

But people should stop saying that she is only on the news because she is female, because honestly I’m sick of it.