Link Hangout

We got buckets full of Mike Trout and his MVP chase, Vernon Wells disappearing behind a wall and, Ozzie Guillen backing up Yunel Escobar? Oh man, this can only end in catastrophe. I guess the baseball Gods didn’t appreciate the way the Angels line danced all over the Rangers last night. They just have to keep everything on an even keel don’t they. Oh, and by the way, in case you didn’t notice the Red Sox clinched their first losing season in 15 years last night. With that, I am not disappoint.

‘s reaction says it all.

Trout or Cabrera? McCutchen or Posey? MLB awards awash in controversy

Controversy was probably not the right word to use, but, players who seemed like slam dunks a month ago have had the pack get close as the season winds down. I still think Trout is the MVP (we’ll get to this in a little bit), but unless Jered Weaver can get to 20 wins and woo the voters, I’m pretty sure his hopes of a Cy Young trophy have vanished.

Money Quote:

"Stat to know: 63. Trout can become the third rookie in 63 years to lead the league in batting average and stolen bases, previously accomplished by Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and Jackie Robinson for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949."

No pressure Prince Fish.

Ian Kinsler Hits Ball Over Fence, Vernon Wells Follows

Hey look, it’s Vernon Wells trying to be like Mike Trout. You know what we need though? We need an Angels blog’s take on this….

GIF: VERNON WELLS TRIES TO ROB A HOME RUN AND FAILS IN STANDARD VERNON WELLS FASHION

Well, as luck would have it, Monkey With a Halo is all over it.

Can Miggy win MVP and Triple Crown?

Ok, first things first. If Miguel Cabrera wins the Triple Crown, even I would have a tough time not voting for him. However, we are not to that point yet. Mr. Morosi however just wants to give that distinction away and bury Mike Trout under a sea of hype. In this day and age in baseball, basic counting stats are nice, but with the sabremetrics community making strides on a regular basis to crunch the numbers so that we can identify value better, even if it is just a fraction better, there is absolutely no reason to disregard those advances. *Woosah*

Money Quote:

"And remember that the MVP award, as per the BBWAA voting criteria, recognizes the “actual value of a player to his team.” For Cabrera, Fielder’s presence in Detroit is part of that value. If Cabrera hadn’t been willing to move from first base to third base during the offseason, Fielder probably would be a Dodger or Ranger. (Believe it or not, Cabrera is playing decently at third.)"

Really? so his -0.4 dWAR means nothing then? By the way, Mike Trout’s dWAR, 2.6.

This article kind of makes you wish someone would put Morosi in his place with a rebuttal but, where could I find such an article?

Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, and Measuring Value

Well, wouldn’t you know it, Fangraphs is all over it.

Yunel Escobar suspension: Ozzie Guillen can relate

If I am Yunel Escobar, the last person that I want coming to my rescue in regards to public relations is Ozzie Guillen. Honestly, is there a worse person in baseball today when it comes to PR?

Money Quote:

"“I think this kid did it without intending to hurt anybody. I think he did it just for fun. But in our country we do that,” Guillen said. “I know he didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings. Nobody is that stupid.“To be honest with you, in my house we say that word every 20 seconds. I got three kids. It’s how you say it.”"

I don’t care how you say it Ozzie, it’s still a word that should simply go away.

And now, in honor of the Red Sox failing so fantastically, I present to you a Bobby Valentine argument with a classic ending.