Why Clayton Kershaw Being NL MVP Makes Total Sense

Clayton Kershaw winning the NL MVP award this year is the definition of a dilemma for me. It truly is. I'm straddling the fence with my feelings about it, constantly going back and forth, mostly between what I know (statistics and who the MVP award is for) and what I feel (who he plays for, why I love the sport, etc.). This is where a For/Against list comes in handy to explain myself, though I'm not sure I will end up feeling much better about this afterward, but I might. Let's try it. It's a process, people.

FOR/AGAINST = WHAT I KNOW

FOR CLAYTON KERSHAW WINNING NL MVP

The Dodgers were 23-4 in games he started this season
The Dodgers won the last 21 games of the season in which he pitched
His ERA was under 2 (!?!?!?!?!?)
His WHIP was under 1 (!?!?!?!?!)
The remainder of the Dodgers rotation pitched to a team ERA of over 4
198 innings pitched is A LOT for a pitcher who missed at least 4 weeks of the season
Hitters were 0-4 with the bases loaded against him THE ENTIRE SEASON
I can't think of any other player on the Dodgers more valuable than he was this season
I can't think of any other pitcher on any other team more valuable than he was this season
He faced more batters than Giancarlo Stanton or Andrew McCutchen had plate appearances (though if neither of them had been hurt this year this wouldn't been made the list)

AGAINST CLAYTON KERSHAW WINNING NL MVP

He missed 4 weeks of the season, only throwing 198 innings
His missing 4 weeks gave him more stamina at the end of the season
He pitched every fifth day

FOR/AGAINST = WHAT I FEEL

FOR CLAYTON KERSHAW WINNING NL MVP

He's the single greatest pitcher I've ever seen in my life
He's one of the reasons I love baseball and pitching specifically
His curveball is the equivalent of baseball porn to me
He's a model athlete: talented, humble, hard-working, fun-loving, not a jerk

AGAINST CLAYTON KERSHAW WINNING NL MVP

He pitches for the Dodgers, duh
Pitchers shouldn't win regular season MVP awards
The Dodgers had Sandy Koufax and Orel Hershiser, they don't need more damn pitching awards
Dodger fans shoving it in Giants fans faces endlessly
Hearing the Justin Verlander comparisons on winning MVP/Cy Young in same season

That might not be much to look at, but the end result helps reiterate why I'm so conflicted on Kershaw winning the MVP award. He's so unbelievably, ridiculously good and plays for a team that I hate with the passion of 1000 suns. Ugh. Just ugh. BUT HOLY CRAP I LOVE WATCHING HIM PITCH SO GOD DAMN MUCH IT HURTS.

National League Wild Card Game: Embrace The Barfiness!

Are the Giants screwed tomorrow? Probably! But let's talk about it because talking is fun. Now is as good a time as any to just get real, especially when it comes to a one-game, do-or-die Wild Card scenario. Most fans probably think their team is screwed and statistically speaking, most of those fans are 50% right. But those fans are also 50% wrong.

Normally, I love to have all kinds of stats to back up my sports-related arguments, especially when it comes to baseball. I don't need BABIP (cool anagram, though) or FIP, but ERA, WHIP, OBP, these stats mean something. Regarding tomorrow's National League Wild Card game though, I can only rely on previous performance and gut instincts. Neither of these factors make me feel very good about the Giants chances against the Pirates, but I don't think my team is necessarily doomed. Here are my "Keys To The Game":

1. PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING: This is a key for both teams and in pretty equal measure. The Giants are facing the "new" Edinson Volquez tomorrow, but even if he is better now than he used to be, he's still the preferred pitcher for the Giants to face over Gerrit Cole or Francisco Liriano. He's the least of all evils, if you will. If Madison Bumgarner pitches as well tomorrow as he's pitched on the road lately, the Pirates could be in a big trouble. He is the guy the Giants want out there and despite loving what Jake Peavy has done for the Giants this second half of the season, Bumgarner is who you want. Bumgarner just has to pound the strike zone (no nibbling or junk pitches!), hope the Pirates swing and miss (close your eyes when McCutchen or Harrison come up) and for God's sake, don't walk anybody. Also, the bullpens for both these teams have been scary good this year, so that's fun.

2. DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE (and DEFENSE!): As with pitching, both the Giants and Pirates are great teams defensively. A one-game playoff will likely be determined by a key defensive play, and I think both teams are ready for that, though perhaps the Pirates slightly more than the Giants. Why? Because the Pirates have won (and lost) a lot of games this season by one or two runs and they know how to win games by that small of a margin. In addition, the Giants are taking a bit of a gamble by putting Travis Ishikawa in left field, which while a better bet than Morse, still might not pay off. So, in that regard, the Pirates have the slight edge. But Ishikawa can hit, so the risk must be taken.

3. KEEP DOING WHAT WORKS: Sounds simple enough, right? Well, maybe. Maybe not. What works for the Giants is solid pitching (giving up 2 runs or fewer), excellent defense and not trying too hard at the plate. Whatever Gregor Blanco has been doing in the second half of the season really works, so hopefully that continues tomorrow. Giants fans also have to hope that Hunter Pence starts hitting again NOW and that good things continue to happen with Joe Panik and Buster Posey. Oh, and Brandon Belt not striking out in key situations would be helpful too. Patience, my good boy. Patience!

4. HOPE MOMENTUM IS REALLY A THING: Is momentum real? An illusion? Who knows, but right now, the Giants definitely have it over the Pirates, for whatever that's worth. The Pirates saw their division crown hopes go up in flames by losing the final series of their season to the Reds, and on a grand slam by a non-power hitter, no less. The Pirates' previously great bullpen made just a few bad pitches, so they lost their chance at the division tie-breaker game against the Cardinals. On the flip side, the Pirates are looking for redemption. Pirates = redemption, Giants = continue momentum. Which is more dangerous to be facing? It's a toss-up.

5. REMEMBER YOUR POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: This is really where the advantage lies for the Giants over the Pirates. And that advantage does count for something, especially when you consider how many 2012 World Series players are still with the Giants now: Crawford, Belt, Posey, Blanco, Pence, Sandoval. Yes, this is a road game for the Giants, but it's not like they haven't been in elimination scenarios before; they OWNED elimination scenarios in 2012. They are as ready for this game as they've been all season.

6. STOP PRETENDING YOU KNOW HOW THIS WILL TURN OUT: This is perhaps the most important key to the game tomorrow. None of us really know how this will go down. We can assume that because of the pitching on both sides that it will be a low-scoring, defense-heavy game. But no one assumed the Giants would do anything in 2010 and 2012, and they have two World Series titles to show for it. Yet it could also be a blowout for either team. Anything could happen at any moment.

It's terrifying. It's exciting. It's vomit-inducing. But it's SO FUN, isn't it? At the very least, isn't it better than the alternative? Because no fan wants a postseason-less year. Or whatever. Go get 'em, boys!

Petit threw a gem and now I kind of believe

After Yusmeiro Petit's near-perfect game against the Diamondbacks last year (it still stings), it seemed feasible he could do something similar in another start against them. This was a Diamondbacks team without Paul Goldschmidt, after all. Save giving up a home run to Ender Inciarte (not a real name, by the way), Petit almost did it again. A complete game on 84 pitches seems impossible, except when you consider who Petit threw it against. Even factoring in the opponent, Petit's performance and Joe Panik's five-hit night makes you believe this team is capable of real greatness. Panik is reminding me so much of Marco Scutaro and Freddy Sanchez that I'm starting to worry, but that's neither here nor there. I won't start to really Panik (get it? hah) until the postseason. While not always consistent, considering what Petit has had to do and in the manner he's had to do it in, he's been fantastic for the Giants. Looking back at the whole season, I consider him one of the most underrated components of the team.

The Giants have a remaining schedule that, except for six games against the Dodgers, makes for a real race in the NL West up until the final day of the regular season. Granted, the Dodgers have an equally "easy" schedule, but they also lost a series to the Cubs this year, and Yasiel Puig is going through a slump. What do we have to do to ensure that that slump lasts through the end of the month? On paper the Dodgers are clearly the better team, but they have the same depth issues the Giants do, just with a crapload more money in their bank account. The Dodgers actually claimed Roberto Hernandez (or Fausto Carmona, whichever you prefer) for some reason and he has been pretty terrible, Josh Beckett probably won't pitch again and Dan Haren is, well, Dan Haren. Relying that heavily on already worn-out pitchers like Kershaw, Greinke (which autocorrected to Grinch! so perfect!) and Ryu might not work out the way they want it in the end. It is the offense you really have to worry about with the Dodgers, especially since Adrian Gonzalez is on a tear again and so is Carl Crawford, kind of. But who can say how long it will last.

If you want a sign that the Dodgers are not that secure with their division lead, look no further than the pitching lineup they have for BOTH of their remaining series against the Giants: Ryu, Grienke, Kershaw. Rinse and repeat. Save Hernandez and Haren for the Padres and Cubs, I suppose. In fact, that's pretty much been their pitching rotation against the Giants most of the season and in light of it, the Giants have done pretty well against their rivals this year. The last series of the year for the Giants is the Padres, which should ring some bells for even more recent Giants fans. It will be a fun second half of the month and if the Giants have more games like last night, they can make a run for it; another NL West title is in their grasp. Will Lincecum pitch against the Padres the last week of September? GOD I HOPE SO!

Cespedes/Lester Trade: Good for Business, Bad for Morale

While the Giants are definitely my team in baseball, I've always liked the A's, especially the last 3 years. Back in May, I discovered there was a weekend September series where the A's were playing the Astros. I was excited about going to the game, mostly because I always wanted to see Jose Altuve in person, but also because I wanted to see Yoenis Cespedes in person. He was one of the main reasons I'd enjoyed the A's so much during the last two years. Despite his short service time, he quickly became "The Face of the Franchise" and probably the only player most baseball fans could name on the A's, or at least those fans who didn't follow the team.

Fast forward to now, September 2014, and the A's are a team down their only Cuban. Giants fans know better than most that pitching wins World Series titles, but it's safe to say that everyone in the baseball world was surprised when Billy Beane traded Cespedes to the Red Sox for postseason pitching king Jon Lester. Even without Lester, the A's pitching staff looked pretty solid, what with the acquisition of Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija before the July 31st deadline. And yes, the A's pitching staff looked far better with Lester on it. That is obvious.

Here is the problem with all of this: at its core, baseball is a business. That fact cannot be denied. It simply is. Billy Beane made a business decision in trading Cespedes and from that standpoint, it was brilliant. Cespedes had one year left on his contract before free agency and Beane traded him when his value was at its highest, in order to gain the highest value back, which he did (despite Lester being a two month rental). The A's would not have been able to keep Cespedes once his contract was done and everyone knew that, so Cespedes departing the A's at some point was inevitable. However, from a morale standpoint, there was nothing good about this trade. Part of the reason the A's had done so well in the last few years, much like the Giants at their peak, was team chemistry. They had the same group of players, no superstars, no divas. Were it not for Justin Verlander, the A's certainly would have gone to the World Series at least twice in the last three years.

So, a month removed from the Cespedes/Lester trade, where are the A's now? Oh, just five games back in the AL West, when prior to the trade they were either first or tied for first. After a short adjustment period, Cespedes seems to be settling in well in Boston, with 24 RBIs in his first 30 games with his new team. If the Red Sox can rebuild next season, he will be a big reason for their likely future success. Of course, timing is everything; Cespedes was traded at a time when many A's players were "coming back down to earth", as many position players do this time of the season. Were the A's struggling before the trade? At times they were, but not to this extent and not at such a crucial time.

Can the A's recover from this mammoth transaction? They seem to think that acquiring Adam Dunn as an end-of-the-season push was an answer to that question, but I'm not so sure. With the pitching that Dunn is likely to see in the postseason, he might not be. But then again, this is the A's, who are experts at turning around seemingly average players into heroes. Who knows.

All of that said, I still don't like the trade. Not one bit.

Sometimes Brian Sabean does know what he's doing...

Everyone has problems with their team's general managers from time to time. It's no big deal. The bigger, more die-hard fan you are, chances are, you'll have gripes with your team's general manager. It is what it is. With Giants' GM Brian Sabean, I've had my fair share of problems over the years. I mean, I'm still bitter about him trading Joe Nathan to the Twins and that was ten years ago. Two World Series titles later, you'd think I would have forgotten or stopped caring - but I haven't. We all have our issues.

Then there are times when Sabean does things that make me want to kiss him; trading Andres Torres for Angel Pagan, or Charlie Culberson for Marco Scutaro. Neither of those trades, by the way, held especially high hopes for me at the time. Scutaro wasn't a young guy anymore and West Coast fans knew little about Pagan. Plus, Giants fans are all about nostalgia and many were nostalgic for Torres' contributions to the 2010 World Series (and for his general cuteness and hustle). Without trying to sound like a biased fan, I think both Pagan and Scutaro needed a change of scenery and a change of fan base. It's amazing what support from your fans can do, and both players seemed to feed off of that in more ways than one in 2012. And on one last note from 2012, even though Hunter Pence was only with the Phillies for one season prior to being a Giant, fans still mourn his loss, along with Pagan's for Mets fans (though more quietly). 

Moving forward to the 2013 offseason, my hopes were only slightly higher for the two players the Giants signed: Tim Hudson and Michael Morse. The market for outfielders last year was pretty dire and the chances of finding a good one were about 50/50. Those odds were even lower for Morse who had a recent history of injuries. His low sticker price eased those fears, but it was still a risk. I'm guessing that Giants management looked at Morse's breakout year in 2011 and thought if there was even a chance he could re-produce that for another team, he was worth signing. As for Tim Hudson, a recent major injury and his age caused some to question a two-year deal for the veteran pitcher. Worst case scenario, I thought Hudson could bring much needed wisdom to the pitching staff, and if healthy, do pretty well. A guy who has never (NEVER, EVER) had a losing season after more than 10 years is probably worth something.

It turns out, Hudson and Morse have both been fantastic. Two months into the season (less than halfway, I realize), Hudson has an ERA of 1.92 and Morse just hit his 11th home run this week. Even factoring in that Hudson will get shelled in a few outings, he has given Giants fans NO reason to panic when that time comes. Morse proves that home runs (or dingers) are indeed contagious and, in large part because of him, the Giants are in the top 5 in baseball in home runs. That's more than ridiculous to any fan who has liked this team for more than five minutes. I can't even properly articulate how surreal that is. Will Morse go through slumps? Sure, but we know all about that. Pence and Posey are the kings of streaky hitting, so we are prepared. Sandoval couldn't pay enough to get a hit a month ago and in the span of two weeks, raised his batting average to almost .250 (from under .200). I refuse to believe that a player who had 31 home runs, 95 RBIs and hit .303 only three years ago couldn't somehow replicate something similar this season.

But then again, who knows. You can't get too excited because it's not even summer yet. What will Hudson's ERA be in July? How many home runs will Morse have hit by September? It's anybody's guess, but I'd wager that the team with the best record in baseball will be doing OK down the line.

Oh, and all this home run talk and I haven't even mentioned Brandon Hicks, who has had more home runs in two months as a Giant (8) than the second baseman he's replacing (Scutaro) has had in the past two seasons.  Regardless of what happens with Hicks, as long as he doesn't go the way of the the last two Giants second baseman (Freddy Sanchez, and, let's face it, Scutaro now too), everything will be fine. I'm just going to keep repeating that to myself until I believe it. His last name doesn't begin with an S, so perhaps we are safe. Let's hope so.

Around The Horn Round Up: May 16, 2014

Just some thoughts from yours truly about today's baseball happenings:

- Only a true Giants fan would think this, but the Dodgers playing the Diamondbacks as often as they do is simply unfair. Irrational on my part, but unfair nonetheless. Puig doesn't need help being Puig.

- We must live in Opposite World, because so far in tonight's Giants game Stanton is 0-4, but Dietrich and Yelich both have home runs. At AT&T Park, no less. Who orchestrated that madness?

- I miss Jarrod Saltalamacchia's curls. I hope he lets them grow throughout the season.

-  Max Scherzer is truly a beast. So is Sonny Gray, but in completely different ways.

- I identified Glen Perkins on TV tonight (closer for the Twins) without thinking about it. Obviously, I have problems. Lots of problems.

-  I dislike the Brewers for no particular reason, other than Ryan Braun. I really dislike them now because he's been hurt and yet they still manage to win. Ugh.

- Today was the first day in what felt like forever that there was no Red Sox or Yankees game on TV. Amazing.

- I was surprised to learn today that LaTroy Hawkins still has a job. With the Rockies. Where was I when this occurred?

- Miguel Tejada could be coming back to the majors this year. This confuses me for more reasons than I can count. Then again, Casey McGehee is back in the majors, which is doubly confusing.

- Zack Grienke is ridiculously good and I really wish he'd just stop. Like, once or three times. I'm not picky.

- My blog format wanted to correct my spelling of "Grienke" with "grinch." That's sort of awesome.

This concludes today's Around The Horn Round Up for May 16, 2014. Hope I'm still cool with y'all.

Madison Bumgarner is my spirit animal

Madison Bumgarner is the kind of person who makes me think back to what I was doing with my life at his age. He gets me thinking about these things, which is both good and bad. Not many players have made me think about that, because most baseball players are just players. Even some of the greats, even some of my favorites, are more or less just players. Of course, I have an inexplicable affinity for pitchers in particular, but that's not why Madison Bumgarner stands out to me. He has an unbelievable resume for a player who can't even legally rent a car in California yet. And recently, he yet again did something that most pitchers never do in their lifetimes: hit a grand slam. I personally think he was mad at himself for giving up a three run homer to Carlos Gonzalez and needed to let off some steam, which may or may not be why he hit that grand slam. But he hit a grand slam in a park that hasn't seen many grand slams, let alone by pitchers. Madison did not have his sharpest stuff on the mound that night, but he got through six innings and then gave his team the lead with his bat. He did his job.

So we know where Madison Bumgarner is now, in 2014, but what else has he done in his short career that's so impressive? Thrown multiple games with 10 strikeouts or more, pitched a 0.00 ERA in two World Series starts (14 innings of scoreless ball, y'all), been in the top 5 in WHIP in the National League for two seasons or more, pitched the most innings per start of pretty much any Giant since he's been one (200 innings or more in each of his three full seasons). And as far as I can tell, this was a guy who was drafted without much fanfare, out of high school. Matt Cain was the top dog when Bumgarner came along, both Southern boys drafted from nowhere high schools. Both turned out to be instrumental to the Giants winning two World Series titles in three years.

With better run support, Bumgarner would have a stellar win-loss record, but instead he has an average one, having won his 50th career start earlier this season. His Ks/9, ERA and WHIP stats tell a better story than his win-loss record. He has pitched some absolute gems that either ended in losses or no-decisions. While so many people have said that Matt Cain would be the next Giants next Cy Young winner, at this point, I'm more comfortable saying that Madison Bumgarner will be. And I'm not the only one. After just three full seasons, he is widely regarded as one of the best left handed pitchers in the National League, as well as in the Majors. Now that Matt Cain has thrown a perfect game and Tim Lincecum has thrown a no-hitter (past his prime, by the way), Bumgarner seems poised to do either one of these things, or more than likely, both.

Then there is Madison's personality to consider, which is one of the (many) things I like about him. He is a no nonsense, quiet young man who never seems to cave under pressure. He never makes excuses for his pitching, always points out his teammate's accomplishments, and is humble for someone who has accomplished so much at the age of 24. In his spare time, he tends to an entire ranch in his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina, where he ropes calves and is probably an above average horseman. When he lived with fellow lefty pitcher Jeremy Affeldt after first coming to the Giants, he was rumored to have roped his roommate's furniture when he was bored. He is not your average pitcher. And that is why Madison Bumgarner is my spirit animal. I can only imagine the other reasons for this as his career continues. The possibilities for him truly are endless.

Why I love and hate Spring Training...

Derek Law

Ah, it's that time of year again. The long Winter is starting to thaw (for most of us anyway), it's just about Spring, which means it's time for Spring Training. That most blessed and cursed of times for any baseball fan. It's the one time of year when baseball is TV and I'm not necessarily watching every minute of it (perish the thought!). I like to think of not watching as much baseball when it's on TV as fasting in preparation for a big meal, in order to enjoy what's to come. And there is so much to enjoy.

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to like about Spring Training, just as there is an equal amount to hate about it. I like seeing minor leaguers who have worked their asses off get a chance to play in a Spring Training game and get to know "the next generation" (as it were) of young players. But let's not kid ourselves here: Spring Training doesn't mean anything. Whatsoever. Manager Bobby Cox said it best: "There are always a lot of Hank Aarons in Spring Training." I try to heed those wise words when I get too excited about certain players. For the most part, the only people to whom Spring Training really matters are the minor leaguers looking for a spot on their respective major league team. But sometimes I think that teams are simply bating certain players by letting them play in Spring Training games. Who am I referring to at the moment? Oh, I don't know, maybe former Giants outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Why would the Indians let him play in any of the games right now? He's competing for a spot in an already crowded outfield, with Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, David Murphy and Ryan Rayburn already vying for the job. It just seems cruel. The Giants are also guilty of doing this, putting Roger Kieschnick in the outfield right now, like he will actually make the team come April. If he is the future of the Giants, count me out. Then again, look at the Dodgers; they too have a crowded outfield and it already looks like Carl Crawford is fielding his way out of a starting spot. But I digress.

Edwin Escobar

On the plus side, for the Giants at least, is the surplus of top-notch minor league pitching. For a team whose farm system has suffered in the past few years, they seem to have no problem churning out quality pitchers right now - Kyle Krick (love that name!), Edwin Escobar, Clayton Blackburn, Derek Law, Heath Hembree, Jake Dunning. It's a pitching bonanza! And considering the potential state of the Giants pitching rotation in the years to come, it's happening not a moment too soon. I'm never concerned about having too many pitchers, what with the Giants injuries last season. Bullpen depth, especially, is crucial for the Giants this season. It's too early to tell what the Opening Day lineup will look like for the Giants, but I'm definitely curious to find out. March may feel like as long a month as February did. Sigh.