My source was baseballreference.com and per that you are correct... and young Clayton is exactly the stud we all know and love...
Considering what you said about hearing it from multiple sources I would almost bet money that those sources said it wrong, because we all know sports journalism sucks dicks, for the most part. But leave it to me to poke a sharp stick in your eye.
Opponents hit .197 against Kershaw this year. That's like having AJ Ellis take every at bat for seven to nine innings, and to do that over the course of 27 games during the season. But with a lot fewer walks.
Same, but I can't think of anyone who has been nearly as valuable as Kershaw has been for us in the NL.
I agree. Just look at the league leaders in the NL (pitching and hitting). No one has come close to CK this year. Season for the ages....
I'm not against pitchers winning the MVP. If you're the most valuable player in your league, you're the most valuable player in your league and position shouldn't matter. Of course, anyone who only plays in 20% of their team's games needs to stand out more than others. Kershaw fits that bill.
Exactly this. The award goes to the most valuable player, and a pitcher is a player. The fact that the Cy Young excludes position players has no bearing on the MVP. Do they exclude pitchers when they decide the MVP of the Division or Championship Series, or the World Series for that matter? No, they don't. As Cole Hamels, Curt Shilling, and Randy Johnson among others will tell you.
27 isn't even 20% of 162 games. I am not one for giving pitchers MVP's but even worse is a pitcher who spends over a month on DL no matter how well he pitched the rest of the time.
Maybe its because I'm a Dodger fan, but it's hard for me to put much stock in that when we are talking about a player who will lead the majors in wins and the NL in WAR by more than a game over anyone else (pitcher or position player). It's not called the MVnon-pitchingP award. I actually hate the MVP award because it has no defined criteria. Some people won't vote for pitchers no matter what. Others won't vote for players on non-playoff teams. Arbitrary criteria that will drastically affect voting from person to person for no real reason. I wouldn't mind seeing the Hank Aaron Award get more run, since that is really the hitter equivalent of the Cy Young. And MVP (in all sports) should be renamed Player of the Year. And in the NL, this year, without question, Clayton Kershaw was the Player of the Year
If it were the player of year I'd understand giving it to kershaw but it's MVP and in my mind any pitcher can't fill that role. For as good as kershaw was, take his 21-3 record, replace him with a 12-12 guy and the dodgers still make the playoffs the way things panned out in NL. Should pitchers be eligible? Sure and they are but in my opinion anyone who votes for a pitcher to win MVP should have their voting privaledge revoked.
Your last statement is a contradiction. Either you think they should be eligible or not. It sounds like you think they should not be eligible. Which is your opinion, and there are voters who agree with you. But nowhere does it say they are ineligible, so that's what I go by. I've always thought pitchers should get more consideration for MVP. As far as it not being a big deal if the Dodgers had 9 less wins, I disagree. There's a significant difference between #2 division champion and #2 wildcard. That's huge. Not to mention, we'd still be battling Milwaukee for that final spot - if one of those 9 additional losses was the game where Kershaw beat Milwaukee, there'd only be one game separating us, otherwise it would be 2.
Agreed the difference in a wildcard and a home field spot is huge but the fact is they are still in it. As far eligibility, I can see how it's a contradiction but the subtlety is a general rule and my personal opinion. I will take my stand but not dictate that should be the rule. While a completely different situation, I think abortion should be legal, personally I will never support one and speak my mind against a woman having one. One stance is big picture, the other isn't.
Did the 12-12 guy go 12-1 against the NL West? If he didn't, then the Dodgers probably didn't win the West. in my opinion anyone who votes for a pitcher to win MVP should have their voting privaledge revoked. Translation: No Yankee pitcher has ever won the MVP. Btw, Dodger pitchers to wn the MVP? = 3 (and counting.)
I didn't say they would have won their division, I said they would still be in the playoffs. As for the pitchers winning the MVP, you've got me there, I'll just have to live with members of my team having won 10 more MVPs than the dodgers have ever seen and just a few more titles, including several in the last 30 or so years.
P.S. to my last post.....maybe you don't have me, looks like one of the Yankees 22 MVPs was won by a pitcher, 1943 Spud Chandler. You can however, still brag about having beaten the Yankees in something. Enjoy.