Comments on: MVP-a-palooza, Part…Three-za? Whatever. http://umpbump.com/press/2008/09/30/mvp-a-palooza-partthree-za-whatever/ In-your-face baseball commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:48:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Sarah Green http://umpbump.com/press/2008/09/30/mvp-a-palooza-partthree-za-whatever/comment-page-1/#comment-56877 Sarah Green Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:52:00 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3021#comment-56877 One more thing. I am getting the sense this year that a torch has been passed. (Warning: this is based on nothing but a strange feeling in my gut that could just as easily be a hankering for a tuna melt.) Jason Varitek may still wear that "C," but I think Dustin Pedroia is the new spirit of this team. Just my random meanderings. One more thing. I am getting the sense this year that a torch has been passed. (Warning: this is based on nothing but a strange feeling in my gut that could just as easily be a hankering for a tuna melt.) Jason Varitek may still wear that “C,” but I think Dustin Pedroia is the new spirit of this team. Just my random meanderings.

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]]> By: Sarah Green http://umpbump.com/press/2008/09/30/mvp-a-palooza-partthree-za-whatever/comment-page-1/#comment-56876 Sarah Green Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:49:40 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3021#comment-56876 I was more trying to point out that if Mauer gets credit for carrying his team to surprising victory (as others in this space have), then Pedroia also has to get credit for preventing his team from suffering surprising defeat. But no, if Boston had suffered all the injuries they did suffer *and* had lost Pedroia too, no, I don't think they would've made the playoffs. I see your point, but I really, honestly don't think they'd have made it. Though if someone had told me in April that Boston would suffer injuries to Lowell, Ortiz, Drew, and Beckett--and lose Manny!--I probably wouldn't have predicted a playoff berth either. While those around him were on and off the DL or eating crazy cereal for breakfast, Pedroia was one of the few guys there for nearly every single game, and playing nearly every single game like a demon. A tiny, balding demon. Not to take away anything from Alex Cora. I was more trying to point out that if Mauer gets credit for carrying his team to surprising victory (as others in this space have), then Pedroia also has to get credit for preventing his team from suffering surprising defeat.

But no, if Boston had suffered all the injuries they did suffer *and* had lost Pedroia too, no, I don’t think they would’ve made the playoffs. I see your point, but I really, honestly don’t think they’d have made it. Though if someone had told me in April that Boston would suffer injuries to Lowell, Ortiz, Drew, and Beckett–and lose Manny!–I probably wouldn’t have predicted a playoff berth either.

While those around him were on and off the DL or eating crazy cereal for breakfast, Pedroia was one of the few guys there for nearly every single game, and playing nearly every single game like a demon. A tiny, balding demon.

Not to take away anything from Alex Cora.

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]]> By: Paul Moro http://umpbump.com/press/2008/09/30/mvp-a-palooza-partthree-za-whatever/comment-page-1/#comment-56866 Paul Moro Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:32:02 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3021#comment-56866 "Without Dustin Pedroia, does anyone seriously think the Red Sox would have even made the playoffs?" The Red Sox won the Wild Card by six games. Do you think that Pedroia made that much of a difference compared to whomever would have been there in his stead? I think it takes a Bonds-ian year for one player to have that much impact over a team's W-L record. And your argument would also hold true for a lot of White Sox players, who needed a 163rd game to get in. Without Thome/Danks/Vazquez/Quentin/Dye/Ramirez/Cabrera/Pierzynski/Floyd - they may not have gotten in either. “Without Dustin Pedroia, does anyone seriously think the Red Sox would have even made the playoffs?”

The Red Sox won the Wild Card by six games. Do you think that Pedroia made that much of a difference compared to whomever would have been there in his stead? I think it takes a Bonds-ian year for one player to have that much impact over a team’s W-L record.

And your argument would also hold true for a lot of White Sox players, who needed a 163rd game to get in. Without Thome/Danks/Vazquez/Quentin/Dye/Ramirez/Cabrera/Pierzynski/Floyd – they may not have gotten in either.

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