Like most people with 9-5 jobs, we umpbumpers like to email each other rather than do actual work. Today’s email topic: the MVP voting, and specifically Umpbump’s MVP selections.

Paul: So just looking over our MVP picks so far, i realized something – why aren’t there more MVP candidates out west? So far, the only one of us to mention a player west of Houston was Nick’s pick of Martin. We’ve had Pujols, Berkman, Han-Ram, Utley, Howard, Chipper, Beltran, Mauer, Pedroia, Quentin, A-Rod, Youk, Huff, Sizemore, Halladay, and Martin.

Sarah: well let’s think–the NL West sucked so hard you can’t really have an MVP from any of those teams, I think. While I love Martin, I don’t think he really had that kind of year—the obvious MVP on that team in the second half was Manny Ramirez, without whom they would not be in the playoffs. But Manny disqualified himself by being a dick. Then there’s the AL West. First, the Angels. Whom would you pick from them? Again, the player who has carried them down the stretch was Tex, a midseason acquisition. Their starting pitchers have been the season-long key for them, but I don’t think any of them has had the kind of year that could crack the position-player-heavy MVP. The Rangers had some tantalizing players, but a) didn’t make the playoffs and b) don’t have a real clear candidate. Bradley didn’t play in enough games (IMNSHO) and the sentimental fave in July, then-triple-crown threat Josh Hamilton, faded during the second half. I think we generally have an East Coast bias on UmpBump, but I also think the West is just weak right now in both leagues. :-/

Paul: I came really close to putting Hamilton at #4 on my list. I wouldn’t say he faded in the second half. He still OPSed .874, which isn’t that much worse than his first half. I just think the media stopped caring because it had ceased to be a novelty story.  And voting for Lincecum isn’t a terrible idea.

Coley: I didn’t vote for Hamilton because he played for the Rangers and the Rangers sucked this season. They finished 21 games out of first place and four games under .500. I don’t think a player’s team needs to make the postseason in order for that player to get my vote. But the team does have to be good, and the Rangers weren’t good. The Cardinals were good, they just got stuck in a tough division. Ditto the Astros.

Paul: Texas was -66 in run differential. Houston was -31. and yes, the al west sucked. but they still had to play al central and east teams. so i think the two cancel out. To me, there’s not that big of a difference between the two teams. Besides, the Rangers led the AL in scoring. It’s not Hamilton’s fault that the pitchers are terrible.

Coley: I don’t use run differential when I evaluate if a team was good or not. I use wins and losses. And I agree it wasn’t hamilton’s fault that his team’s pitching was bad. But the reality is good players on bad teams don’t get MVP consideration. That’s how we’ve chosen to interpret the word “valuable.” If you want to argue that we should reconsider our interpretation of valuable, I’m all for it. Frankly, I’d go a step further and argue that we should get rid of the MVP award and give a Player of the Year award instead.

Paul: Ah. Therein lies the differences. I didn’t pick who I thought would win. I picked who I thought should, and W-L records and the talent level of his teammates don’t factor into my decisions. If you disagree, that’s fine, not gonna argue.

Coley: I didn’t pick who I thought would win. I picked who I thought should win based on what have become nearly universal standards: that a player is awesome, and that his team is a winner. Again, I think the latter standard is silly. But it doesn’t make any sense to ignore it, when everyone with a vote thinks it’s important.

Paul: i think you’ll at least agree that conventional wisdom isn’t always correct. and if you personally think it’s silly, why can’t you ignore it?

Coley: You’re probably right, Paul. It does make sense to ignore conventional wisdom if you don’t agree with it. You’ll probably sleep better at night. But the price you pay for ignoring the realities of MVP voting is that your opinions may be easier to ignore.

Paul: touche.

Yesterday, Paul sent an email to the Umpbump staff, announcing the day’s big news: Newsday was reporting that Roger Clemens was banging a country singer. The following is the contents of the resulting email thread.

Sarah: WHOAH! This is huge! Peter Gammons has, I think, touted Clemens as the ultimate faithful husband when all his teammates were sleeping with groupies!

Coley: Sarah, can you track down that Peter Gammons article? I think that would be something people would find interesting.

Sarah: You know, i may have been mistaken about that. I read later that it was Canseco who said that in his book…so while I do have this memory of hearing it from the lips of P-Gam, he may only have been repeating the words of Canseco. Or I just screwed up who said it in my mind, making this the first time anyone has ever confused Peter Gammons with Jose Canseco. Either way, I don’t think Gammons put it in an article. I think he was just talking. But they did write a book together back in the 80s.

Sarah: Also, this guy is a total douchebag. It’s a huge non story?!?! What planet is he on?

Paul: All Wallace Matthews ever does is complain. He’s one of the top examples of why mainstream NYC sports media sucks. Well, him and Mike & the Maddog.

Sarah: This may be my favorite line:

“The fact that she was 15 and he 28? Well, that one is a little tougher to get around, but these days, 15 is the new 30.”

Gross, gross, gross!

“With all due respect to my good friends at the New York Daily News, aside from the age of his alleged mistress at the time of their meeting, this is one big non-story, important to all of four people on planet Earth – Mindy McCready, the woman in question; Brian McNamee, who is being sued by Clemens for defamation; and Mr. and Mrs. Roger Clemens of Katy, Texas.”

Right, and Congress! And anyone who read the Mitchell Report! And anyone who watched Clemens’ testimony on television!!!!

And why does he keep talking about Miley Cyrus?! Has she really invaded every last corner of the earth?!?

Coley: Sarah, now that Miley Cirus has been photographed wearing a sheet, it’s now permissable to have sex with 15-year-old girls. Didn’t you hear?

[Scandalous Miley Cyrus photos after the jump. Go on, click it. You know you want to. Perv.]

Read the rest of this entry »