Washington Nationals fans have been waiting for this since 2012. This was the year that Bryce Harper would fulfill his destiny and become the National League MVP while leading the Nats to greatness.
Unfortunately for Nats fans, Harper has delivered, whereas nearly everyone else in the organization, all the way up to GM Mike Rizzo, has failed.
If you don’t know by now, Ichiro Suzuki — arguably the best natural hitter in modern baseball — tied Ty Cobb with his 4,191st hit this past Friday. If you are not on social media (why you aren’t following @UofDWayne on Twitter or thewayniac on Instagram by now is astonishing, so do it!) you probably aren’t aware of the backlash that Ichiro’s seemingly innocent single off of Jaime Garcia has created.
Does Ichiro deserve to be MLB’s All Time Hit King? Find out…
When it comes to Major League baseball my friend Jay is second to none. He isn’t simply one of the more knowledgeable when it comes to baseball, he’s one of the angriest fans you’ll meet. Especially when a sportscaster brings up a highly questionable comparison. That’s why I wasn’t surprised by the texts I received this weekend.
Jay: Dude, I have your next blog for you.
Wayniac: I told you I’m not blogging about my thoughts on the new Braves stadium, it’s too controversial.
Jay: Whatever, I’m not talking about that. Check this out. You know I love Trout, but Greg Amsinger on MLB Network just said if Mike Trout wins the MVP again it is the greatest start ever to a career.
Wow. That is a pretty bold statement. So bold that it has gotten The Wayniac riled up a bit. Like Jay, I love Mike Trout. He is one of my keepers on my fantasy team (due to a ridiculous steal of trade concocted by my partner in crime JD) and he is one of the most exciting athletes to watch in sports.
But, what is defining Trout’s start as “the greatest ever”? Back-to-back MVP Awards? Certainly not back-to-back All Star Game MVP Awards, is it?
Jay: Those awards are given by voters. I’d rather go with most home runs through first four seasons or steals, or anything measurable. I don’t care about awards.
He’s right. The MVP Award, whether it is in the regular season, post season, or All Star Game is usually skewed. I mean, come on, Mariano Rivera won the All Star Game MVP three games ago for registering a hold.
Plus, there is always a bias when voters are involved. The Kansas City Royals currently have the best record in the American League. They have a very good shot at repeating as the AL pennant winners, and Lorenzo Cain is a large reason for that. Do you think he stands a chance against Trout at the end of the year? Trout puts up sick numbers, makes those big time wow plays in the outfield, and is just so darn likable.
That being said, the second Jay told me about that statement, I was able to think of five guys in the not so distant past that have had — at the very least — equal starts to their career. Should Trout win that second MVP Award, his trophy cabinet will be the fullest over the shortest amount of time, but greatest start to a career? That’s questionable.
Two things I am excluding from the list below are steroid use and pitchers. I don’t care to hear any of these well they played in the Steroid Era debates. Take a look at the Minor Leagues. There are close to 100 suspensions, many from PEDs. The Steroid Era is still alive and well, and that makes Trout a part of it — although I have no question he is clean. It happened, it’s part of the history, so it has to enter discourse.
Secondly, if hardware is all that matters, Dwight Gooden had one of the sickest starts to any career I have ever seen. Rookie of the Year in 1984, Cy Young in 1985 and a World Series ring in 1986. Let’s not forget that Dr. K’s 1985 season is still one of the sickest pitched seasons I have ever witnessed and he was only 20 years old. A league leading 24 wins to just four losses, a league leading 1.53 ERA, a league leading 16 complete games, eight shutouts, a league leading 268 strikeouts and a 0.96 WHIP. And I reiterate… he was 20 years old. For you SABR junkies, his WAR was nearly 12. It is widely considered one of the single greatest seasons in history. Hardware, history and a World Series ring. Not too shabby.
FIVE STARTS THAT RIVAL MIKE TROUT’S
Howard won Rookie of the Year in 2005 while only playing in 88 games. He blasted 22 home runs in just 312 at bats. That’s a home run every 14.2 at bats compared to Trout’s 18.6 rookie year average.
Howard would never stop hitting home runs, as he would take home the NL MVP Award in 2006 with a league leading 58 home runs and 149 RBI. He wouldn’t win an All Star Game MVP Award, but he would win the Home Run Derby that year, which has to count for something. At the end of Howard’s fourth season — in which Trout is amid right now — he would lead the NL in home runs and RBI again and win a World Series ring.
By the time Howard finished his fifth season, he would be back in the World Series and become the quickest player in history to reach 200 home runs. That’s a pretty good start to a career.
Did he cheat? Yup. Is he a bit of a nut job? You tell me.
I didn’t lose any toes mowing the lawn well maybe my pinky toe but that one doesn’t matter
— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) July 19, 2015
But there was no denying that Canseco was one of the most fun players to watch in the late 80s on one of the most dominant teams of that era. Canseco would win Rookie of the Year in 1986 and two years later would become baseball’s first 40/40 guy en route to the 1988 AL MVP Award. He would get injured (out of juice?) in his fourth season, but returned right in time to slash .357/.500/.571 with a home run in the World Series. Not a bad first four years either, ay?
Derek Jeter
Am I a homer? So what? Derek Jeter lived every little kid’s fantasy. He won a World Series in four of his first five seasons. Not only was he on some of the best teams of the 90s, he was the centerpiece of them and the spark that made their engine go.
Jeter won Rookie of the Year in 1996 and would go on to hit .361 in his first postseason with a very memorable home run (thanks Jeffrey Maier). He would “digress” in ’97, but comeback with two of his best seasons in ’98 and ’99. Jeter would make history in his fifth season by being the first player to win All Star Game MVP and World Series MVP honors in the same season.
Is his trophy case filled with shiny MVP Awards or fancy bats commemorating other honors? No, no it isn’t. But his hand is certainly too heavy to point that out to you with all those damn rings on it.
Talk about an unreal start to a career? Pujols was amazing. If you were a baseball fan at the turn of the millennium, when you watched Albert Pujols play, you thought you were watching a kid rewriting history.
He won Rookie of the Year (notice the trend?) and would start his career by going 12 — TWELVE — straight seasons before hitting less than 30 home runs. He wouldn’t win an NL MVP Award in his first four years, but he did win the 2003 Major League Player of the Year Award as well as the 2004 NLCS MVP.
Pujols quickly became the heart of the St. Louis lineup, known for his monster power and uncanny ability to hit over .330. People often forget that he led the league in runs scored three years in a row.
Now Trout’s team mate and possibly his stiffest competition for the 2015 MVP Award, Pujols’s first four seasons ended with the following stat line: .333, 500 runs scored, 160 home runs and 504 RBI. That’s not just good, that’s video game good.
People either love him or hate him, but Buster Posey has been Jeter-esque to start his career.
Guess what? Posey won Rookie of the Year in 2010 and would pretty much instantly become the centerpiece of baseball’s current dynasty. Posey would hit .300 with a home run as a 23-year old rookie in the World Series and start a run of winning three rings in his first five years.
Posey was mangled in a play at the plate in his second season and the Giants would miss the playoffs in their title defense. He would return in 2012, win the NL batting title, NL Comeback Player of the Year Award, the NL MVP and his second World Series title. Posey would belt yet another home run in that World Series victory against the Tigers.
Jay: Buster’s start has been pretty damn good and I hate Buster. If Trout gets another MVP, Buster could trade him one of his World Series rings for it… and still have more rings than Trout.
If hardware is what matters, I’ll take an MVP Award and three World Series rings over consecutive All Star Game MVPs and back-to-back AL MVPs. Trout is an absolute stud. I can’t argue that he isn’t the best player in the game right now, because that he is. But to say with such confidence that his will be the greatest start to a career — especially when Pujols put up better numbers, Jeter won more rings, and Posey became immortal — is a bit unfair.
It’s poked its ugly head again. That age old question — well not age old, just 42-years old — of should both leagues use the designated hitter in Major League baseball?
Last night, saw yet another abnormality in the rule as the MLB All Star Game was played in a National League park, with the National League owning home field privileges behind the San Francisco Giants World Series championship and yet the DH was used.
What if I told you everything you ever knew about sports was a complete lie?
Don’t be so dramatic, Morpheus. But seriously, folks. What if some of the biggest truths you have been force fed by the media and disenchanted fans turned out to be a total lie?
Pedro Martinez. The newest Hall of Famer was one of my biggest nemesis growing up a New York Yankees fan. The fragile, little righty could pitch like no one else, especially in his time with the Boston Red Sox. He was a guy who you loved to hate, but secretly hated to admit you loved.
I had seen Pedro pitch at the old Stadium a few times. But in 2002, I got a call from a friend that had gotten free tickets from work to see the Red Sox at Fenway host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (this is 2002, remember, they were still satanic). It was July, I was a teacher at the time, so having nothing better to do, I hopped in the car and took her up on the offer.
It was my first time in Fenway Park. I didn’t wear any of my Yankees gear, not because I am necessarily afraid, but they simply weren’t playing and I’m not that guy. I did want to see Pedro get shelled though. Man, did I see the complete polar opposite.
We were about 15 rows behind home plate, not too shabby for my first game experience at one of the most legendary dumps in the history of baseball. And I’m not saying that as a Yankees fan/ Red Sox hater. I think Red Sox players will agree that Fenway is a dump. It’s ancient. The ambience they have there is almost like they want you to feel like your in 1918 (remember in 2002, that was the last time they won).
I remember the first inning like it was yesterday. The top half of the first seemed like it took Pedro 30 seconds. After a 2-pitch ground out, he blew away the next two batters. Then, in the bottom half of the first, good ol’ Trot Nixon blasted a two run homer, driving in Johnny Damon and the game was over. No lie, it would be a massacre.
Pedro got in trouble once, ONCE, all night. I don’t even know why I say all night as it wasn’t even completely dark by the time we left. He let up a lead-off single to this young rookie playing in his seventh career game named Carl Crawford. He walked someone, I can’t remember who, but of course struck out the next batter and the inning was over. Two more batters would reach the entire game, and I’m pretty sure it was Randy Winn both times if my memory serves correctly!
Pedro would go 8 innings, allowing three baserunners (one on a rare walk) and strikeout 11. The entire game took just over two hours. My one and only experience at Fenway Park was shorter than sitting at a movie. At first I was pissed, but then I realized I saw the greatness that Pedro was, and I saw it on his turf.
Pedro somehow lost his bid at his fourth Cy Young that year to Barry Zito (imagine a young fan reading this and not being able to comprehend that Barry Zito was actually a Cy Young winner!). Martinez went 20-4 with a 2.26 ERA, 239 strikeouts and a microscopic 0.97 WHIP. He was insane.
But that was Pedro being Pedro. At his best he was untouchable, at his worst, you hoped to sneak by one run. And now he is in his rightful place in the Hall of Fame. He had an amazing career. I wish it wasn’t primarily on the Red Sox, even though my Yanks got some revenge in the 2009 World Series when they tagged him for 7 runs over his two starts with the Phillies. Always remember who your daddy is, Pedro.
Another week is in the books, folks. It’s hard to believe there are only six weeks left in the 2014 year. That means you are six weeks from the First Annual Wayniac Nation Wacky YEAR in Sports. I know, you can hardly contain yourself.
The MLB helped begin to wrap some stuff up as it’s year-end awards had one superstar doubling up on some shiny new hardware. College football saw some history, a few upsets and the return of a once Heisman hopeful. College hoops kicked off their season and Syracuse is undefeated! Six teams with at least seven wins saw action in the NFL on yet another crazy Sunday and Kobe Bryant proved that you can in fact miss shots you don’t take, and thousands of more that you do.
It was certainly another interesting week in the world of sports. It turns out that everyone’s favorite baseball player Alex Rodriguez is a total liar. The Memphis Grizzlies, The Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors are the three best teams in the NBA and that has me freaked out a little bit. There were a few more big upsets and nail-biters in college football on the heels of Division I’s first playoff season. And the Bears played some solid defense in prime time on Sunday Night Football.
It’s hard to believe that we are a third of the way through the NFL season. It’s hard to believe we are halfway through October! It’s even harder to comprehend what’s going on in the ALCS! That being said, we sports fans certainly had another eventful week in sports. College football was a bit tamer, walk-offs, and late inning heroics continue to shine in baseball and Peyton Manning keeps throwing touchdowns. He’s no Joe Flacco, however (Go BLUE HENS!)
WOW! The only way this week could get any wackier would be if Kirk Cousins came out and dropped 500 yards and six touchdowns on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. The BCS got turned upside down as Mississippi became the greatest state in the nation. The Dodgers untouchable ace got lit up and the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals are in the ALCS. You can reread that again five times and it will make no more sense than it did the first time.
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