what's up, Brantley fans? i've got a quick post for you because today, on December 2, it was publicized that Michael had been nominated for the 2018 Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award. unfortunately, he didn't win. instead, Cleveland's franchise leader in saves, former Indians closer/now free agent Cody Allen was named the winner of this annual award for his assistance off the field. congrats, Cody!👏
the Good Guy Award has been given out by the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America since 1968. it is bestowed upon the Indians' player, coach, manager, or team employee who understands the media's job when it comes to covering a baseball team, per Paul Hoynes' article on cleveland.com. more specifically, the recipients of this honor are known for always being accommodating and reliable with the local media, as well as accountable, approachable, and insightful whether after having a good game or bad game. (source: Anthony Castrovince's mlb.com article.) that absolutely described Allen this year, as he never shied away from reporters when he was going through tough times. his selection was well-deserved.👍
the naming of this particular award comes from columnist Frank Gibbons, who
Showing posts with label award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label award. Show all posts
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Lindor & Ramirez Win Louisville Slugger's 2018 Silver Slugger Awards!
hey, Tribe fans. today, on November 8, Fran Charles and Eric Byrnes revealed on MLB Network that the Cleveland Indians have two Silver Sluggers on their team! Francisco Lindor won Louisville Slugger's 2018 American League Shortstop Silver Slugger Award & Jose Ramirez won Louisville Slugger's 2018 American League 3rd Baseman Silver Slugger Award! this is the second Silver Slugger for both and second straight year that the two won the award together. congratulations!👏
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| photo courtesy of @MLBNetwork on twitter |
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Corey Kluber Wins BBWAA's 2017 AL Cy Young Award!
it's week two of the baseball awards and the Indians have yet
another winner in their midst. this evening, on November 15, it was announced that Corey Kluber won Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2017 American League Cy Young Award!
this is Kluber's second Cy Young of his career, having previously won it in 2014. congratulations, Klubes!👏
this year, Kluber was a Cy Young finalist along with Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees. he finished with
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| photo courtesy of @MLB on twitter |
this year, Kluber was a Cy Young finalist along with Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees. he finished with
Friday, November 10, 2017
Carlos Santana Wins Wilson's 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Award!
another day, another trophy for an Indians player! this evening, on November 10, it was announced that Carlos Santana won Wilson Sporting Good's 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Award at 1st base! this is the first Defensive Player of the Year Award of his career. congratulations, Santana!👏
created by Wilson in 2012 to recognize the best defensive players in the game, this award uses several defensive metrics to determine its nine winners. a player's defensive WAR (wins above replacement) counts for 25%, Defensive Runs Saved factors in by another 25%, Inside Edge field ratings and Inside Edge arm ratings are 20% apiece, and the final 10% is based on
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| photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter |
created by Wilson in 2012 to recognize the best defensive players in the game, this award uses several defensive metrics to determine its nine winners. a player's defensive WAR (wins above replacement) counts for 25%, Defensive Runs Saved factors in by another 25%, Inside Edge field ratings and Inside Edge arm ratings are 20% apiece, and the final 10% is based on
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Lindor & Ramirez Win Louisville Slugger's 2017 Silver Slugger Awards!
baseball awards season is well underway and this evening, on November 9, it was revealed that two members of the Cleveland Indians won Silver Slugger Awards for the first time in their careers! Francisco Lindor won Louisville Slugger's 2017 American League Shortstop Silver Slugger Award & Jose Ramirez won Louisville Slugger's 2017 American League 3rd Baseman Silver Slugger Award! congratulations, boys!👏
Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award is Major
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| photos courtesy of @Indians on twitter |
Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award is Major
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Terry Francona Wins BBWAA's 2016 AL Manager of the Year Award!
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| photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter |
Francona was a finalist this year along with Jeff Banister of the Texas Rangers (who won the award last season) and Buck Showalter of the Baltimore Orioles. he finished with
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Francisco Lindor Wins Rawlings' 2016 AL SS Gold Glove Award & Platinum Glove Award!
tonight, on November 8, it was announced that Francisco Lindor won Rawlings' 2016 American League Shortstop Gold Glove Award! this is the first Gold Glove of Lindor's career. congratulations, Frankie!
no Cleveland Indian has won a Gold Glove since 2008 when Grady Sizemore won the AL CF Gold Glove, and no Cleveland shortstop has won since Omar Vizquel in 2001. Lindor, age 22, is the youngest middle infielder in franchise history to win a Gold Glove, and the youngest Indians player to win one since a 21-year old
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| photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter |
no Cleveland Indian has won a Gold Glove since 2008 when Grady Sizemore won the AL CF Gold Glove, and no Cleveland shortstop has won since Omar Vizquel in 2001. Lindor, age 22, is the youngest middle infielder in franchise history to win a Gold Glove, and the youngest Indians player to win one since a 21-year old
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Please Sign the Petition for Bob Feller
Bob Feller has got to be the one Cleveland Indians player who i most wish i could have seen live. but alas, i was born in the wrong time. i can't even say i've had the pleasure of meeting him. but i have read a multitude of stories about our beloved Rapid Robert, and i know what an icon the man is, not only to the Indians franchise, but also to baseball as a whole.
therefore, i'm going to plead with you--yes you, the person reading this right now--and ask you to please sign a petition that the Cleveland Indians started to award Bob Feller the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Feller willingly put his baseball career on hold after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and became the first professional baseball player to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. his bravery and courage earned him the rank of Chief Petty Officer. after Feller returned, he refused to be recognized as a hero, stating, "i'm no hero. heroes don't come back."
if you'd like to lend your support to Feller and the Indians in this cause, here's how:
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| photo courtesy of cleveland.com |
therefore, i'm going to plead with you--yes you, the person reading this right now--and ask you to please sign a petition that the Cleveland Indians started to award Bob Feller the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Feller willingly put his baseball career on hold after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and became the first professional baseball player to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. his bravery and courage earned him the rank of Chief Petty Officer. after Feller returned, he refused to be recognized as a hero, stating, "i'm no hero. heroes don't come back."
if you'd like to lend your support to Feller and the Indians in this cause, here's how:
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Brantley Finishes T28th For BBWAA's 2015 AL MVP Award
today, on November 19, MLB Network revealed who won Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2015 American League Most Valuable Player Award. while Michael Brantley was not a finalist this time, he did finish tied for 28th place overall. congratulations! that Michael is even in the conversation for 2015 Most Valuable Player, after all the injuries he suffered and games he missed, is amazing and i am so proud of him.
this year's AL MVP winner is Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays with 385 points. he had 184 hits, 41 doubles, 41 home runs, 123 RBI, 122 runs, 73 walks, 133 strikeouts, .297 batting average, .371 OBP, and .568 SLG in 158 games in 2015. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels came in 2nd behind Donaldson with 304 points, and Lorenzo Cain of the Kansas City Royals finished 3rd with 225 points.
the MVP ballot contains 10 spots and no player is ineligible. two writers from each American League city vote for AL MVP and these writers of the BBWAA submit their picks prior to the postseason. once they do, BBWAA's secretary/treasurer, Jack O'Connell, tallies the votes before the finalists and winners are later announced in November.
each spot on the ballot equals a certain number of points. a 1st place MVP vote is worth
this year's AL MVP winner is Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays with 385 points. he had 184 hits, 41 doubles, 41 home runs, 123 RBI, 122 runs, 73 walks, 133 strikeouts, .297 batting average, .371 OBP, and .568 SLG in 158 games in 2015. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels came in 2nd behind Donaldson with 304 points, and Lorenzo Cain of the Kansas City Royals finished 3rd with 225 points.
the MVP ballot contains 10 spots and no player is ineligible. two writers from each American League city vote for AL MVP and these writers of the BBWAA submit their picks prior to the postseason. once they do, BBWAA's secretary/treasurer, Jack O'Connell, tallies the votes before the finalists and winners are later announced in November.
each spot on the ballot equals a certain number of points. a 1st place MVP vote is worth
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Brantley Wins 2015 Bob Feller Man Of The Year Award
hello, Brantley fans! it's been a rough week for Michael, his loved ones, and his fans between the shoulder surgery and losing out on the Silver Slugger Award, but today i have some happy news! on November 12, the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America honored Michael Brantley with the 2015 Bob Feller Man of the Year Award, although the formal public announcement of this career first didn't come until this morning on November 15. congratulations, Michael! you deserve it, especially after the year you had!
the Bob Feller Award is a local Indians MVP award. some form of Man of the Year has been given out since 1937, when Johnny Allen was selected by Cleveland BBWAA writers as the first winner. the award title started as Most Valuable Player (1937-1943), then changed to Indians Man of the Year (1944-2009), before it became Bob Feller Man of the Year (2010-present).
Michael has been nominated for the Man of the Year Award for four consecutive years. he lost to Corey Kluber in 2014, Justin Masterson in 2013, and Vinnie Pestano in 2012. this year, he was up against
the Bob Feller Award is a local Indians MVP award. some form of Man of the Year has been given out since 1937, when Johnny Allen was selected by Cleveland BBWAA writers as the first winner. the award title started as Most Valuable Player (1937-1943), then changed to Indians Man of the Year (1944-2009), before it became Bob Feller Man of the Year (2010-present).
Michael has been nominated for the Man of the Year Award for four consecutive years. he lost to Corey Kluber in 2014, Justin Masterson in 2013, and Vinnie Pestano in 2012. this year, he was up against
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Why Brantley Should Have Won a 2015 AL OF Silver Slugger Award
tonight, on November 12, MLB Network revealed the winners of Louisville Slugger's 2015 Silver Slugger Awards.
right at the top of the show, they unveiled the American League Outfield winners. Michael Brantley was one of five top candidates in the category, but sadly did not take home the hardware this year. instead, the Silver Sluggers for AL outfielders in 2015 were given to Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners, and J.D. Martinez of the Detroit Tigers. (Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays was the other finalist who did not win.) Trout is a center fielder, Cruz is a right fielder/DH, and Martinez is a right fielder.
these players all had remarkable seasons, i'm not trying to state otherwise. my problem here lies
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| photo courtesy of @MLBNetwork twitter |
right at the top of the show, they unveiled the American League Outfield winners. Michael Brantley was one of five top candidates in the category, but sadly did not take home the hardware this year. instead, the Silver Sluggers for AL outfielders in 2015 were given to Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners, and J.D. Martinez of the Detroit Tigers. (Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays was the other finalist who did not win.) Trout is a center fielder, Cruz is a right fielder/DH, and Martinez is a right fielder.
these players all had remarkable seasons, i'm not trying to state otherwise. my problem here lies
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Brantley Receives Louisville Slugger's 2014 AL OF Silver Slugger Award!
in what has been a tough start for Michael in 2015, i do have some happy news to report in this short blog. before today's April 12 game at home versus the Detroit Tigers, Michael Brantley was presented with his 2014 AL OF Silver Slugger Award! Indians catcher, Yan Gomes, received his award as well!
Michael won the award for the very first time in his career back on November 6, 2014, earning himself a
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| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
Michael won the award for the very first time in his career back on November 6, 2014, earning himself a
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Brantley Nominated For 2014 Bob Feller Man Of The Year
but he did not win =(
today, on November 23, the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America honored Corey Kluber with the 2014 Bob Feller Man of the Year Award. basically what that is is a local Indians MVP award. some form of Man of the Year has been given out since 1937, when Cleveland BBWAA writers selected Johnny Allen as the first winner. the award title evolved from Most Valuable Player (1937-1943), to Indians Man of the Year (1944-2009), to Bob Feller Man of the Year (2010-present).
aside from that news, the nominees for the award were also revealed today. the lucky three players included Kluber, Michael Brantley, and Yan Gomes. additionally, there was a co-winner award option for both Kluber and Brantley. it took 3 ballots and a lot of discussion between the writers, but ultimately Kluber won outright. his Cy Young win less than 2 weeks ago weighed heavily on the decision. congrats to Kluber!
now it's time to express my disappointment lol of course i'm saddened to hear that Michael didn't win. he had a career year, setting career highs for himself in 20 categories as well as 3 new franchise records. he doubled his home run total from a year ago, drove in 97 runs, had 200 hits, bat .376 with runners in scoring position, and finished with a .327 batting average, 3rd highest in baseball. and they couldn't even give him the co-win? come on!
this is the 3rd straight year Michael's been nominated for this award, losing to Justin Masterson in 2013 and Vinnie Pestano in 2012. if he couldn't even win it this time after his extraordinary season, then shit, he may never win it. he's irrefutably due, and he better be taking home the title next year. because if there's one thing we know about Michael, he's consistent. i expect more of the same production in 2015 and then he'll have to be the favorite to win. i won't accept otherwise lol ;D
today, on November 23, the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America honored Corey Kluber with the 2014 Bob Feller Man of the Year Award. basically what that is is a local Indians MVP award. some form of Man of the Year has been given out since 1937, when Cleveland BBWAA writers selected Johnny Allen as the first winner. the award title evolved from Most Valuable Player (1937-1943), to Indians Man of the Year (1944-2009), to Bob Feller Man of the Year (2010-present).
aside from that news, the nominees for the award were also revealed today. the lucky three players included Kluber, Michael Brantley, and Yan Gomes. additionally, there was a co-winner award option for both Kluber and Brantley. it took 3 ballots and a lot of discussion between the writers, but ultimately Kluber won outright. his Cy Young win less than 2 weeks ago weighed heavily on the decision. congrats to Kluber!
now it's time to express my disappointment lol of course i'm saddened to hear that Michael didn't win. he had a career year, setting career highs for himself in 20 categories as well as 3 new franchise records. he doubled his home run total from a year ago, drove in 97 runs, had 200 hits, bat .376 with runners in scoring position, and finished with a .327 batting average, 3rd highest in baseball. and they couldn't even give him the co-win? come on!
this is the 3rd straight year Michael's been nominated for this award, losing to Justin Masterson in 2013 and Vinnie Pestano in 2012. if he couldn't even win it this time after his extraordinary season, then shit, he may never win it. he's irrefutably due, and he better be taking home the title next year. because if there's one thing we know about Michael, he's consistent. i expect more of the same production in 2015 and then he'll have to be the favorite to win. i won't accept otherwise lol ;D
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
And The Winner of MLBPAA's 2014 Heart & Hustle Award Is...
...not Michael Brantley =(
Josh Harrison of the Pittsburgh Pirates was revealed as the winner of this year's Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award. he was presented with his award tonight, on November 18, during the 15th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner at Capitale in New York City.
Harrison finished the 2014 season with a .315 batting average, 164 hits, 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 77 runs, 18 stolen bases, 22 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 143 games. defensively, he played 1,027 innings in 127 games. Harrison saw time in both the infield and the outfield, playing 2nd base, 3rd base, shortstop, left field, and right field. he had a total of 151 putouts, 6 errors, and a .983 fielding percentage. additionally, he had 4 assists in 52 games as an outfielder.
the Heart & Hustle Award, created by the MLBPAA, is given to players who demonstrate passion for baseball and embody the values, spirit, and traditions of the game. one player from all 30 major league teams was named as a preliminary winner back on July 22, based on his passion, desire, and work ethic on and off the field. then, at the end of the year, fans, alumni, and active players voted on the final winner. it was later made known that the fan vote counted for just 5% of the overall decision. so unfortunately, we fan voters didn't have much of a say in the results of this award. all of this year's nominees can be found here.
it didn't seem likely that Michael would win 2014's H&H award, even though he fits the description to a T, but it was a great honor for him just to be named as the Cleveland Indians' recipient. it was a career first for him and i was so proud, particularly because he was chosen by former MLB players. regardless of him not being the overall winner, it still makes me very happy to see Michael getting recognized for things that he wasn't being recognized for in his previous seasons as a major league ballplayer. he put together an incredible year for himself, and i know we can expect more of the same in the upcoming years. =D
Josh Harrison of the Pittsburgh Pirates was revealed as the winner of this year's Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award. he was presented with his award tonight, on November 18, during the 15th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner at Capitale in New York City.
Harrison finished the 2014 season with a .315 batting average, 164 hits, 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 77 runs, 18 stolen bases, 22 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 143 games. defensively, he played 1,027 innings in 127 games. Harrison saw time in both the infield and the outfield, playing 2nd base, 3rd base, shortstop, left field, and right field. he had a total of 151 putouts, 6 errors, and a .983 fielding percentage. additionally, he had 4 assists in 52 games as an outfielder.
the Heart & Hustle Award, created by the MLBPAA, is given to players who demonstrate passion for baseball and embody the values, spirit, and traditions of the game. one player from all 30 major league teams was named as a preliminary winner back on July 22, based on his passion, desire, and work ethic on and off the field. then, at the end of the year, fans, alumni, and active players voted on the final winner. it was later made known that the fan vote counted for just 5% of the overall decision. so unfortunately, we fan voters didn't have much of a say in the results of this award. all of this year's nominees can be found here.
it didn't seem likely that Michael would win 2014's H&H award, even though he fits the description to a T, but it was a great honor for him just to be named as the Cleveland Indians' recipient. it was a career first for him and i was so proud, particularly because he was chosen by former MLB players. regardless of him not being the overall winner, it still makes me very happy to see Michael getting recognized for things that he wasn't being recognized for in his previous seasons as a major league ballplayer. he put together an incredible year for himself, and i know we can expect more of the same in the upcoming years. =D
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Brantley Finishes 3rd For BBWAA's 2014 AL MVP Award
it was revealed today, on November 13, at about 6:17 pm on MLB Network, that Michael Brantley finished in 3rd place for Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2014 American League Most Valuable Player Award! this has to be my most favorite offseason career first of them all of his.
**BBWAA made an error in the initial tabulations that were showed on TV during the live show and posted on their website. it was corrected about an hour later online, taking one 5th place vote away from Bautista and rightfully giving it to Brantley. that pushed Bautista down to 6th place overall and moved Cano up to 5th. the chart included below is accurate.
as expected, the AL MVP winner this year is Mike Trout, with his .287 batting average and 184 strikeouts lol =P i kid, i kid. however, he is the first position player to win this award for a season in which he had a higher number of strikeouts than hits (173).
Michael has never placed in MVP voting in his career before, let alone been a finalist. this is an extraordinary honor, and the honor comes with some perks. first, he earns a $150,000 bonus for this year. additionally, because he finished in the top 5, he's earned an increase of $1 million to his base salary for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. sweet! (look for an updated Brantley contract post on my blog tomorrow.)
here are the complete AL MVP results:
*chart copy and pasted from BBWAA's website
Trout won in a unanimous vote. the 2 voters from Cleveland were Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer and Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram. while Hoynsie gave Michael a 3rd place vote, Chris decided that Michael's season was good enough for a 2nd place vote. all the individual ballots can be found here, and it's worth a look.
in total, Michael finished with 191 points. he received 27 votes overall--8 votes for 2nd place, 6 votes for 3rd, 5 votes for 4th, 4 votes for 5th, 1 vote for 6th, 1 vote for 7th, 1 vote for 9th, and 1 vote for 10th place. i gotta say, the people who voted Michael 9th and 10th are straight up nuts. look at his numbers again. i think Toronto and Oakland are just jealous. and don't get me started on the 3 voters who didn't even have Michael in the top 10. you know what they say...haters gonna hate =P
let me also give a quick shout out and congrats to Michael's teammate, Corey Kluber, for finishing just shy of the top 10. Kluber received 11 total votes, ranging between 10th place and all the way up to 3rd place. oddly enough, the 2 media representatives from Cleveland did not vote Kluber in their top 10. (so nobody can accuse them of being homers lol)
Michael was named an MVP finalist along with Trout and Victor Martinez on November 4 and he briefly spoke about it in an interview on November 7. "really, it's just an honor to be mentioned. that's not something you take lightly. it's a lot of hard work. obviously, your peers and voters and everybody have their say as well. i'm just honored to be mentioned in that category of guys that i'm in. i just think it's a good tribute to a lot of hard work paying off."
today the finalists had a chance to say a few words on MLB Network's award show before the MVP was announced. (no, Victor Martinez was not there.) Michael's interview is here.
looking sharp, Michael!
on his move from leadoff man to 3 hole slugger: "in the beginning of my career, that's all i knew, was how to hit leadoff, how to set the tone, get on base for my teammates. and now hitting in the 3 hole, it's about driving in runs, getting a good pitch early and trying to get that guy in from 2nd or 1st or wherever he's at, 3rd base, and do the best you can for your team."
on how he's evolved against left-handed pitchers as a left-handed hitter: "just really trying to stay on the ball. and doing a lot of homework. the best thing about being in the major leagues is that you have a chance to, you know, have scouting reports and do video work and try to figure out what they're gonna do to you. left-handed pitchers are not easy, especially when you don't see them as much and especially how good they are on the major league level. so i just try to get a good pitch, put a good swing on it, and then whatever happens from there happens."
how important is it for him to put the ball in play? "well, it's very important. the more times you put the ball in play, the better chance you're gonna get a hit. it's no secret. it's not always easy. major league arms, they're just getting better and better. guys are throwing harder, better out pitches. you just gotta come to the park every day prepared and do the best you can for your team."
Michael also spoke with the Cleveland media after the MVP special concluded. here is some of what he had to say.
"there's no disappointment at all. i was honored and blessed to even be mentioned in that category. my whole goal is wins and losses. i don't look at stats. i don't care where i finish in the MVP. i care about getting that World Series ring." (omg, i hope that's not what he'll say if he ever wins this award LOL jk)
"this game is team-oriented and as long as you keep thinking like that, it keeps you motivated to keep playing hard and always working to get better."
"the day before i left for spring training, my father sat me down and asked me to do something. he said, 'i want you to get ready to hit every pitch.' that means from the first time i stepped in the batter's box, the first pitch the pitcher threw to me, that i was ready to hit.
my father told me, 'listen son, your numbers will not go down, they'll go up.' i thought if i swung at the first pitch more often, i'd get out more often because i'd never done it before. he's been trying to get me to do it for the last few years, but i never bought into it. i had that leadoff hitter mentality. this year i told him i'd accept the challenge and try it in spring training. the key word was try.
in years past, i hit like a leadoff hitter. i wanted to make sure i got a perfect pitch. i wanted to make sure that i had, you know, a deep at bat, make sure i saw some pitches. this year, if i got a first pitch fastball early, i put a good swing on it, i didn't care where it went. it worked for me in spring training, so i decided to keep that mentality during the season and it worked out."
"i want to improve in every category. i want to strike out less. i want to make more plays defensively. i want to do whatever i can to help the team get farther."
"when your teammates start respecting how hard you work, respecting how you carry yourself, respecting how, you know, you care for one another on the field, and they see that, i believe that everybody kind of draws to you or wants to talk to you or kind of leans on you. me personally, i just go out there and try to lead by example. i don't say too much, i'm kind of quiet, but i play hard each and every day. i try to be the best teammate and pick up my teammate when he's down or who needs help, and they do the same for me."
on 2nd place MVP candidate, Victor Martinez:
on the Indians' future:
this full interview, including some of his thoughts about CyKluber, can be found here.
i agree with what Michael said after he learned he was a finalist, about being honored to be in this position. this is one of those times where it truly is just an honor to be nominated. no doubt Michael had the numbers to win MVP this season but there is no animosity from me here about him placing 3rd. that's outstanding and this recognition is very deserved. he's such a selfless player, always putting the team first no matter what and without complaint. his leadership and work ethic are invaluable to all the players on the team, especially the young kids. much like Michael's consistency on the field, he prepares the same way each and every day and he trains so hard. hopefully one day all his relentless work will result in an MVP award.
i feel like i've been saying this a million times over the last month and a half but, congratulations, Michael! i am so proud of you! =D
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| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
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| photo courtesy of @dmansworld474 twitter** |
**BBWAA made an error in the initial tabulations that were showed on TV during the live show and posted on their website. it was corrected about an hour later online, taking one 5th place vote away from Bautista and rightfully giving it to Brantley. that pushed Bautista down to 6th place overall and moved Cano up to 5th. the chart included below is accurate.
as expected, the AL MVP winner this year is Mike Trout, with his .287 batting average and 184 strikeouts lol =P i kid, i kid. however, he is the first position player to win this award for a season in which he had a higher number of strikeouts than hits (173).
Michael has never placed in MVP voting in his career before, let alone been a finalist. this is an extraordinary honor, and the honor comes with some perks. first, he earns a $150,000 bonus for this year. additionally, because he finished in the top 5, he's earned an increase of $1 million to his base salary for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. sweet! (look for an updated Brantley contract post on my blog tomorrow.)
here are the complete AL MVP results:
Player, Team
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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5th
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6th
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7th
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8th
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9th
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10th
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Points
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Trout, Angels | 30 | 420 | |||||||||
| Victor Martinez, Tigers | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 229 | ||||
| Michael Brantley, Indians | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 191 | ||
| Jose Abreu, White Sox | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 145 | |
| Robinson Cano, Mariners | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 124 | |
| Jose Bautista, Blue Jays | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 122 | ||
| Nelson Cruz, Orioles | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 102 | |||
| Josh Donaldson, Athletics | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 96 | ||
| Miguel Cabrera, Tigers | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 82 | ||
| Felix Hernandez, Mariners | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 48 | ||
| Corey Kluber, Indians | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 45 | ||||
| Alex Gordon, Royals | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 44 | |||
| Jose Altuve, Astros | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 41 | |||||
| Adam Jones, Orioles | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 34 | ||||
| Adrian Beltre, Rangers | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 22 | ||||||
| Greg Holland, Royals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||
| Albert Pujols, Angels | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
| Howie Kendrick, Angels | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| James Shields, Royals | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| Kyle Seager, Mariners | 1 | 1 |
Trout won in a unanimous vote. the 2 voters from Cleveland were Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer and Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram. while Hoynsie gave Michael a 3rd place vote, Chris decided that Michael's season was good enough for a 2nd place vote. all the individual ballots can be found here, and it's worth a look.
in total, Michael finished with 191 points. he received 27 votes overall--8 votes for 2nd place, 6 votes for 3rd, 5 votes for 4th, 4 votes for 5th, 1 vote for 6th, 1 vote for 7th, 1 vote for 9th, and 1 vote for 10th place. i gotta say, the people who voted Michael 9th and 10th are straight up nuts. look at his numbers again. i think Toronto and Oakland are just jealous. and don't get me started on the 3 voters who didn't even have Michael in the top 10. you know what they say...haters gonna hate =P
 |
| photo courtesy of @dmansworld474 |
 |
| photo courtesy of @MLB twitter |
 |
| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
let me also give a quick shout out and congrats to Michael's teammate, Corey Kluber, for finishing just shy of the top 10. Kluber received 11 total votes, ranging between 10th place and all the way up to 3rd place. oddly enough, the 2 media representatives from Cleveland did not vote Kluber in their top 10. (so nobody can accuse them of being homers lol)
Michael was named an MVP finalist along with Trout and Victor Martinez on November 4 and he briefly spoke about it in an interview on November 7. "really, it's just an honor to be mentioned. that's not something you take lightly. it's a lot of hard work. obviously, your peers and voters and everybody have their say as well. i'm just honored to be mentioned in that category of guys that i'm in. i just think it's a good tribute to a lot of hard work paying off."
 |
| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
today the finalists had a chance to say a few words on MLB Network's award show before the MVP was announced. (no, Victor Martinez was not there.) Michael's interview is here.
 |
| photos cropped from a video on Indians.com |
looking sharp, Michael!
on his move from leadoff man to 3 hole slugger: "in the beginning of my career, that's all i knew, was how to hit leadoff, how to set the tone, get on base for my teammates. and now hitting in the 3 hole, it's about driving in runs, getting a good pitch early and trying to get that guy in from 2nd or 1st or wherever he's at, 3rd base, and do the best you can for your team."
on how he's evolved against left-handed pitchers as a left-handed hitter: "just really trying to stay on the ball. and doing a lot of homework. the best thing about being in the major leagues is that you have a chance to, you know, have scouting reports and do video work and try to figure out what they're gonna do to you. left-handed pitchers are not easy, especially when you don't see them as much and especially how good they are on the major league level. so i just try to get a good pitch, put a good swing on it, and then whatever happens from there happens."
how important is it for him to put the ball in play? "well, it's very important. the more times you put the ball in play, the better chance you're gonna get a hit. it's no secret. it's not always easy. major league arms, they're just getting better and better. guys are throwing harder, better out pitches. you just gotta come to the park every day prepared and do the best you can for your team."
Michael also spoke with the Cleveland media after the MVP special concluded. here is some of what he had to say.
"there's no disappointment at all. i was honored and blessed to even be mentioned in that category. my whole goal is wins and losses. i don't look at stats. i don't care where i finish in the MVP. i care about getting that World Series ring." (omg, i hope that's not what he'll say if he ever wins this award LOL jk)
"this game is team-oriented and as long as you keep thinking like that, it keeps you motivated to keep playing hard and always working to get better."
"the day before i left for spring training, my father sat me down and asked me to do something. he said, 'i want you to get ready to hit every pitch.' that means from the first time i stepped in the batter's box, the first pitch the pitcher threw to me, that i was ready to hit.
my father told me, 'listen son, your numbers will not go down, they'll go up.' i thought if i swung at the first pitch more often, i'd get out more often because i'd never done it before. he's been trying to get me to do it for the last few years, but i never bought into it. i had that leadoff hitter mentality. this year i told him i'd accept the challenge and try it in spring training. the key word was try.
in years past, i hit like a leadoff hitter. i wanted to make sure i got a perfect pitch. i wanted to make sure that i had, you know, a deep at bat, make sure i saw some pitches. this year, if i got a first pitch fastball early, i put a good swing on it, i didn't care where it went. it worked for me in spring training, so i decided to keep that mentality during the season and it worked out."
"i want to improve in every category. i want to strike out less. i want to make more plays defensively. i want to do whatever i can to help the team get farther."
"when your teammates start respecting how hard you work, respecting how you carry yourself, respecting how, you know, you care for one another on the field, and they see that, i believe that everybody kind of draws to you or wants to talk to you or kind of leans on you. me personally, i just go out there and try to lead by example. i don't say too much, i'm kind of quiet, but i play hard each and every day. i try to be the best teammate and pick up my teammate when he's down or who needs help, and they do the same for me."
on 2nd place MVP candidate, Victor Martinez:
 |
on the Indians' future:
 |
| transcription photos courtesy of @MLBastian twitter |
this full interview, including some of his thoughts about CyKluber, can be found here.
i agree with what Michael said after he learned he was a finalist, about being honored to be in this position. this is one of those times where it truly is just an honor to be nominated. no doubt Michael had the numbers to win MVP this season but there is no animosity from me here about him placing 3rd. that's outstanding and this recognition is very deserved. he's such a selfless player, always putting the team first no matter what and without complaint. his leadership and work ethic are invaluable to all the players on the team, especially the young kids. much like Michael's consistency on the field, he prepares the same way each and every day and he trains so hard. hopefully one day all his relentless work will result in an MVP award.
i feel like i've been saying this a million times over the last month and a half but, congratulations, Michael! i am so proud of you! =D
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Corey Kluber Wins BBWAA's 2014 AL Cy Young Award!
way to go, CyKluber! today, on November 12, it was announced that Corey Kluber won Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2014 American League Cy Young Award! this is Kluber's first career Cy Young. he was a finalist along with Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, and he won the award by 10 points.
after he was revealed as the winner, in typical stoic Klubot fashion, he looked off camera to his wife, Amanda, and gave her the thumbs up lol
two writers in each American League city cast their ballots for this award before the conclusion of the regular season. a 1st place vote is worth 7 points, 2nd place is worth 4, 3rd place is worth 3, 4th place is worth 2, and 5th place is worth 1.
here are the complete AL Cy Young voting results:
*chart copy and pasted from BBWAA's website
Kluber and Hernandez were the only 2 players to appear on every individual ballot. Dennis Manoloff of The Plain Dealer and Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald were Cleveland's media voters for this award and, of course, they voted for our boy. to see all the individual ballots, click here.
now let's take a quick look back at some of Kluber's final #s for the 2014 season:
18-9 record
235.2 IP
269 K
51 BB
64 ER
2.44 ERA
2.35 FIP
34 G, 3 CG, 1 SHO
he also
--worked into the 7th inning in 26 of his 34 starts
--struck out 8 or more batters in 21 games
--struck out 10 or more batters in 11 games
--struck out a season-high 14 batters in a single game 2 times
**thanks to Hoynsie for these tidbits
and he did all that in his first full season in the big leagues and on a $514,000 salary. the bonus he received for winning this award is reportedly between just $10,000 and $25,000. hey, Cor, ask for a BIG raise in a long-term deal ;D
Kluber had this say about his first Cy Young: "yeah, it's pretty awesome. i definitely didn't expect it, so it's a pleasant surprise. i'm definitely surprised. it's a credit to all the hard work and stuff that i've put in through the past. a lot of people have helped me out along the way. a lot of things had to come together at the right time."
"when i switched to that [sinker] pitch instead of a four-seam fastball it really allowed me to command my fastball better, and that in turn made all my other pitches more effective. it all came together at the right time this year i guess."
has that slurve always been his go-to offspeed pitch? "uh yeah. it's kind of evolved over time. there's been, for the most part, the same grip since college, tweaking things here and there. because it's a pitch i've thrown for so long, it's something that i'm pretty comfortable with."
so what does he plan to work on to get better? "i think there's always room for improvement and i think you can improve every pitch, become more consistent with them. me personally, i think my biggest pitch that i can improve on is the changeup."
and how is he going to celebrate this momentous occasion? "probably go home and give my daughters a bath or something boring like that." well, Kendall and Kennedy are lucky little girls to have a father like him lol =D
Kluber did another interview with MLB Tonight to talk about his award and his season. you can watch that one here.
prior to Kluber, the last Indians player to win the Cy Young Award was Cliff Lee in 2008. C.C. Sabathia and Gaylord Perry are the only other Indians to win Cy Youngs (2007 and 1972) in franchise history.
Kluber became the ace of the Indians' pitching staff long before the Justin Masterson trade to the Cardinals on July 30. he's a true team leader and had one hell of an outstanding season. congratulations, Corey! well-deserved! =D
 |
| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
 |
| photo courtesy of @MLBastian twitter |
after he was revealed as the winner, in typical stoic Klubot fashion, he looked off camera to his wife, Amanda, and gave her the thumbs up lol
 |
| photo cropped from a video on Indians.com |
two writers in each American League city cast their ballots for this award before the conclusion of the regular season. a 1st place vote is worth 7 points, 2nd place is worth 4, 3rd place is worth 3, 4th place is worth 2, and 5th place is worth 1.
here are the complete AL Cy Young voting results:
Player, Team
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
Points
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Kluber, Indians | 17 | 11 | 2 | 169 | |||
| Felix Hernandez, Mariners | 13 | 17 | 159 | ||||
| Chris Sale, White Sox | 2 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 78 | ||
| Jon Lester, Red Sox/Athletics | 3 | 15 | 7 | 46 | |||
| Max Scherzer, Tigers | 4 | 6 | 8 | 32 | |||
| David Price, Rays/Tigers | 2 | 3 | 4 | 16 | |||
| Phil Hughes, Twins | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| Wade Davis, Royals | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Greg Holland, Royals | 1 | 1 |
Kluber and Hernandez were the only 2 players to appear on every individual ballot. Dennis Manoloff of The Plain Dealer and Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald were Cleveland's media voters for this award and, of course, they voted for our boy. to see all the individual ballots, click here.
now let's take a quick look back at some of Kluber's final #s for the 2014 season:
18-9 record
235.2 IP
269 K
51 BB
64 ER
2.44 ERA
2.35 FIP
34 G, 3 CG, 1 SHO
he also
--worked into the 7th inning in 26 of his 34 starts
--struck out 8 or more batters in 21 games
--struck out 10 or more batters in 11 games
--struck out a season-high 14 batters in a single game 2 times
**thanks to Hoynsie for these tidbits
 |
| photo courtesy of @ESPNStatsInfo twitter |
and he did all that in his first full season in the big leagues and on a $514,000 salary. the bonus he received for winning this award is reportedly between just $10,000 and $25,000. hey, Cor, ask for a BIG raise in a long-term deal ;D
Kluber had this say about his first Cy Young: "yeah, it's pretty awesome. i definitely didn't expect it, so it's a pleasant surprise. i'm definitely surprised. it's a credit to all the hard work and stuff that i've put in through the past. a lot of people have helped me out along the way. a lot of things had to come together at the right time."
"when i switched to that [sinker] pitch instead of a four-seam fastball it really allowed me to command my fastball better, and that in turn made all my other pitches more effective. it all came together at the right time this year i guess."
has that slurve always been his go-to offspeed pitch? "uh yeah. it's kind of evolved over time. there's been, for the most part, the same grip since college, tweaking things here and there. because it's a pitch i've thrown for so long, it's something that i'm pretty comfortable with."
so what does he plan to work on to get better? "i think there's always room for improvement and i think you can improve every pitch, become more consistent with them. me personally, i think my biggest pitch that i can improve on is the changeup."
and how is he going to celebrate this momentous occasion? "probably go home and give my daughters a bath or something boring like that." well, Kendall and Kennedy are lucky little girls to have a father like him lol =D
 |
| photo courtesy of @AmandaKluber twitter |
Kluber did another interview with MLB Tonight to talk about his award and his season. you can watch that one here.
prior to Kluber, the last Indians player to win the Cy Young Award was Cliff Lee in 2008. C.C. Sabathia and Gaylord Perry are the only other Indians to win Cy Youngs (2007 and 1972) in franchise history.
 |
| photo courtesy of @dmansworld474 twitter |
Kluber became the ace of the Indians' pitching staff long before the Justin Masterson trade to the Cardinals on July 30. he's a true team leader and had one hell of an outstanding season. congratulations, Corey! well-deserved! =D
Monday, November 10, 2014
Brantley Finishes 2nd in Baseball Prospectus' 2014 AL Player Of The Year Vote
it was announced this morning, on November 10, that Michael Brantley achieved another career first--he finished 2nd in Baseball Prospectus' 2014 AL Player of the Year vote!
BP's POTY is voted on by the staff of Baseball Prospectus and is part of their Greg Spira Memorial Internet Baseball Awards, or IBAs. Spira established the IBAs in 1991 and managed them until his death in 2011. other than POTY, the IBAs also include pitcher of the year, rookie of the year, and manager of the year (which was added in 1998), with both the American League and National League earning separate honors. pitchers are eligible for player of the year as well as pitcher of the year.
according to this chart, Michael received votes ranging from 2nd place down to 8th. he's the only player other than Mike Trout with over 200 points. this is another award voted on by fans and, where Michael is concerned, i think they got it right this time.
now if you compare this list to the 3 finalists for AL MVP chosen by the BBWAA, then it looks off. Victor Martinez finished 8th here, but most likely will place 2nd when the MVP winner is announced this Thursday. some fans are fickle i guess. or biased lol like that David Price 1st place vote. come on, really?
regarding Indians players, the results of this award are very similar to the Baseball Bloggers Alliance's 2014 AL Stan Musial Award, where Michael also finished 2nd and Corey Kluber finished 4th. and in the FanGraphs 2014 POTY ballot, Michael finished 7th and Kluber again finished 4th. that award is voted on by fans, too, just like with Baseball Prospectus, but it differs in that it combines both leagues.
Kluber finishing 4th and even getting two 2nd place votes here is impressive and in no way surprising. he was THAT good this season. what is surprising though is seeing fellow Indians player, Yan Gomes, on this BP list. one fan voted him 7th out of 10 and that placed him 22nd overall in the final results. okay, no offense to Gomes, or that fan who voted for him, but i personally think there are a lot of other American League players who should get a top 10 player of the year vote before Gomes. and 38 other BP staffers agree with me lol but good on you, Gomes. that's cool for you.
so congratulations to Michael for even more recognition and validation that he was one of the best players in the league this year! it's well-deserved! =D
BP's POTY is voted on by the staff of Baseball Prospectus and is part of their Greg Spira Memorial Internet Baseball Awards, or IBAs. Spira established the IBAs in 1991 and managed them until his death in 2011. other than POTY, the IBAs also include pitcher of the year, rookie of the year, and manager of the year (which was added in 1998), with both the American League and National League earning separate honors. pitchers are eligible for player of the year as well as pitcher of the year.
the point system on the Baseball Prospectus player of the year ballots is the same as the BBWAA's system. there are 10 slots, with a first place vote equaling 14 points. slots 2 through 10 are then worth 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 points.
39 members of BP's staff submitted ballots this year and all but one voter ranked Mike Trout 1st.
here are the complete AL POTY voting results:
39 members of BP's staff submitted ballots this year and all but one voter ranked Mike Trout 1st.
here are the complete AL POTY voting results:
Name
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
POINTS
|
1. Mike
Trout
|
38
|
1
|
541
|
||||||||
2.
Michael Brantley
|
7
|
10
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
227
|
|||
3. Josh
Donaldson
|
9
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
182
|
|||
4. Corey
Kluber
|
2
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
153
|
||
5. Jose
Bautista
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
150
|
|
6. Alex
Gordon
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
137
|
|||
7. Jose
Abreu
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
115
|
|
8. Victor
Martinez
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
114
|
|
9. Felix
Hernandez
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
106
|
|||
10.
Robinson Cano
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
94
|
|
11.
Adrian Beltre
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
74
|
||
12. Jose
Altuve
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
50
|
||
13.
Miguel Cabrera
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
31
|
|||||
14. Kyle
Seager
|
3
|
1
|
30
|
||||||||
15. Adam
Jones
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
28
|
|||||||
16.
Nelson Cruz
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
19
|
|||||||
17. Chris
Sale
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
17
|
|||||||
18. David
Price
|
1
|
14
|
|||||||||
19. Steve
Pearce
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
||||||||
20. David
Ortiz
|
1
|
1
|
7
|
||||||||
21. Ian
Kinsler
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
||||||||
22. Yan
Gomes
|
1
|
4
|
|||||||||
T23. Nick
Markakis
|
1
|
1
|
|||||||||
T23. Ben
Zobrist
|
1
|
1
|
according to this chart, Michael received votes ranging from 2nd place down to 8th. he's the only player other than Mike Trout with over 200 points. this is another award voted on by fans and, where Michael is concerned, i think they got it right this time.
now if you compare this list to the 3 finalists for AL MVP chosen by the BBWAA, then it looks off. Victor Martinez finished 8th here, but most likely will place 2nd when the MVP winner is announced this Thursday. some fans are fickle i guess. or biased lol like that David Price 1st place vote. come on, really?
regarding Indians players, the results of this award are very similar to the Baseball Bloggers Alliance's 2014 AL Stan Musial Award, where Michael also finished 2nd and Corey Kluber finished 4th. and in the FanGraphs 2014 POTY ballot, Michael finished 7th and Kluber again finished 4th. that award is voted on by fans, too, just like with Baseball Prospectus, but it differs in that it combines both leagues.
Kluber finishing 4th and even getting two 2nd place votes here is impressive and in no way surprising. he was THAT good this season. what is surprising though is seeing fellow Indians player, Yan Gomes, on this BP list. one fan voted him 7th out of 10 and that placed him 22nd overall in the final results. okay, no offense to Gomes, or that fan who voted for him, but i personally think there are a lot of other American League players who should get a top 10 player of the year vote before Gomes. and 38 other BP staffers agree with me lol but good on you, Gomes. that's cool for you.
so congratulations to Michael for even more recognition and validation that he was one of the best players in the league this year! it's well-deserved! =D
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