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
Showing posts with label MVP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MVP. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Brantley's On the Cover of Sports Illustrated!
what does finishing 3rd in the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player voting get you? your very first cover of SI! yes, that's right. today, on March 24, Michael Brantley made his debut on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine! he shares the honor with 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner and teammate, Corey Kluber. they are both featured in an SI MLB Preview discussing why the Cleveland Indians could win the World Series in 2015. how exciting! here is the picture:
Saturday, December 6, 2014
And The Winners of the 2014 GIBBYs Are...
...not Michael Brantley =(
tonight, on December 6, the 2014 GIBBY winners were announced in an awards special on MLB Network. back on October 30, Michael was nominated for 3 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards, in the categories of every day player of the year, breakout every day player of the year, and most valuable major leaguer. unfortunately, he lost out on all of them, though he was a finalist for breakout hitter (one of four). ultimately, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was named every day player of the year, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros was named breakout every day player of the year, and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named MVML for 2014.
fans had the ability to vote as much as they wanted for 23 days, and their vote counted for 20% of the final decision. the winners were also determined by votes from 4 other outlets--media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, and the Society for American Baseball Research--each counting for 20% overall as well.
i had a feeling that winning one GIBBY award would be tough for Michael, let alone a potential 3. there were 10 A-List players in each of his 3 categories. plus, these awards took postseason performances into consideration, so Michael winning anything was really a long shot. or was it?
while he finished in 10th place in the every day player of the year category,
he was the runner up with 24.7% of the final vote in the breakout every day player of the year category.
sigh. i'm admittedly appalled that Michael only received 1.4% of the vote for best every day hitter. winner Mike Trout smoked him there with 31.5%. but the real kicker here is how close Michael actually was to winning the GIBBY for breakout hitter. he lost to Altuve by 1.1%. 1.1%! the other finalists (J.D. Martinez and Anthony Rendon) weren't nearly as close. with just a few more votes, Michael literally might have won that category. and honestly, knowing that, i'm taking it hard. if only i'd voted more times and/or on more days, i could have made the difference, flipped the results, and gotten Michael a GIBBY. i truly feel like that's on me and i feel badly about it. =(
as for the most valuable major league GIBBY award, that category was strictly limited to the top 3 vote getters after fan voting concluded, and Michael did not place in the top 3. that doesn't bother me much because he did finish 3rd for BBWAA's AL MVP Award this year. =D
in the end, regardless of him not being honored with any GIBBY, Michael still had an unforgettable 2014 and i am very, very proud of everything he accomplished.
oh and btw, Indians' starting pitcher Corey Kluber won a GIBBY for breakout pitcher of the year, and 3rd baseman Lonnie Chisenhall won one for Must C hitting performance of the year. congratulations to them!
the rest of the GIBBY winners can be found here.
and this concludes my Brantley blogs for 2014! i'm seriously kind of sad LOL
so now there is only one baseball awards reveal show left before the 2014 year can officially come to a close, and that is for MLB Network's 2nd Annual Social Media Awards. obviously, Michael is not nominated for any of those because he is not on social media. however, Indians' pitcher Trevor Bauer is nominated in the Socially Savvy Rookie category. there's 1 day left to vote for him, and you can vote through facebook and twitter here. the winners will be announced on Sunday, December 14 at 8 pm EST on MLB Network. good luck to Trevor.
idk about you all, but i am so ready for the 2015 baseball season to get underway. Go Brantley! Go Tribe! =D
tonight, on December 6, the 2014 GIBBY winners were announced in an awards special on MLB Network. back on October 30, Michael was nominated for 3 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards, in the categories of every day player of the year, breakout every day player of the year, and most valuable major leaguer. unfortunately, he lost out on all of them, though he was a finalist for breakout hitter (one of four). ultimately, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was named every day player of the year, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros was named breakout every day player of the year, and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named MVML for 2014.
fans had the ability to vote as much as they wanted for 23 days, and their vote counted for 20% of the final decision. the winners were also determined by votes from 4 other outlets--media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, and the Society for American Baseball Research--each counting for 20% overall as well.
i had a feeling that winning one GIBBY award would be tough for Michael, let alone a potential 3. there were 10 A-List players in each of his 3 categories. plus, these awards took postseason performances into consideration, so Michael winning anything was really a long shot. or was it?
while he finished in 10th place in the every day player of the year category,
 |
| screenshot cropped from mlb.com |
he was the runner up with 24.7% of the final vote in the breakout every day player of the year category.
 |
| screenshot cropped from mlb.com |
sigh. i'm admittedly appalled that Michael only received 1.4% of the vote for best every day hitter. winner Mike Trout smoked him there with 31.5%. but the real kicker here is how close Michael actually was to winning the GIBBY for breakout hitter. he lost to Altuve by 1.1%. 1.1%! the other finalists (J.D. Martinez and Anthony Rendon) weren't nearly as close. with just a few more votes, Michael literally might have won that category. and honestly, knowing that, i'm taking it hard. if only i'd voted more times and/or on more days, i could have made the difference, flipped the results, and gotten Michael a GIBBY. i truly feel like that's on me and i feel badly about it. =(
as for the most valuable major league GIBBY award, that category was strictly limited to the top 3 vote getters after fan voting concluded, and Michael did not place in the top 3. that doesn't bother me much because he did finish 3rd for BBWAA's AL MVP Award this year. =D
in the end, regardless of him not being honored with any GIBBY, Michael still had an unforgettable 2014 and i am very, very proud of everything he accomplished.
oh and btw, Indians' starting pitcher Corey Kluber won a GIBBY for breakout pitcher of the year, and 3rd baseman Lonnie Chisenhall won one for Must C hitting performance of the year. congratulations to them!
the rest of the GIBBY winners can be found here.
and this concludes my Brantley blogs for 2014! i'm seriously kind of sad LOL
so now there is only one baseball awards reveal show left before the 2014 year can officially come to a close, and that is for MLB Network's 2nd Annual Social Media Awards. obviously, Michael is not nominated for any of those because he is not on social media. however, Indians' pitcher Trevor Bauer is nominated in the Socially Savvy Rookie category. there's 1 day left to vote for him, and you can vote through facebook and twitter here. the winners will be announced on Sunday, December 14 at 8 pm EST on MLB Network. good luck to Trevor.
idk about you all, but i am so ready for the 2015 baseball season to get underway. Go Brantley! Go Tribe! =D
Friday, November 14, 2014
Brantley Contract Update & BABY ANNOUNCEMENT!
cha-ching!
here's some good news for Michael. because he placed in the top 5 voting for BBWAA's American League Most Valuable Player this season, he's earned himself a little additional salary for the future. his base salary in 2017 and 2018 has now increased by a cool million. i had no idea about this MVPerk, but that's freakin' awesome!
so this is what Michael was going to make before his bonus:
2014 salary - $1.5 million + $3.5 million signing bonus
2015 salary - $5 million
2016 salary - $6.5 million
2017 salary - $7.5 million
2018 salary - $11 million club option/$1 million buyout
before the 2014 season, his contract was for 4 years guaranteed and totaled $25 million, including the 5th year $1 million buyout. and if he stayed with the team in 2018, then he'd get an additional $10 million, giving him a grand total of 5 years for $35 million.
now here is Michael's new updated contract break down for the next 3-4 years:
2015 salary - $5 million (no change)
2016 salary - $6.5 million (no change)
2017 salary - $8.5 million (1 million increase)
2018 salary - $12 million option/$1 million buyout (1 million increase)
he currently stands to earn $21 million in the next 3 years, including the $1 million buyout. if he stays for the 2018 season, the total becomes $32 million.
and if we add that to his $5 million salary for the 2014 season, that's $26 million for 4 years plus the buyout, bringing the minimum contract total as of right now to $37 million for 5 years if that 5th year option is picked up.
but wait. let's not forget about the other bonuses he earned this year:
$100,000 for making the All Star team
$50,000 for earning a Silver Slugger Award
$150,000 for finishing in 3rd place for AL MVP
that's $300,000 worth of bonuses. so that gives Michael an overall $5.3 million made in 2014 and a potential $37.3 million earned from 2014-2018.
this is still a ridiculous steal for the Indians, omg lol
BREAKING: all that extra money's gonna come in handy because it was announced yesterday that... Michael's wife will be having baby #3 early next season! (i just really hope he doesn't go on Paternity Leave during the Home Opener Series lol)
congratulations, Michael! on both counts! =D
 |
| photo courtesy of expertwager.com |
here's some good news for Michael. because he placed in the top 5 voting for BBWAA's American League Most Valuable Player this season, he's earned himself a little additional salary for the future. his base salary in 2017 and 2018 has now increased by a cool million. i had no idea about this MVPerk, but that's freakin' awesome!
so this is what Michael was going to make before his bonus:
2014 salary - $1.5 million + $3.5 million signing bonus
2015 salary - $5 million
2016 salary - $6.5 million
2017 salary - $7.5 million
2018 salary - $11 million club option/$1 million buyout
before the 2014 season, his contract was for 4 years guaranteed and totaled $25 million, including the 5th year $1 million buyout. and if he stayed with the team in 2018, then he'd get an additional $10 million, giving him a grand total of 5 years for $35 million.
now here is Michael's new updated contract break down for the next 3-4 years:
2015 salary - $5 million (no change)
2016 salary - $6.5 million (no change)
2017 salary - $8.5 million (1 million increase)
2018 salary - $12 million option/$1 million buyout (1 million increase)
he currently stands to earn $21 million in the next 3 years, including the $1 million buyout. if he stays for the 2018 season, the total becomes $32 million.
and if we add that to his $5 million salary for the 2014 season, that's $26 million for 4 years plus the buyout, bringing the minimum contract total as of right now to $37 million for 5 years if that 5th year option is picked up.
but wait. let's not forget about the other bonuses he earned this year:
$100,000 for making the All Star team
$50,000 for earning a Silver Slugger Award
$150,000 for finishing in 3rd place for AL MVP
that's $300,000 worth of bonuses. so that gives Michael an overall $5.3 million made in 2014 and a potential $37.3 million earned from 2014-2018.
this is still a ridiculous steal for the Indians, omg lol
BREAKING: all that extra money's gonna come in handy because it was announced yesterday that... Michael's wife will be having baby #3 early next season! (i just really hope he doesn't go on Paternity Leave during the Home Opener Series lol)
congratulations, Michael! on both counts! =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
 | |
| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
 |
| 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
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
Points
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Brantley Named Finalist For Baseball Writers' Association Of America's 2014 AL MVP Award
i've been waiting for this announcement since before the season even ended.
this evening, on November 4, it was revealed that the Baseball Writers' Association of America named Michael Brantley as one of three finalists for the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player Award! this MVP nod is the first of his career! he's nominated along with Mike Trout of the Angels and Victor Martinez of the Tigers. congratulations!
if you're unsure how MVP candidates are chosen, let me provide a brief explanation. two writers from each American League city vote for AL MVP, totaling 30 votes overall. there are 10 spots on the MVP ballot and the finalists are the players who finished in the top 3. all players, including designated hitters and pitchers, may be chosen for most valuable player. writers of the BBWAA submit their picks before the postseason begins.
each spot on the ballot equals a certain number of points. a 1st place MVP vote is worth 14 points. the rest of the ballot spots are worth 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points from 2nd place down to 10th. BBWAA's secretary/treasurer, Jack O'Connell, tallies the votes before the finalists are revealed in November. the full results will be posted on the BBWAA website after the winner is announced.
as a general rule of thumb, writers define the MVP in terms of 1. the value a player has to his team, offensively and defensively, 2. the number of games he played, and 3. the player's general character, disposition, loyalty, and effort.
Michael certainly put up MVP type stats this year. to refresh everyone's memory, here are some of his tremendous #s:
.327 batting average
.385 OBP
.506 SLG
.890 OPS
200 hits
45 doubles
20 home runs
97 RBI
94 runs scored
52 walks
23 stolen bases
56 strikeouts
309 total bases
12 outfield assists
7.0 WAR
156 games
everything minus the walks and strikeouts was a career high for him this season. Michael also led the American League with his .376 BA with RISP, .346 BA with runners on base, and .337 BA against right-handed pitchers.
now let's look at the other 2 finalists' numbers:
Mike Trout: 173 hits, 39 doubles, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 115 R*, 83 BB, 16 SB, 184 SO**, 338 TB*, 7.9 WAR, 157 games, .287 BA/.377 OBP/.561 SLG/.939 OPS
Victor Martinez: 188 hits, 38 doubles, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 87 R, 70 BB, 3 SB, 42 SO, 317 TB, 5.3 WAR, 151 games, .335 BA/.409 OBP/.565 SLG/.974 OPS*
*MLB lead
**AL high
Michael's up against some tough competition and it would be a huge surprise if he won. the MVP frontrunner is Mike Trout, especially since he lost out on the award the previous 2 years. however, Michael just being a candidate for an AL most valuable player award is outstanding. to be recognized as a potential league MVP, that really is a hell of an honor. i am so freakin' proud of Michael! [insert happy tears here lol]
no Tribe player has been named MVP since 1953 when Al Rosen won the award. before him, Lou Boudreau won it in 1948 and George Burns was MVP in 1926. and that's it. only those 3 players have won MVP in the history of the Indians.
if Cleveland fans had their way, Michael would be the 4th. during Michael's final game of the season on September 27, fans started "M-V-P!" chants every time he came to the plate. when the media told Michael about this after the game, he was humbled and appreciative. "that's a remarkable feeling. i want to thank the fans for that. it's not something you hear very often. it's not something that's just thrown around. my hat's off to them. i can't thank them enough."
the winner will be announced on November 13 at 6 pm EST on MLB Network and you can count on me to write a follow up blog with all the details. congrats again, Michael! you're definitely my MVP! =D
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| photo courtesy of @Indians twitter |
if you're unsure how MVP candidates are chosen, let me provide a brief explanation. two writers from each American League city vote for AL MVP, totaling 30 votes overall. there are 10 spots on the MVP ballot and the finalists are the players who finished in the top 3. all players, including designated hitters and pitchers, may be chosen for most valuable player. writers of the BBWAA submit their picks before the postseason begins.
each spot on the ballot equals a certain number of points. a 1st place MVP vote is worth 14 points. the rest of the ballot spots are worth 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points from 2nd place down to 10th. BBWAA's secretary/treasurer, Jack O'Connell, tallies the votes before the finalists are revealed in November. the full results will be posted on the BBWAA website after the winner is announced.
as a general rule of thumb, writers define the MVP in terms of 1. the value a player has to his team, offensively and defensively, 2. the number of games he played, and 3. the player's general character, disposition, loyalty, and effort.
Michael certainly put up MVP type stats this year. to refresh everyone's memory, here are some of his tremendous #s:
.327 batting average
.385 OBP
.506 SLG
.890 OPS
200 hits
45 doubles
20 home runs
97 RBI
94 runs scored
52 walks
23 stolen bases
56 strikeouts
309 total bases
12 outfield assists
7.0 WAR
156 games
everything minus the walks and strikeouts was a career high for him this season. Michael also led the American League with his .376 BA with RISP, .346 BA with runners on base, and .337 BA against right-handed pitchers.
now let's look at the other 2 finalists' numbers:
Mike Trout: 173 hits, 39 doubles, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 115 R*, 83 BB, 16 SB, 184 SO**, 338 TB*, 7.9 WAR, 157 games, .287 BA/.377 OBP/.561 SLG/.939 OPS
Victor Martinez: 188 hits, 38 doubles, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 87 R, 70 BB, 3 SB, 42 SO, 317 TB, 5.3 WAR, 151 games, .335 BA/.409 OBP/.565 SLG/.974 OPS*
*MLB lead
**AL high
Michael's up against some tough competition and it would be a huge surprise if he won. the MVP frontrunner is Mike Trout, especially since he lost out on the award the previous 2 years. however, Michael just being a candidate for an AL most valuable player award is outstanding. to be recognized as a potential league MVP, that really is a hell of an honor. i am so freakin' proud of Michael! [insert happy tears here lol]
no Tribe player has been named MVP since 1953 when Al Rosen won the award. before him, Lou Boudreau won it in 1948 and George Burns was MVP in 1926. and that's it. only those 3 players have won MVP in the history of the Indians.
if Cleveland fans had their way, Michael would be the 4th. during Michael's final game of the season on September 27, fans started "M-V-P!" chants every time he came to the plate. when the media told Michael about this after the game, he was humbled and appreciative. "that's a remarkable feeling. i want to thank the fans for that. it's not something you hear very often. it's not something that's just thrown around. my hat's off to them. i can't thank them enough."
the winner will be announced on November 13 at 6 pm EST on MLB Network and you can count on me to write a follow up blog with all the details. congrats again, Michael! you're definitely my MVP! =D
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Brantley Nominated For Three 2014 GIBBYs
it was announced today, on October 30, that Michael Brantley has been nominated for 3 GIBBY awards for his spectacular 2014 season! he's a candidate for the MLB MVP, hitter, and breakout hitter categories!
the GIBBYs are Major League Baseball's Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards. these trophies are the ultimate honors of the award season. the A-Listers in baseball receive these awards based on votes by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, fans at mlb.com, and the Society for American Baseball Research.
fans can vote as much as they want through November 21 at 11:59 pm EST. all the GIBBY winners will be announced in a TV special on MLB Network and mlb.com on Saturday, December 6 at 9 pm EST.
please vote for Michael in the categories of MLB MVP, top hitter, and breakout hitter. there are 9 other players up against Michael in each of these categories, so he'll need our help to win. this is the easiest thing to vote for, you don't even need to sign up for anything and there are no limitations. just keep clicking "vote" as much as you want. VOTE FOR MICHAEL HERE.
congratulations on the 3 noms and good luck, Michael! =D
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| photo cropped off Indians.com |
the GIBBYs are Major League Baseball's Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards. these trophies are the ultimate honors of the award season. the A-Listers in baseball receive these awards based on votes by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, fans at mlb.com, and the Society for American Baseball Research.
fans can vote as much as they want through November 21 at 11:59 pm EST. all the GIBBY winners will be announced in a TV special on MLB Network and mlb.com on Saturday, December 6 at 9 pm EST.
please vote for Michael in the categories of MLB MVP, top hitter, and breakout hitter. there are 9 other players up against Michael in each of these categories, so he'll need our help to win. this is the easiest thing to vote for, you don't even need to sign up for anything and there are no limitations. just keep clicking "vote" as much as you want. VOTE FOR MICHAEL HERE.
congratulations on the 3 noms and good luck, Michael! =D
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