hey, Brantley fans! thought i would put together a post containing some news that's accumulated about Michael since the end of the Tribe's short-lived playoff run. honestly, this is mostly just a lot of speculation regarding whether Michael will or won't be playing for Cleveland in 2019. and i have to say, the verdict isn't good. i tried to prepare you guys all season long because i don't think he's coming back. this club is going to have a lot more players earning double digit millions next year and they just won't have any extra resources to pay Michael what other teams will propose. the only glimmer of hope Tribe fans have right now is that the Indians should extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael, which they have until 5 pm ET on November 2 to do. and if Michael doesn't want to start over with a new team in a new city, where he'll have to make new friends and adapt to a new team culture and move his family to all new surroundings, then perhaps there's a small chance he would take the QO and stay with the Indians one more year. but that's really not likely. when money talks, people walk. and Michael will learn to be a leader in a new environment just fine because the man knows how to rise to a challenge and succeed.
looking at it from Michael's perspective, he just finished a full and healthy season and proved to the doubters that he can still play at a high level. so say he did accept the Tribe's QO for 2019, and then he suffers another freak injury. he won't have that safety net of a QO after 2019 to fall back on because
Showing posts with label finalist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finalist. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Brantley Named Finalist For Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year
hello, Brantley fans! i'm back with more news! this should come as no surprise, but it was formally announced earlier today, on October 16, that Michael Brantley was named as one of three finalists
for the Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year!👏
he's nominated with right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson of the Oakland
Athletics and left-handed pitcher David Price of the Boston Red Sox.
per the website, this award is described as for those who have overcome adversity and
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| photo courtesy of mlbplayers.com |
per the website, this award is described as for those who have overcome adversity and
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
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:
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 23, 2014
Brantley Named Finalist For Rawlings' 2014 AL LF Gold Glove Award
finally, this is the career first i've been waiting for! today, on October 23, Rawlings Sports named Michael Brantley as one of three finalists for the 2014 American League Gold Glove Award for left fielders. he's up against Kansas City's Alex Gordon and Boston's Yoenis Cespedes. Michael's teammate, Yan Gomes, was also a finalist for this year's AL catcher's award. no Indian has won a Gold Glove since 2008, when Grady Sizemore won the AL CF Gold Glove.
the Gold Glove is given to players annually based on their fielding performances. managers and coaches of each league are the voters for this award. however, managers cannot vote for their own players. after reading more about the Gold Glove, i found an additional factor that weighs into the final decision--sabermetrics, my favorite. the Society for American Baseball Research supplies a sabermetric statistic which counts for 25% of the vote.
this season, Michael played both left and center field. he finished with a career high 12 outfield assists, 2 double plays, 1 error, 271 putouts, and .996 fielding percentage in 1304.1 total innings as an outfielder. his 12 OF assists were tied for 4th most among American League outfielders. Cespedes had the most with 16. additionally, Michael played a franchise record 247 consecutive games in the outfield without an error, a streak that ended on April 2, 2014. that error occurred while Michael was in center field, i might add. so if we spotlight just his left field numbers, he's got 10 outfield assists, 2 double plays, 0 errors, 165 putouts, and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 931.1 innings.
let's also not hide the fact that a player's offensive skills play a part in these awards as well. Michael's .327 batting average was the 3rd highest BA in the major leagues and 1st among major league outfielders when all was said and done. plus, he was the only player in the majors with a minimum of 40 doubles, 20 home runs, 90 RBI, 90 runs, 20 stolen bases, and a .300 BA.
how about we compare some numbers of all 3 finalists:
Brantley: .327 BA/200 H/20 HR/97 RBI/45 2B/94 R/23 SB/52 BB/56 SO in 156 games
Gordon: .266 BA/150 H/19 HR/74 RBI/34 2B/87 R/12 SB/65 BB/126 SO in 156 games
Cespedes: .260 BA/156 H/22 HR/100 RBI/36 2B/89 R/7 SB/35 BB/128 SO in 152 games
now here are the finalists' fielding #s in LEFT FIELD only:
Brantley: 10 assists/0 errors/2 double plays/1.000 fielding % in 931.1 innings and 107 games
Gordon: 8 assists/2 errors/0 double plays/.994 fielding % in 1372.2 innings and 156 games
Cespedes: 16 assists/5 errors/0 double plays/.979 fielding % in 1090.2 innings and 125 games
going off those numbers alone, Michael should win this in a landslide. sadly, with the way the Gold Glove is awarded to outfielders now, those 373 innings that Michael played in center this season probably take him out of the running. (which makes it mind-boggling that Michael wasn't a finalist last year when he not only played all but 4 innings in left field, but also had 11 assists, 1 double play, and 0 errors all season.) and who's to blame for that? Michael Bourn. this guy has been screwing Michael over ever since we got him. Michael's way too much of a nice guy and a professional (as he should be) to say anything bad about Bourn. and that's where i come in. i'm neither of those things so i'm going to attack his ass.
i have been anti-Bourn from the minute that signing was announced in February 2013. i knew it would push Michael into left field and take him out of his preferred place in center and of course i wasn't going to support that. Bourn has been a terrible leadoff man, and he's done absolutely nothing to make my rants and complaints about him look bad. instead i look like a Nostradamus. eff that guy. he's a contract nightmare and too injury prone for my taste. all those steals he was supposed to get disappeared once he started having all these new hamstring problems. ultimately his inability to stay healthy and play center will be a huge reason why Michael does not win this award. grrr.
then there are the sabermetrics out there that some fans think are the freakin' bible of baseball. i debated whether or not to include the UZR/150 (the number of plays made in a player's defensive zone per 150 games) in my blog because i once read that that fangraphs stat should be avoided whenever possible because it is very misleading. yet, i fear it will be a determinant of this year's Gold Glove winner, in which case Michael is f*cked. of 7 qualifying American League left fielders, Michael is last with a -10.1 rating. Gordon ranks first with a 22.6 rating and Cespedes is second with 14. i'm puzzled about how Michael's zone rating could be so bad because he's not a bad defender. is it his fault if hitters hit a lot of bloop singles into shallow left field that he just can't get to and/or opts to play off the bounce? that doesn't mean he's a defensive liability. sigh.
to know that these advanced stats continue to label Michael as a horrible outfielder regardless of what position he plays...i just can't with this again. there is no better OF on our team and he's now one of the best in baseball. anyone who still believes otherwise needs to watch Michael play every inning of every game in a season instead of basing their opinions solely on looking at specific numbers that don't even come close to telling his whole story. remember, if Michael wasn't in Cleveland, then the threat of Ryan Raburn spiking more balls in the left field corner would become a very real possibility. (i've never seen Corey Kluber display that kind of pissed off emotion in a game before, btw. but Michael's not good? smh)
another strong argument against Michael for the Gold Glove is the fact that Alex Gordon is the reigning champ (3 years running) and he had another great defensive season. plus, he's playing on a team that not only made it to the postseason, but is also currently in the World Series. but i'm gonna go the other way and say because of that, i feel like he shouldn't get the GG this year. Gordon could potentially be a World Series MVP candidate. let him have that and give my boy the Gold Glove lol
so congratulations to Michael on being a GG finalist! he's certainly earned it and it is a true honor just to be nominated. but it's not looking like he'll emerge as the winner based on the criteria. honestly, i'll be stunned if he does win. no matter what happens, i am just so happy that Michael is finally getting some much deserved Gold Glove consideration. no, that's not true. you know i'm gonna bitch if he doesn't win this lol
the winner of this award, and all other 2014 Gold Glove Awards, will be announced on Tuesday, November 4, at 7 pm EST on ESPN2. i will post a follow up blog to this after i find out who won. good luck, Michael!
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| June 4 vs. Boston Red Sox |
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| September 7 vs. Chicago White Sox |
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| September 8 @ Houston Astros (photos courtesy of The Plain Dealer) |
the Gold Glove is given to players annually based on their fielding performances. managers and coaches of each league are the voters for this award. however, managers cannot vote for their own players. after reading more about the Gold Glove, i found an additional factor that weighs into the final decision--sabermetrics, my favorite. the Society for American Baseball Research supplies a sabermetric statistic which counts for 25% of the vote.
this season, Michael played both left and center field. he finished with a career high 12 outfield assists, 2 double plays, 1 error, 271 putouts, and .996 fielding percentage in 1304.1 total innings as an outfielder. his 12 OF assists were tied for 4th most among American League outfielders. Cespedes had the most with 16. additionally, Michael played a franchise record 247 consecutive games in the outfield without an error, a streak that ended on April 2, 2014. that error occurred while Michael was in center field, i might add. so if we spotlight just his left field numbers, he's got 10 outfield assists, 2 double plays, 0 errors, 165 putouts, and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 931.1 innings.
let's also not hide the fact that a player's offensive skills play a part in these awards as well. Michael's .327 batting average was the 3rd highest BA in the major leagues and 1st among major league outfielders when all was said and done. plus, he was the only player in the majors with a minimum of 40 doubles, 20 home runs, 90 RBI, 90 runs, 20 stolen bases, and a .300 BA.
how about we compare some numbers of all 3 finalists:
Brantley: .327 BA/200 H/20 HR/97 RBI/45 2B/94 R/23 SB/52 BB/56 SO in 156 games
Gordon: .266 BA/150 H/19 HR/74 RBI/34 2B/87 R/12 SB/65 BB/126 SO in 156 games
Cespedes: .260 BA/156 H/22 HR/100 RBI/36 2B/89 R/7 SB/35 BB/128 SO in 152 games
now here are the finalists' fielding #s in LEFT FIELD only:
Brantley: 10 assists/0 errors/2 double plays/1.000 fielding % in 931.1 innings and 107 games
Gordon: 8 assists/2 errors/0 double plays/.994 fielding % in 1372.2 innings and 156 games
Cespedes: 16 assists/5 errors/0 double plays/.979 fielding % in 1090.2 innings and 125 games
going off those numbers alone, Michael should win this in a landslide. sadly, with the way the Gold Glove is awarded to outfielders now, those 373 innings that Michael played in center this season probably take him out of the running. (which makes it mind-boggling that Michael wasn't a finalist last year when he not only played all but 4 innings in left field, but also had 11 assists, 1 double play, and 0 errors all season.) and who's to blame for that? Michael Bourn. this guy has been screwing Michael over ever since we got him. Michael's way too much of a nice guy and a professional (as he should be) to say anything bad about Bourn. and that's where i come in. i'm neither of those things so i'm going to attack his ass.
i have been anti-Bourn from the minute that signing was announced in February 2013. i knew it would push Michael into left field and take him out of his preferred place in center and of course i wasn't going to support that. Bourn has been a terrible leadoff man, and he's done absolutely nothing to make my rants and complaints about him look bad. instead i look like a Nostradamus. eff that guy. he's a contract nightmare and too injury prone for my taste. all those steals he was supposed to get disappeared once he started having all these new hamstring problems. ultimately his inability to stay healthy and play center will be a huge reason why Michael does not win this award. grrr.
then there are the sabermetrics out there that some fans think are the freakin' bible of baseball. i debated whether or not to include the UZR/150 (the number of plays made in a player's defensive zone per 150 games) in my blog because i once read that that fangraphs stat should be avoided whenever possible because it is very misleading. yet, i fear it will be a determinant of this year's Gold Glove winner, in which case Michael is f*cked. of 7 qualifying American League left fielders, Michael is last with a -10.1 rating. Gordon ranks first with a 22.6 rating and Cespedes is second with 14. i'm puzzled about how Michael's zone rating could be so bad because he's not a bad defender. is it his fault if hitters hit a lot of bloop singles into shallow left field that he just can't get to and/or opts to play off the bounce? that doesn't mean he's a defensive liability. sigh.
to know that these advanced stats continue to label Michael as a horrible outfielder regardless of what position he plays...i just can't with this again. there is no better OF on our team and he's now one of the best in baseball. anyone who still believes otherwise needs to watch Michael play every inning of every game in a season instead of basing their opinions solely on looking at specific numbers that don't even come close to telling his whole story. remember, if Michael wasn't in Cleveland, then the threat of Ryan Raburn spiking more balls in the left field corner would become a very real possibility. (i've never seen Corey Kluber display that kind of pissed off emotion in a game before, btw. but Michael's not good? smh)
another strong argument against Michael for the Gold Glove is the fact that Alex Gordon is the reigning champ (3 years running) and he had another great defensive season. plus, he's playing on a team that not only made it to the postseason, but is also currently in the World Series. but i'm gonna go the other way and say because of that, i feel like he shouldn't get the GG this year. Gordon could potentially be a World Series MVP candidate. let him have that and give my boy the Gold Glove lol
so congratulations to Michael on being a GG finalist! he's certainly earned it and it is a true honor just to be nominated. but it's not looking like he'll emerge as the winner based on the criteria. honestly, i'll be stunned if he does win. no matter what happens, i am just so happy that Michael is finally getting some much deserved Gold Glove consideration. no, that's not true. you know i'm gonna bitch if he doesn't win this lol
the winner of this award, and all other 2014 Gold Glove Awards, will be announced on Tuesday, November 4, at 7 pm EST on ESPN2. i will post a follow up blog to this after i find out who won. good luck, Michael!
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