You are full of a pantload, astorian. Keith Hernandez tied Willie Stargell for the MVP in 1979. Co-MVP to Keith Hernandez, New York Met. Why did that show bias? Because if I remember correctly, a number of writers left Stargell completely off their ballots. They didn’t put him second, third, or even last. All Stargell needed to win the award outright was one 10th place vote from one of those idiots. And I’m pretty sure most, if not all of the writers in question were from that unbiased town.
I don’t know why people try to deny an east coast bias and specifically a New York Bias (except the Red Sox nuts at ESPN who give them a slight edge over the Yanks.) There IS a bias. It’s also true that they’ve had some great players on their teams. No denying that. Rizzuto isn’t the only one. I pulled one from memory as an example. I’m not pulling more to satisfy you. If I was a NY Yankee fan, I’d love it. Quit your denial!
I was not aware of that. I’ll have to go back and check. But if this is the case, I stand sort of corrected on Rizzuto. He’s still in the hall, but not by the writers. I don’t know who’s actually on the veteran’s committee, but the writers not voting him in makes a difference to me. Thanks for pointing that out.
Sorry, I need some data for this. If this is your opinion, that’s fine. But you are comparing him to Vizquel and you are saying he was most certainly the best ss in the AL? I don’t believe it. I think Luke Appling of the CHW played in the same time frame, and you’d take Appling every day of the week over Rizzuto. My knowledge base on baseball isn’t exactly strong during this time, but Appling is in the HOF, I’m sure of it.
Sorry that happened to him, as well as a lot of guys, but irrelevant. He doesn’t get the hall because he participated in WWII. Exactly what did he DO in WWII? Ted Williams flew planes. Most of those guys were in for publicity, but were never put in harm’s way. As for the GG not existing when he played, good point. I stand corrected, and that point I made is irrelevant (even if it was technically accurate. :p)
I never saw Rizzuto play in person, so I’m going by stats. I can’t say whether or not he deserved the MVP, but I’ll take your word for it. I have no reason to say otherwise.
You are correct, Sir. Fuck, my memory is shot. I forgot he even played in St. Louis until you mentioned it. That’s pretty pathetic.
OK, well the METS SUCK! And no one cares for the Mets in NY anyway. At least not anyone who matters. Those guys that still broadcast and write sports in NY are still Giants and Dodgers fans.
Not much else I can say to defend my memory. Just ignore my posts.
In addition to your apparent confusion of the Mets and Cardinals, you also don’t seem to know how the MVP Award voting works.
The MVP Award is voted on by precisely two members of the BBWAA from each city. So in 1979, as in fact every single other year since the Mets began their existence, the number of New York writers voting on the MVP Award was two, exactly the same number as from St. Louis, Pittsburgh, or anywhere else. IT’s not possible for writers from any “unbiased town” or biased town to stack the MVP voting.
If there was a bias in award voting then we would see it in award results. But there is no evidence whatsoever of such a bias, and since annual awards voting is structured such that every city gets an equal say, there is no reason to think there would be in that case.
What MVP Awards, for instance, have been given to New York players who were clearly undeserving of them? I can’t think of any in my lifetime, but I can think of a lot of pretty terrible choices from other cities.
Even though I’m a Yankees fan, I think a lot hangs on the word “clearly.”
That is, I loved Thurman Munson and Don Mattingly, and both were certainly decent MVP choices… but one could make a pretty fair argument that George Brett was more deserving both years.
In Mattingly’s case, however, I don’t think New York bias was at work- it was RBI bias! Writers were hung up on RBIs for a long time. Donnie Baseball was great, but his RBI totals were inflated tremendously by having Rickey Henderson and Willie Randolph right ahead of him. He was always coming up with Rickey on second, or with Rickey on third and Willie on first. I have no doubt Brett could have driven in about as many runs, given similar circumstances.
Agreed, and that’s partially why I said “clearly.” Arguing over slight differences would lead to madness. Mattingly was chosen for his RBI count.
After all, the choice of Mattingly over Brett in 1985 was no less defensible than the choice of I-Rod over Jeter - a New York player - in 1999. In my 40-year lifetime only four MVP Awards have been given to New York players, all Yankees; Munson, Mattingly, and two to A-Rod, and none during their amazing 1996-2000 run. The Texas Rangers have won six, five just since 1996.
The REALLY absurd choices in recent years - Dawson and Bell in 1987, Eckersley in 1992, Juan Gonzalez twice, Justin Morneau - are rarely “East Coast” players.
I agree that Maris should not be in the Hall. I would support Bud Selig striking McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds from the single season HR record and reinstating Maris as the record holder. He did it without cheating.