Posts Tagged ‘matt kemp’




Braun tests positive for illegal substance

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

Ryan Braun (Wikimedia Commons)

The National League Most Valuable Player has tested positive for an elevated level of testosterone.

According to the Associated Press, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers is facing a suspension of 50 games at the beginning of the 2012 Major League Baseball season. The World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal was able to confirm the positive test.

Braun, who is claiming his innocence, plans to appeal the ruling. He will not be eligible to play for the Brewers until May 31 and will lose $1.87 million of his $6 million salary.

Last season Braun had 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in, with 109 runs, 38 doubles, 33 stolen bases and a batting average of .332. He increased his batting average to .405 for the postseason.

I think with Braun testing positive for an illegal substance, Major League Baseball should strip him of his NL MVP award if he loses his appeal and award it to Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who actually put up better regular season numbers than Braun (39 home runs, 126 runs batted in, 40 stolen bases), but failed to take his team to the postseason. What do you think?

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Braun named NL MVP

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Ryan Braun (Wikimedia Commons)

For the first time while the Milwaukee Brewers have played in the National League, one of its players has been named the National League Most Valuable Player.

On Tuesday, Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun received the honour. Rollie Fingers (1981) and Robin Yount (1982 and 1989) each received the honours while the Brewers were in the American League.

Braun led the National League with a .597 slugging percentage and .994 OPS (on base and slugging percentage). He hit 33 home runs, had 111 runs batted in, and batted .332.

Braun was one of only two players in the National League, joining Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers to hit thirty home runs ans steal 30 bases this season.

Kemp may have had better numbers (39 home runs, 126 runs batted in), but it was good to see the voters go with a player that was instrumental in guiding his team to a playoff spot. I think a playoff berth is a prerequisite in being named a Most Valuable Player. What do you think?

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Kershaw wins Cy Young Award

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Clayton Kershaw (S.D. Dirk, Wikimedia Commons)

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Cy Young Award on Thursday.

Kershaw becomes the first Dodger since Eric Gagne of Montreal, Quebec in 2003 to win the award and seventh Dodger overall joining Don Drysdale (1962), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965, and 1966), Mike Marshall (1974), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), and Orel Hershiser (1988).

At 23 years old, Kershaw is the youngest Cy Young Award winner since 20 year-old Dwight Gooden won the Cy Young Award with the New York Mets in 1985.

Like Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers in the American League this season, Kershaw led the National League in wins (21), earned run average (2.28), and strikeouts (248). He also had the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the National League at 0.98.

Despite having a lousy season in the National League West (11.5 games back of the division winning Arizona Diamondbacks), the Los Angeles Dodgers have a legitimate shot of having the National League MVP as well. Matt Kemp led the National League in runs (115), runs batted in (126), and home runs (39) this season.

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Cabrera gets snubbed by fans

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Asdrubal Cabrera (Wikimedia Commons)

The starters voted by the fans, and rosters named by the managers were announced late Sunday evening for the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game a week from tonight in Arizona.

I always vote online, and select players who statistically should be there, based on their performance in the first half of the regular season.

For the most part, I agreed with the fans’ selections. Thumbs up to Major League Baseball fans worldwide for selecting Detroit Tiger catcher Alex Avila (.297, 10 HR, 46 RBIs), Milwaukee Brewer second baseman Rickie Weeks (.277, 15 HR, 34 RBIs) and Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp (.324, 22 HR, 64 RBIs, 22 SBs) for the first time.

But there was one areas where I found the fans made a mistake. At shortstop, the fans chose the bigger name–Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees (.256, 2 HR, 20 RBIs) over Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians (.293, 14 HR, 49 RBIs). Jeter is only six hits away from the magical 3,000, and the fact that he has a great history playing professional baseball in New York City, helped his stock. But the fans went with the player who has had a great career over the best season, something I felt was wrong. Cabrera will play. He was selected as a reserve by American League Manager Ron Washington of the Texas Rangers.

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Major League Baseball Preview–National League West

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Tim Lincecum (Wikimedia Commons)

It is in this division where the World Series champion came out of in 2010. The San Francisco Giants knocked off the Texas Rangers 4-1 to win their first championship since 1954.

Even though their pitching staff remains basically intact, the Giants did have to say goodbye to infielders Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria in the offseason. Uribe, who had 24 home runs and 85 runs batted in last season with the Giants is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Renteria, who was named the World Series Most Valuable Player, is now with the Cincinnati Reds.

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