Tuesday, November 18, 2003
BARRY GOOD
Well, look for Barry to win #6 in less than half an hour.
I still say that while Barry was better, Pujols was more valuable. And it has nothing to do with who does or does not have the better teammates.
Barry might hold a massive advantage in OPS, but his limited playing time due to injuries and personal tragedy means Pujols actually created more runs (runs created at its most basic is OBP * SLG * AB). It's that simple.
Now, despite that 27 game deficit, the fact that Barry is still so close in RC obviously underlines how incredible he is. While Pujols's 189 OPS+ this year was just shy of the top 100 seasons, Barry's 231 OPS+ tied him for ninth best all time. In terms of pure excellence at the plate, Barry has put together three of the all time best performances ever since the dawn of the new millenium.
But it comes down to value. Fools that they otherwise are, Tejada and Stewart supporters are right. It's not a "Best Player" Award. It's a "Most Valuable Player" Award.
