According to the Twitter post of Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, Dejan Kovacevic is the only voter for the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year who did not list Jason Heyward on his ballot. Instead, this writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chose to list two Pirates rookies, Neil Walker and Jose Tabata.
No, that wasn't a misprint. Apparently Kovacevic (whom I used to respect) thinks that Neil Walker and Jose Tabata had better rookie years than Jason Heyward. Let's take a look:
Somewhere in the halls of niceness I might be able to forgive him for listing Walker, but Tabata! Jose plays the outfield, just like Jason Heyward. Heyward played in 40 more games and posted an OPS 100 points higher. There's no justification that Kovacevic can make that explains why Tabata is better than Heyward.
There's also the rule that says the stats of players who play in Pittsburgh where they get eliminated from the playoffs in May are not to be taken as seriously as the stats of players who are in a pennant race for most of the season. For lack of a better name, let's call it the "Nate McLouth Effect."
I can understand the hometown paper guy voting for one hometown player. After all, Everyday Jonny Venters got a vote, likely from one of the Atlanta voters, but listing two is a bit excessive and blatant homerism that essentially cheapens the entire voting process. Unfortunately it's always been a problem, and it probably always will. Maybe we should just let a computer decide...
0 recs | 32 comments
The Worst!
At least it didn’t really make a difference in the final total
sexbobomb - November 15, 2010
Could you imagine the chaos...
if Heyward lost because of this douchebag?
DolphinNation - November 15, 2010
Equally ridiculous...
Is that one writer had to leave Posey off the ballot entirely as well.
Oh, and as someone posted previously, Venters vote actually came from Baggarly.
-C
cthabeerman - November 15, 2010
The guy didn't think Posey played enough to merit a vote
I disagree but at least there was coherent reasoning behind it, unlike Kovacevic’s ballot.
nixa37 - November 15, 2010
Let's see here:
More hits, runs scored, triples, home runs, RBI’s, and walks. Better OPS, oh…and he made the All Star team as a rookie. I’d keep him off the ballot too. /sarcasm
DolphinNation - November 15, 2010
Feliz won AL ROY
Damn you Mark Texieria!!!!!
HansonManCrush - November 15, 2010 via mobile
But at least he took us deep into the playoffs!
Oh, wait…
MichaelProcton - November 16, 2010
Wait just a second!
You mean baseball writers are not unbiased, reasoning, impartial voters? My world is collapsing around me! The horror! THE HORROR!!
king of games - November 15, 2010
From Kovacevic's Twitter:
RE: ROY voting. Felt very firmly about about Posey, thus chose him 1st. Felt Walker/Tabata, comparable to rest of class.
Neither Walker nor Tabata is off-the-board choice, as seen from this list of NL rookies with 400 PA, ranked by OPS. http://tinyurl.com/3×9aghm
Obviously saw way more of Walker/Tabata than others, but that also gave perspective on them performing at high level in poor lineup/setting.
Feeling always has been with voting that broadest variety of perspectives bring best results. Few can argue final overall tally, I’d think.
AnEternalEnigma - November 15, 2010
Best part of that
Heyward is above Walker and Tabata on the OPS leaderboard he links to
sexbobomb - November 15, 2010
It makes sense to me
The most important stat is Batting Average, and Walker and Tabata are clearly superior to Heyward in this respect.
END OF DISCUSSION!
danielduello - November 15, 2010
OBP > Batting average.
But it appears that you are being sarcastic
MBL1 - November 15, 2010 via mobile
Neither of those are on the scoreboard.
Clearly, how you smile in your picture on the scoreboard is most important.
Doghnut - November 16, 2010
Can he be penalized for this?...
like never being allowed to vote again?
Mr. Sanchez - November 15, 2010
the steals!!
alxn - November 15, 2010
WAHHH WAHHHH WAHHH
steeeeezzzzzz - November 15, 2010
Can we agree now
That actually winning the award is completely pointless.
I think it is more meaningful if a player receives votes — basically a “Great Job!” from a bunch of baseball writers. Posey, Heyward, Garcia and Sanchez are pretty much equal in the fact that they were rookies who produced extremely well for their teams. Who the media slightly favors due to certain statistic/bias really doesn’t seem as important to me.
It’s like a slightly more accurate version of the gold glove. At least they didn’t give Jeter AL ROTY.
MLWhiteSF - November 15, 2010
Agreed.
I dont think anyone really takes the awards seriously anymore. And I’m pretty sure the Giants, Cardinals and Braves are going to be happy with their rookie for a long time.
Scott Coleman - November 15, 2010 via mobile
Kovacevic was obviously foolish to put Tabata over Heyward (or about 10 other guys)
but I have a hard time getting too upset about this. It’s just a sportswriter with a few unreasonable biases. There are hundreds more like him (or worse). Hell, if you gave me awards ballots, I’d probably make an egregious error or two eventually. It only really upsets me when it decides an award, which this definitely did not.
I’m pretty sure Heyward will be just fine, in other words.
Jacob Peterson - November 15, 2010
HA transcript 11/15/10
Hello….My name is Dejan Kovacevic…..and I am….a homer.
adc62 - November 15, 2010
Awesomeness.....
FreddieFreeman Got good news. Going back home now. Gained all my strength in my hand. Time for the off season. Workouts start tmrw!
Freeman tweeted this. Apparently his thumb is all better now. Good news.
MBL1 - November 15, 2010 via mobile
Oh quit your complaining.
You guys won the 1992 NLCS. Get over Heyward not being on one flipping ballot. Grow up.
IAPiratesFan - November 15, 2010
LOL
Oh I see…so because the Braves beat the Pirates 18 years ago, it’s alright for a jackass Pissburgh writer to vote for two Pirates and leave Heyward off his ballot. That makes sense.
Scott Coleman - November 15, 2010
Remember, they haven't had a winning season since.
It is still in the front of their minds.
cavebird - November 15, 2010
I still get chills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st6Er8UphqA
Scott Coleman - November 15, 2010
I still vomit.
IAPiratesFan - November 15, 2010
Braves baseball
is a beautiful thing.
adc62 - November 16, 2010
I love baseball.
MBL1 - November 16, 2010
My point is...
It did not cost Heyward the ROY Award. Not a big deal that he wasn’t on one freaking ballot. Also I didn’t see anyone on this blog complain last year when Andrew McCutchen finished fourth when he was the clear cut obvious choice to win the award last year.
IAPiratesFan - November 15, 2010
completely untrue…there were a good portion of posters here who thought last year was a horrendous screw job by the writers…I could see not saying McCutcheon wasn’t the best…but he was clearly at worst the 2nd best rookie in 2009 and many posters recognized that…
with that said…you have to admit there’s no way anyone can rationally defend Tabata or Walker over Heyward….in any way…even if you want to use projection of who will be better in the long term or who had a better season (using any stat)…
its certainly not a big deal..it didnt affect the standings…most awards are completely meaningless nowadays….
but at the same time we have the right to bitch when things don’t go our way…like you have the right to bitch that McCutheon finished fourth last year (which i agree is ludicrous)
Swo12bv - November 15, 2010
lol, I can’t tell what’s making me laugh more, this writer or the eagles dominating the redskins
telemakhos - November 15, 2010
Remember
There are always a few voters like this (I’m surprised there werent more).
Hell, Babe Ruth only got 95% of the votes for his hall of fame induction. This crap always happens. Esp in baseball.
Doghnut - November 16, 2010
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