Half Way There

Well we have reached the halway point of the baseball season and so it is time to do some evaluating of what the season has brought us thus far. So here we go, Big O Sports Blog's first ever edition of the All-Star Break Awards. Let's roll.


Biggest Disappointment (both leagues)

Well this one is really a no brainer but there are some interesting contestants for second place. Obviously the winner here is the New York Yankees, and I'm not just hating. The Yanks are limping into the break under .500 and 11 out of the AL East race, not to mention 9.5 back in the wild card chase as well. I just keep waiting, like everyone else, for the Yankees to turn it around, to right the ship, but let's be honest with ourselves, it is getting pretty late in the season here. I heard the other day that if the Red Sox play jus .500 baseball for the rest of the year the Bronx Bombers would have to play .650 ball for the rest of the year just to tie the Red Sox in the division. Now if that isn't being up against it, I don't know what is. Don't get me wrong, I am going to be the last person to pronounce the Yankees as dead, I'm too paranoid for that. I still think they can turn around and win the wild card, but I have to be honest at this point it just doesn't look that good for them. At the same time, you can never count out a team that has the willingness and resources to acquire just about any player at the trade deadline, so we'll see what happens.
Runners Up:
St. Louis- The defending World Series champs do not have to worry about repeating. They are simply awful. Theres nothing else to be said here.

Chicago White Sox- The White Sox have been so bad there's public talk from the GM about a fire sale. That's a good sign things aren't going well.


Biggest Surprise (both leagues)

OK, so I might sound like an idiot here, but I'm going with the Milwaukee Brewers. I knew the Brew Crew was young and talented, I do after all follow Minor League baseball more than I would like to admit. However, it's the Brewers. They have been young and talented for a while now, and I think I just kind of expected them to still be, well . . . you know . . . the Brewers. I have to say though, despite their up and down spurts they go through and their awful road record, I think they have enough to hold on in the weak N.L. Central. That being said, due to their youth and inability to win on the road I don't expect much from them in the postseason but just getting there is a big step for Milwaukee.


Most Outstanding Player

I have created a seperate category of awards specifically for Alex Rodriguez because what he is doing is just absurd. However I can't give the MVP to a guy who plays for the biggest disappointment in the league. So I present to you, the Most Outstanding Player award, all sorts of college feeling isn't it? You ever notice how the Final Four and the College World Series and pretty much every bowl game has a MOP instead of MVP? Anyone know why this is? Seriously someone get back to me on this.


Most Valuable Player (AL)

I am going to take the easy way out on this one and give it to Magglio Orodonez of the Detroit Tigers. I figured I would go with the best player on one of the top couple of teams in the league which seems to be a popular formula. When looking at the American League I just didn't have anyone pop out at me. Boston is very well balanced so no one player sticks out in their lineup and no one on the Angels really impresses me that much either. So I begrudingly hand the award to Ordonez. If David Ortiz would have hit about 5 more homers in the first half it'd be his prize for the taking no question. Yes I am biased, and no I don't care.

Most Valuable Player (NL)

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers. Next question please.


Cy Young (AL)

I want to go Josh Beckett here, I really really do, but I just can't. Dan Haren of the Atheltics has just been too good. He has double digit wins a 2.30 ERA. I can't argue with that. Besides Haren's WHIP is exactly 1.00, which if you don't know, is really really good. The award could also go to Johan Santana, I mean, this award can pretty much ALWAYS go to Santana, but Haren takes it home here.

Cy Young (NL)

Well here it came down to a couple of Padres. It was Chris Young and Jake Peavy. Young's ERA is slightly lower, and they both carry a whip of 1.06. Young's on-base percentage against him is slightly lower than Peavy's, but Peavy has the advantage is slugging percentage against. Basically this decision came down the fact that Peavy has a big advantage is strikeouts and well I just like him more. Also he wasn't involved in a wind breaking, no contact, fist fight with Derek Lee. The thing is, if I am a Major League hitter (you may be surprised to learn I am not) I'm simply more scared of Jake Peavy than I am of Chris Young. That being said, Peavy is the first half Cy Young winner here.


That's all we've got folks. I hope this will tide you over until my upcoming running diary of the All-Star game on Tuesday night.