Konerko Named LVP of the 1st Half, Loaiza gets Cy Young of the 1st half.

[guillen4life13]

In case this hasn't been posted, ESPN's Jayson Stark gave the AL Least Valuable Player award to the White Sox' own, Paul Konerko.

Link (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark_jayson/1580431.html)

AL LEAST VALUABLE PLAYER (LVP)
Paul Konerko, Chicago
Yikes. What HAPPENED to this guy? This time last year, Konerko was an All-Star who almost reached the finals of the Home Run Derby. Now he has fewer home runs (four) than Matt Kata (who got called up -- what? -- 20 minutes ago?), fewer RBIs (18) than Reed Johnson (who got called up -- what? -- 15 minutes ago), fewer extra-base hits (12) than Alex Cora and a lower slugging percentage (.278) than Chone Figgins. That's the stuff LVPs are made of. Sighs of relief for: Jeremy Giambi, Jermaine Dye, Ben Grieve, Bobby Higginson.

He also gave the AL Cy Young Award for the first half to Esteban! He said some things to demerit him though.
AL CY YOUNG
Esteban Loaiza, Chicago
Pedro Martinez (11 starts allowing one earned run or none) is still the best pitcher in the American League. But thanks to his dependable bullpen committeemen, he has six wins. Tim Hudson (whose team is 16-4 when he starts) has probably pitched every bit as well as Loaiza. But thanks to The Curse of Keith Foulke, Hudson has seven wins. So for now, we'll shakily hand this half-trophy to Loaiza, who has already tied his career high in wins (11) and has given up one earned run or none 11 times -- as many as in his previous 54 starts combined. Bear in mind that Loaiza has never had a second-half ERA lower than 3.62. (Of course, he never had a FIRST-half ERA under 4.04.) But the only AL pitchers in the last 25 years who have had a lower full-season ERA than Loaiza's current 2.21 ERA were Pedro, Roger Clemens and Bret Saberhagen. So how the heck did Loaiza worm his way into a group like that? Apologies to: Roy Halladay, Jamie Moyer, Mark Mulder, Martinez, Hudson.

[MisterB]

Originally posted by guillen4life13
In case this hasn't been posted, ESPN's Jayson Stark gave the AL Least Valuable Player award to the White Sox' own, Paul Konerko.

For those of you who can stomach it:

Paul Konerko - from last All-Star break to this one:

.235/.300/.352, 49 r, 20 doubles, 12 hr, 55 rbi, 40 bb, 59 k's

ugh.

[fquaye149]

"But thanks to The Curse of Keith Foulke, Hudson has seven wins."

this is confusing to me.


all in all, even while praising loaiza it seemed like pointed satire. ***? get over the fact that he has faded in the past. why mention his 3.72 era 2nd half without noting that his astronomical june and july era's certainly were not encountered this year. apologies to roy halladay et al? how about apologies to esteban for that unbearably couched praised you *******


konerko is the lvp though, no ? about it



note: the asterisks are representing an epiphet which would describe a chasm in the ground made entirely out of donkeys

[MisterB]

Originally posted by fquaye149
"But thanks to The Curse of Keith Foulke, Hudson has seven wins."

this is confusing to me.

All 4 of Foulke's blown saves this season have been in games started by Hudson, thus inferring that Huddy should have 11 wins.

[kempsted]

It continues to amaze me how people look at W-L for pitchers. This is most likely the WORST measure for how well a pitcher is doing. I remember a number of years ago when Storm Davis was pitching for the A's and got 20 wins and was a hot commodity. I kept saying - Hey he has a 4.50 ERA! - Which at the time sucked. Sure enough he sucked the next place he went.

Don't look at W-L for starting pitchers. It has more to do with how well the team is playing behind you than how well you are doing. ERA WHIP, and Quality Starts are much better indications. For us to look at Hudson and say he would have had more wins if not for Foulke is stupid. Loaiza would have more wins if it wern't for lousy offense.

Hudson is another candidate for Cy Young for the first half though.