MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

Just looked up the 1989 NL Cy Young vote and by no means was Davis an outrageous winner. He led the league in saves, he had a 1.85 ERA, and most of all, none of the other leading vote getters had blow-you-away seasons. Hersheiser had the best one, but he had a 15-15 record, too. Hard luck pitchers on teams that finish up the track can get overlooked. Reminder: Awards voters are voting on ONE season, not a career, and certainly not on what a player will do in the future.

 

Hershiser had a 2.31 ERA that season. He threw 256 2/3 innings with eight complete games and four shutouts. Of course, the expectations of pitchers are different now, but that was still a hell of a season. He got lost only because too many voters were still looking at wins and losses when evaluating pitchers at that time.

 

Dodgers also finished fourth with a sub .500 record. That, unfairly, did and still does influence votes for individual awards. Sort of surprising that Maddux, who had a good season, didn't do better in the voting as the Cubs won their division.

 

I understand why it happened, but no way Davis should have won. Looking at the statistics, I am surprised it didn't go to Maddux, though Hershiser had the better season.

 

I’m not surprised. Writers weren’t nearly as smart as they like to claim they were today.

 

It seems like today's game is uniquely suited to building a wipeout bullpen first, and then the rest of the pieces. The great bullpen keeps you in games while everybody else figures it out (like say Seattle). The Cleveland team got to a World Series a few years ago on the backs of relievers.

 

I just spent five minutes playing the sound buttons. My morning is better for it.

 

True, but by any measure, Hader's 2022 season wasn't good. It has been such a weird season. He didn't give up a run until June 7, completely fell apart in July and August, then hasn't given up a run since Sept. 5.

 

You arguing about relief pitchers? Think any of these guys like Foreigner ... or prancing?

 

One more thing. Hersheiser won it the year before, when he was the unanimous first place choice. Of course, that was his phenomenal all-time best season. So again unfairly but understandably, the next season he was sort of competing against himself.

 

This post and a couple of other posts seem to apply to Ohtani this year. Great pitcher, bad team.