2012 MLB Regular Season Running Thread

Miguel Cabrera just hit his 39th home run to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead over the A's. I still believe Trout deserves the MVP at this point, but it's going to be a great race to the finish line.

 

And Max Scherzer was pulled with shoulder fatigue. Not good news for Detroit.

 

Miggy hit his 40th tonight as well, a grand slam. Put up 6 RBI in a big 12-2 win over the A's.

I definitely wouldn't sleep on the Tigers.

 

Still getting paid? Or it is furlough time?

 

Cabrera could very well win the MVP. He is heating up of late, too, though I think the Tigers have to make the playoffs and have the Angels miss them for him to have a shot.

Speaking of MVP races, Ryan Braun showed off his versatility with a couple of hits, a walk and three stolen bases in Milwaukee's win at Pittsburgh. The Brewers are back in the race now and Braun is easily the biggest reason why.

 

I really don't think this Red Sox-Rays game is taking long enough. ....

 

Maybe I'm just seeing too much of this as a hometowner, but even in reading national sites I have gotten the feeling that opinion has lined up solidly if not overwhelmingly behind Posey. With the Giants locked into the playoffs, I don't think there's anything that can change it.

 

Oh, it's going to be Posey, but at least part of that is because some voters think they have to punish Braun since MLB fucked it up.

 

Good thing the A's lost.

 

Eh, even without that I don't think it's much of a decision.

Posey: .334/.408/.544 OPS .952
Braun: .312/.387/.602 OPS .989

Posey is playing in an extreme, extreme pitchers' park -- according to B-R the park factor is 86 as opposed to Milwaukee's 103 (100 being average). That helps Posey to a league-high OPS+ of 170 while Braun's is 159. And he's spending most of his time at the most difficult position while Braun is at the easiest.

There are quite a few peripheral stats that argue for him too, such as an OPS over 1.000 when the game is within a run. (Braun is about .900 in that category.)

I am sure some people will factor the steroid case into their thinking. But ultimately I don't think it would matter anyway.