Now the MVP arguement for Cabrera has switched to intangibles like pitchers would rather face Trout than Cabrera when if this was true it would be reflected by the one stat that shows which batters are most feared and that is walk totals. Well let's see who walked more. Oh, wait, it's Trout again in some sixty less plate appearances he walked more when you would think that'sthe last thing pitchers would want to do with his speed. So apparently pitcher's FEAR Trout more according to the only way that can be measured.
bball123, you act like JH is showing you some abstract thought that can't be quantified and shows nothing when really the only arguement that shows lack of understanding or thought is your own. You say show you the math, well quit being lazy and read the links JH has posted and you might be able to understand some of the numbers. Most people who don't accept the new ways of figuring value haven't bothered to try to understand the formulas because they are lazy in my opinion. It's been a long time since a Triple Crown. Now that argument really shows player value. Statements like " how many strike-outs are equivilent to a base steal" quite frankly make me think you know very little about statistics in general so it's quite natural that you would think that RBI's and batting average are still the best way to quantify player value. I am not accusing you of not being intelligent, it's just that you need to get with the times or I guarentee you will be left behind in the next decade.
This kind of thinking is why the Juan Gonzalez's, Jeff Burrough's and Justin Morneau's win MVP's when they aren't even the most valuable player on their team.
I also have a problem with the concept that now Cabrera is this great team leader when the last time I looked he was drunker than a skunk when his team needed him only a few years ago. I think the abstract concept of value in the clubhouse is overrated and it's his RBI's and HR's that make him seem like a leader when its always some scrub on the bench who become the leaders in baseball. That's why stars don't generally make the best managers. When they put that bat down or it fades with time, their leadership ability seems to disappear too.