Heyward Left Off One ROY Ballot

by gondeee on Nov 15, 2010 3:36 PM EST

According to the Twitter post of Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, Dejan Kovacevic is the only voter for the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year who did not list Jason Heyward on his ballot. Instead, this writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chose to list two Pirates rookies, Neil Walker and Jose Tabata.

No, that wasn't a misprint. Apparently Kovacevic (whom I used to respect) thinks that Neil Walker and Jose Tabata had better rookie years than Jason Heyward. Let's take a look:

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2010 - Jason Heyward	142	520	83	144	29	5	18	72	91	128	11	6	.277	.393	.456

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2010 - Neil Walker	110	426	57	126	29	3	12	66	34	83	2	3	.296	.349	.462

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2010 - Jose Tabata	102	405	61	121	21	4	4	35	28	57	19	7	.299	.346	.400

Somewhere in the halls of niceness I might be able to forgive him for listing Walker, but Tabata! Jose plays the outfield, just like Jason Heyward. Heyward played in 40 more games and posted an OPS 100 points higher. There's no justification that Kovacevic can make that explains why Tabata is better than Heyward.

There's also the rule that says the stats of players who play in Pittsburgh where they get eliminated from the playoffs in May are not to be taken as seriously as the stats of players who are in a pennant race for most of the season. For lack of a better name, let's call it the "Nate McLouth Effect."

I can understand the hometown paper guy voting for one hometown player. After all, Everyday Jonny Venters got a vote, likely from one of the Atlanta voters, but listing two is a bit excessive and blatant homerism that essentially cheapens the entire voting process. Unfortunately it's always been a problem, and it probably always will. Maybe we should just let a computer decide...

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Comments

The Worst!

At least it didn’t really make a difference in the final total

by sexbobomb on Nov 15, 2010 3:38 PM EST reply actions

Could you imagine the chaos...

if Heyward lost because of this douchebag?

Eddie V

by DolphinNation on Nov 15, 2010 3:48 PM EST up reply actions

Equally ridiculous...

Is that one writer had to leave Posey off the ballot entirely as well.

Oh, and as someone posted previously, Venters vote actually came from Baggarly.

-C

It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?

by cthabeerman on Nov 15, 2010 3:45 PM EST reply actions

The guy didn't think Posey played enough to merit a vote

I disagree but at least there was coherent reasoning behind it, unlike Kovacevic’s ballot.

by nixa37 on Nov 15, 2010 9:43 PM EST up reply actions

Let's see here:

More hits, runs scored, triples, home runs, RBI’s, and walks. Better OPS, oh…and he made the All Star team as a rookie. I’d keep him off the ballot too. /sarcasm

Eddie V

by DolphinNation on Nov 15, 2010 3:47 PM EST reply actions

Feliz won AL ROY

Damn you Mark Texieria!!!!!

"I wasn’t thinking about it. That’s the worst celebration of all time. I didn’t know what to do. I got lost in the moment." - Brian McCann

by HansonManCrush on Nov 15, 2010 3:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions

But at least he took us deep into the playoffs!

Oh, wait…

Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.

Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.

by MichaelProcton on Nov 16, 2010 1:28 AM EST up reply actions

Wait just a second!

You mean baseball writers are not unbiased, reasoning, impartial voters? My world is collapsing around me! The horror! THE HORROR!!

by king of games on Nov 15, 2010 4:06 PM EST reply actions

From Kovacevic's Twitter:

RE: ROY voting. Felt very firmly about about Posey, thus chose him 1st. Felt Walker/Tabata, comparable to rest of class.

Neither Walker nor Tabata is off-the-board choice, as seen from this list of NL rookies with 400 PA, ranked by OPS. http://tinyurl.com/3×9aghm

Obviously saw way more of Walker/Tabata than others, but that also gave perspective on them performing at high level in poor lineup/setting.

Feeling always has been with voting that broadest variety of perspectives bring best results. Few can argue final overall tally, I’d think.

by AnEternalEnigma on Nov 15, 2010 4:08 PM EST reply actions

Best part of that

Heyward is above Walker and Tabata on the OPS leaderboard he links to

by sexbobomb on Nov 15, 2010 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

It makes sense to me

The most important stat is Batting Average, and Walker and Tabata are clearly superior to Heyward in this respect.

END OF DISCUSSION!

by danielduello on Nov 15, 2010 4:22 PM EST reply actions

OBP > Batting average.
But it appears that you are being sarcastic

"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones

by MBL1 on Nov 15, 2010 6:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Neither of those are on the scoreboard.

Clearly, how you smile in your picture on the scoreboard is most important.

"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"

"You look like you should be married to one of the San Diego Padres."

by Doghnut on Nov 16, 2010 7:15 AM EST up reply actions

Can he be penalized for this?...

like never being allowed to vote again?

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Nov 15, 2010 4:44 PM EST reply actions

the steals!!

by alxn on Nov 15, 2010 4:57 PM EST reply actions

WAHHH WAHHHH WAHHH

by steeeeezzzzzz on Nov 15, 2010 7:24 PM EST reply actions

Can we agree now

That actually winning the award is completely pointless.

I think it is more meaningful if a player receives votes — basically a “Great Job!” from a bunch of baseball writers. Posey, Heyward, Garcia and Sanchez are pretty much equal in the fact that they were rookies who produced extremely well for their teams. Who the media slightly favors due to certain statistic/bias really doesn’t seem as important to me.

It’s like a slightly more accurate version of the gold glove. At least they didn’t give Jeter AL ROTY.

by MLWhiteSF on Nov 15, 2010 7:28 PM EST reply actions

Agreed.

I dont think anyone really takes the awards seriously anymore. And I’m pretty sure the Giants, Cardinals and Braves are going to be happy with their rookie for a long time.

'Terrible preview...pretty weak, didn't learn anything new. pretty sad." - mastermike

by Scott Coleman on Nov 15, 2010 7:49 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Kovacevic was obviously foolish to put Tabata over Heyward (or about 10 other guys)

but I have a hard time getting too upset about this. It’s just a sportswriter with a few unreasonable biases. There are hundreds more like him (or worse). Hell, if you gave me awards ballots, I’d probably make an egregious error or two eventually. It only really upsets me when it decides an award, which this definitely did not.

I’m pretty sure Heyward will be just fine, in other words.

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Nov 15, 2010 7:49 PM EST reply actions

HA transcript 11/15/10

Hello….My name is Dejan Kovacevic…..and I am….a homer.

A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.

by adc62 on Nov 15, 2010 8:16 PM EST reply actions

Awesomeness.....

FreddieFreeman Got good news. Going back home now. Gained all my strength in my hand. Time for the off season. Workouts start tmrw!

Freeman tweeted this. Apparently his thumb is all better now. Good news.

"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones

by MBL1 on Nov 15, 2010 8:35 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Oh quit your complaining.

You guys won the 1992 NLCS. Get over Heyward not being on one flipping ballot. Grow up.

by IAPiratesFan on Nov 15, 2010 8:53 PM EST reply actions

LOL

Oh I see…so because the Braves beat the Pirates 18 years ago, it’s alright for a jackass Pissburgh writer to vote for two Pirates and leave Heyward off his ballot. That makes sense.

'Terrible preview...pretty weak, didn't learn anything new. pretty sad." - mastermike

by Scott Coleman on Nov 15, 2010 8:58 PM EST up reply actions

Remember, they haven't had a winning season since.

It is still in the front of their minds.

by cavebird on Nov 15, 2010 9:06 PM EST up reply actions

I still get chills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st6Er8UphqA

'Terrible preview...pretty weak, didn't learn anything new. pretty sad." - mastermike

by Scott Coleman on Nov 15, 2010 9:08 PM EST up reply actions

I still vomit.

by IAPiratesFan on Nov 15, 2010 9:26 PM EST up reply actions

Braves baseball

is a beautiful thing.

A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.

by adc62 on Nov 16, 2010 8:00 AM EST up reply actions

I love baseball.

"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones

by MBL1 on Nov 16, 2010 3:47 PM EST up reply actions

My point is...

It did not cost Heyward the ROY Award. Not a big deal that he wasn’t on one freaking ballot. Also I didn’t see anyone on this blog complain last year when Andrew McCutchen finished fourth when he was the clear cut obvious choice to win the award last year.

by IAPiratesFan on Nov 15, 2010 9:40 PM EST up reply actions

completely untrue…there were a good portion of posters here who thought last year was a horrendous screw job by the writers…I could see not saying McCutcheon wasn’t the best…but he was clearly at worst the 2nd best rookie in 2009 and many posters recognized that…

with that said…you have to admit there’s no way anyone can rationally defend Tabata or Walker over Heyward….in any way…even if you want to use projection of who will be better in the long term or who had a better season (using any stat)…

its certainly not a big deal..it didnt affect the standings…most awards are completely meaningless nowadays….

but at the same time we have the right to bitch when things don’t go our way…like you have the right to bitch that McCutheon finished fourth last year (which i agree is ludicrous)

"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."

Dwight Schrute

by Swo12bv on Nov 15, 2010 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

lol, I can’t tell what’s making me laugh more, this writer or the eagles dominating the redskins

MASN Announcer: "Ususally they have what they call here 'the privilege,' and that's what bobby cox calls it when he let's the veteran guys swing away on 3-0. This is not such a hitter."

Jason Heyward: Single up the middle, ballgame.

by telemakhos on Nov 15, 2010 9:54 PM EST reply actions