2011 AL Walter Johnson Award

In what should come as no surprise to any baseball fan, my pick for the AL Walter Johnson award, for best pitcher in the American League, goes to Justin Verlander.

First the raw stats: 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 250 Ks.   This while leading the league in innings pitched with 251 and a WHIP of 0.92.  League leaders are usually above 1, and this is the 2nd lowest mark in the AL since 1972 (to Pedro's record setting mark in 2000).  But aside from the stats, he is the major reason the Tigers ran away with their division.  Take him away from the rotation and this is maybe an 85 win team.  If I had an MVP pick, I suspect he'd be the first name on the ballot as well.  
 The rest of the ballot...

2011 AL Connie Mack Award

It's time of the year to get ready for playoffs (which hopefully will include our Red Sox), but it's also time to start thinking of the year end awards.  Over the next few days I will publicly post on this blog my ballot for each of the main awards.  As part of the Baseball Blogger's Alliance, I will be voting on the following awards:

• Connie Mack Award (Best Manager)
• Willie Mays Award  (Top Rookie)
• Goose Gossage Award (Best Reliever) 
• Walter Johnson Award (Best Pitcher) 
• Stan Musial Award (Best Player) 

All these awards should be based on what the candidates do during the regular season, so I will select them ignoring what they may or may not do in the post-season and will post these over the next few days.
However, I wanted to get a jump on the Connie Mack Award, as I don't want the results skewed by what may or may not happen in Game #162 and/or 163.

How to hold up the sky?

Superhuman strength?   Not needed.

Divine intervention? Not gonna happen.

A visit by some pesky little birds to Fenway?   As Dave Hester likes to say, "YUUUUUUP!"

Last time things looked bleak after we started 2-10, I warned that a visit by Toronto would right our ship.  And sure enough we won 8 of the next 9 and that dismal start was quickly forgotten.   The first win in that series happened to coincide with the first ever Red Sox Nation international event.   The Red Sox have had great success at these, winning all 5 games at these watch parties.  As luck would have it, the next one is tomorrow, Tuesday September 13th, 5 PM at the Melrose Cafe.

So instead of looking back at the Rays that are gaining on us, look ahead to the next couple of games.  I wouldn't be surprised if after these games the talk shifts from "will the Rays catch us" to "will we catch the Yankees".

If you're in the area, come support your team, and join us as we watch the Red Sox get back to their winning ways.

Baseball is not life and death

It's WAY more important..... Or so goes the saying, that I oft repeat, usually only half-joking.

But I have also mentioned before, even right here on these pages, that certain things ARE much more important than baseball.

So tomorrow, in remembrance of that date which will live in infamy, I will not write about baseball.  This blog will remain stagnant, there will be no facebook updates, or tweets.
Even if Jon Lester throws a perfect game.

I don't want to make any commentary on political issues on this site, but somehow I think it's wrong to be shifting reader's attention to baseball on this day when there are graver issues to be thinking about.  So I am joining several other members of the Baseball Blogger's Alliance in a day long "moment of silence".

For more details on what we are doing and why, and a full list of participating sites, please read the original post on the I-70 Baseball website.

Albertans at Mizuno Junior Elite Baseball Camp

Several young Albertans are among the 60 players attending the 2011 Mizuno Camp which is running from Wednesday  September 7th to Saturday the 10th at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The following players from our Province are currently at this camp:

• Third Basemen Nolan Bumstead from Calgary
• Pitchers Ryan Anderson and Markus Blair from St. Albert
• Pitcher Mac Guckert from Red Deer
• Pitcher CJ Lewington from Strathmore
• Pitcher Cole Schneider from Fort Saksatchewan
• Outfielder Carson Wlad from Calgary

This is a great opportunity for these 15 and 16 year olds, as not only will they be participating in workout