The MLB Awards Give the Cubs No Respect

Maybe that World Series trophy will make up for the lack of any other awards.

With the MLB handing out their yearly awards, I have to say that I am shocked by the minuscule amount the Cubs players have won. Now, that is not to say that the people who won certain awards were not deserving, but the fact that Kris Bryant, who did win the NL MVP, is the only big winner is an absolute shock to me. So, I decided that I wanted to look deeper into this, and put my feelings on the page today.

Let's first look at the manager of the year awards. Terry Francona, in the AL, was a home run pick. He led a very undermanned Indians team to one win away from being the champs. They had a great pitching staff, but casual baseball fans, such as myself, can you name more than one positional player? I know Coco Crisp, because he has a kick ass name, and Rajai Davis, but that is it, and with Davis, I only knew him after he blasted that home run in game 7. Francona did an incredible job. That was a much deserved win for him.

But, the fact that Joe Maddon did not win NL manager of the year is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, Dave Roberts did an incredible job in LA, especially when Kershaw went down for a long stretch of time, but Maddon was the manager of the best team in baseball all year long. The Cubs won 103 regular season games, by far the most in the majors. The Cubs were virtually unstoppable all season long. They never really had any dips throughout a very long regular season. They were consistently dominant. I know people will say that he made some weird choices in the playoffs and world series, but the manager of the year is a regular season award, and no one was better than Maddon. He did an exceptional job. I was floored when I saw that he did not win the award. I'm sure he doesn't care, he helped break a 108 year curse and won a ring, but he was the best manager, by a wide margin, all season long in all of the major leagues.

Then, when the Cy Young was awarded, I did not agree with either choices. First off, the only reason Rick Porcello won was because he plays for the Red Sox. Yeah, he had a decent record, but so did Justin Verlander, and Verlander does not have the offense that Porcello has. Porcello could give up 4, 5 or 6 runs sometimes, but his offense would score 5, 6 or 7 runs in those games for him. The Red Sox offense is light years better than Detroit's. Verlander would be lucky if he got 2 or 3 runs in support. The only real threat the Tigers have on offense is Miguel Cabrera, who is a future hall of famer, but that is it. Verlander, especially after the all star break, was lights out. Sure, he didn't have the wins, but he was a much, much better pitcher all season long than Porcello. The media bias for east coast teams was on full display here. Go read Kate Upton's tweet about this, not only because it is hilarious, but because it is true (NSFW).

Then, in the NL, I would have given the Cy Young to either Kyle Hendricks or Jon Lester before I even considered Max Scherzer. Yeah, Scherzer gets a lot of strike outs, and threw a no hitter this year I think, but come on, both Lester and Hendricks had much better seasons, in my opinion. Lester was completely locked in this year and pitched great. I picked him to win the Cy Young in my postseason preview. I thought he had the best season of any left hander in all of baseball. Then, we have Kyle Hendricks. This guy was virtually unhittable all season long. He is the NL's version of Corey Kluber. He is an unknown, but he is great. He is so quiet in his dominance. He is like the new age Greg Maddux, except Hendricks can bring some heat. The more I think about it, I think Hendricks should be the Cy Young. But, since they did not have the stats that Scherzer had, i.e., strike outs, wins, etc., the people who vote on this award deemed Scherzer the winner.

I feel like the voters decided that since the Cubs won the world series, they didn't need any award winners. I couldn't disagree more. Award these guys for their accomplishments. The only award I feel like the voters got right was the MVP, in both leagues.

Mike Trout is the best player in all of baseball. It is not his fault that the Angels stink. He goes out and competes everyday, and puts up big numbers and is the unequivocal leader of that team. I hope the Angels get better, or trade him away, so he gets to play some meaningful baseball before his prime is over. Then in the NL, I think the right guy won, in Kris Bryant. I could argue cases for guys like Andrew McCutcheon, who I think is one of the best players in all of baseball, or even Bryant's teammate, Dexter Fowler, but Bryant is as deserving as either of these guys. He had a great year, followed by a great rookie year. Honestly, you could pick almost anyone from the Cubs as MVP, and I wouldn't have batted an eye. But, the fact that Bryant is the only Cub bringing home a major award, I know that Jason Heyward won a Gold Glove, and I'm sure some other guys won Gold Gloves, but the big awards are manager of the year, coach of the year and MVP, and only one Cubs player brought home one of those awards is baffling to me.

Oh well, I guess this is why I'm not a voter, yet,  but I would have had the Cubs sweeping all of these major awards, and it is widely known that I am not a Cubs fan. But, I cannot deny the greatness that was the Cubs this season, and they deserved more than just the MVP. I know they won the World Series, but they also should have the MVP, which they do, and the Cy Young and Manager of the Year award as well. That is just my opinion.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once tweeted about being screwed over. The damn pizza place gave him sausage, not Italian sausage. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The SeedSing 2016 Major League Baseball Preview

We will see you back at home in October. (or is it November now?)

Baseball season has finally begun. Our long cold winter has given way to the start of a still cold baseball season. We are talking baseball, competitive baseball. What will the season hold? Will the Kansas City Royals repeat as World Series Champions (no)? Can the Mets get back to the Fall Classic and close the deal this time (not likely)? How will the 2016 Major League Baseball season play out? Here at SeedSing we have all the answers to your specific questions, and a few predictions. Get your bets ready.

Are the Yankees and Red Sox ready to return to dominance in the AL East?

Short answer, no. Longer answer, hell no.

Let's start with the Bronx Bombers. In the off season the Yankees acquired 100+ mile per hour throwing Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman is the real deal and near unhittable. He is added to a bullpen that was already very good. Any team playing the Yankees can expect to score zero runs after the seventh inning.

The problem is the first six innings. The Yankees have subpar starting pitching, and that will be problematic. Most teams will be able to easily hitting the New York starters, and the defense behind the starters is old and not very good. The Yankees lineup is filled with old aging stars and is a few years away from reloading with the young talent of other teams. The only bright spot in New York, outside of a killer bullpen, is going to be watching sullen cheater Alex Rodriguez chasing down Barry Bonds (75 homers away). Enjoy that New Yorkers.

Up the coast is the Yankees hated rival the Boston Red Sox. 2015 was a disaster for Boston, nothing seemed to work. The Red Sox addressed some of those issues by getting the biggest free agent prize of the off season, starting pitcher David Price. That acquisition made a big splash, and many of the sports media (almost all east coast based) are high on the Red Sox, but Price will not be enough. There is just not enough pitching or hitting depth in Boston. This team is at least one more year away from being in the World Series conversation. The Red Sox will make some noise, but their record will hover around .500 all season.

The ESPN love for the Yankees and the Red Sox will be no match for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays. Tampa always defies the odds with great young talent. Baltimore has one of the best managers in baseball in Buck Showalter and a seasoned team. Toronto has built a dominant roster coming off a very disappointing loss in last years ALCS. The Blue Jays will dominant the AL East and leave the Yankees and Red Sox scrambling for next year.

It is an even number year so the San Francisco Giants will win the NL West and the World Series?

Not this year.

The Giants, like the Yankees and Red Sox, added a big time pitcher this off season with the free agent signing of Johnny Cueto. With a team mostly intact from their 2014 World Series Championship, Cueto is a big addition. The former Cy Young runner up comes after superstar Madison Bumgarner in the rotation. The problem is that after Cueto and Bumgarner the quality of pitching goes from great to mediocre. Jeff Samardzidja has shown flashes of brilliance, but has not proven to be consistently great. After the top three the Giants have an old Jake Peavy and Matt Cain. The Giants just do not have the pitching to make another even year World Series run.

The other problem for the Giants in the NL West is that the competition has gotten a lot better. The LA Dodgers have the money, star power, and Clayton Kershaw. The Arizona Diamondbacks have made some big moves, like acquiring superstar pitcher Zack Greinke, and have one of the best hitters in baseball in Paul Goldschmidt. Both of these teams will be a challenge for the Giants, and we will see the Arizona Diamondbacks beat back the others for the NL West Crown.

Is the AL West the most worthless, and over hyped, division in all of Major League Baseball?

Yes

Every year we hear about how the LA Angels, of wherever in southern California they want to be from, will once again claim the championship. If it is not the Angels, we hear about Billy Beane and the up and coming Oakland A's. The last few years we also keep hearing about the rise of the Seattle Mariners. In the last few years these three teams have faltered to the likes of the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. The Angels, A's, and Mariners get the headlines, but the two Texas teams are producing winners. 

The Rangers and Astros will once again battle for the AL West crown. The Rangers are old but tested and the Astros are young and uber talented. The Astros will edge out the team from Arlington and make a return trip to the MLB playoffs.

Does the NL East have the worst teams in baseball?

Close, but not quite.

The NL East is going to be ugly. The Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Florida Marlins are not very good. The Mets are coming off a World Series appearance, but they are not quite a championship caliber team. The Washington Nationals are loaded, but have been perennial underachievers. The NL East is filled with teams that are rebuilding or are in "one year away" mode. The quality of play out east will be barely above AAA caliber baseball. Almost everyone of these teams will struggle all year.

All should struggle except for the Nationals. The team in DC is loaded, and has the best player in baseball in reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. The Mets heavily benefited from a dysfunctional DC team last year. That will not happen again. With Dusty Baker at the helm in our nations capitol, the Nationals will easily win the NL east.

Is the best baseball being played in the central part of the country?

Absolutely. The NL central and AL central are the deepest divisions in baseball. Both wild card teams from each league will come from the central division.

In the NL central you have the defending champs, and 100 game winners, St. Louis Cardinals. The birds on the bat have the best front office, a great farm system, and a culture of winning. Catching up to the Cardinals is another well built team in the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs have been climbing the ladder every year and are looking to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Coming off of an NLCS appearance in 2015, the Chicago Cubs are as loaded with talent as any team in MLB. The NL central will be a showcase for awesome baseball.

The AL central is as equally loaded as their NL brothers. First there is the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. Even with a few off season losses, the Royals still have a solid championship core in place. The Detroit Tigers are rich with talent and experience. Cleveland has maybe the best manager in baseball with Terry Francona and a mix of veterans and younger players ready to emerge. The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are teams on the rise, and will not be pushovers for anyone else. 

With all the talent in both the NL and AL central divisions, someone has to win. The NL central is for the Cubs to lose with the Pirates and Cardinals taking the wild cards. The AL Central will be close with the Indians beating the Royals and Tigers for the division with the runners up going to the playoffs.

We answered your questions, now for a few predictions.

Once again, here are your 2016 MLB Playoff teams.

Division winners: AL East - Toronto Blue Jays                 NL East - Washington Nationals

                             AL Central - Cleveland Indians             NL Central - Chicago Cubs

                             AL West - Houston Astros                    NL West - Arizona Diamondbacks

                             AL Wild Cards - Kansas City Royals     NL Wild Cards - Pittsburgh Pirates

                                                        Detroit Tigers                                        St. Louis Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals will win over 100 games each.

The Cubs and Nationals have the talent and the management to have very special seasons. Forget about what you have read, but Joe Maddon is one of the greatest MLB managers. In addition to Maddon, Theo Epstein has built a powerhouse on the northside of the windy city. Players like reigning Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, reigning rookie of the year Kris Bryant, off season pickup Jason Heyward, and superstar Anthony Rizzo the Cubs are a dream team. Although they have to compete with St. Louis and Pittsburgh, the Cubs also have the dreadful Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers (the two worst teams in MLB) in their division. Getting to 100 wins will not be that difficult for this dream team.

The Washington Nationals are in a similar situation as the Cubs. Their lineup, led by Bryce Harper, is formidable. Their pitching is filled with potential. New manager Dusty Baker is a wizard at getting players to achieve their potential. In addition to their manager and roster, the Nationals will benefit from a weak division. The NL east will have some of the worst teams in baseball, and the Nationals will feast on this inferior competition. The nations capitol may see a team with over 110 wins in 2016.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will win the 2016 World Series. 

The Cubs and the Nationals will win tons of games, but they will not even play in the 2016 World Series. Each of these power teams have one huge weakness that will keep them away from the top of the baseball mountain.

In the case of the Washington Nationals their Achilles heel is manager Dusty Baker. Baker has taken many teams to the playoffs (Giants, Cubs, and Reds), but has never won a championship. The issue is that Baker is great at getting players to play above their ability, but cannot game manage well. Talent will win a lot of three game series, but when the playoff starts and series are five to seven games, Dusty Baker's lack of game strategy becomes a problem. It will be a problem for Washington in 2016.

The reason the Cubs will not make the World Series is mainly about experience. Players like Arrita, Rizzo, and Bryant are insanely talented and extremely young. There is not a strong veteran presence in Chicago that can guide these phenoms. It will be wait till next year for the Cubbies once again. Plus we have to take into account the goat and a variety of curses. Sorry Cubs.

So how are the Pirates going to get through these super teams and win the World Series? Pittsburgh is built a lot like the Kansas City Royals. Homegrown talent and nice off season veteran acquisitions. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the top five players in the MLB and a certified clubhouse leader. Francisco Liriano has found a second life in the Steel City. Manager Clint Hurdle has been guiding this team out of the darkness and has them believing in themselves. When the MLB season is getting to the trade deadline, a second place team like the Pirates will be more willing to trade for veteran talent than a young team like the Cubs or the Nationals. The mixture of a great manager, a superstar player who is also a leader, and a front office willing to take a chance, will lead to the Pittsburgh Pirates beating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 World Series.

Let's say the series goes 7 games. That would be exciting.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head editor for SeedSing and one of the other hosts on the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is sentimentally picking the Pirates in remembrance of a hat he once briefly owned. Do you love baseball, come write for us.