Criticism of Joe Mauer Unfair, Says Joe Mauer

Last night Joe Mauer missed his fifth straight game due to a neck injury (officially being called a “hyperextended neck”). Injuries are nothing new to the Twins or their fans this season – their players have made a total 24 trips to the disabled list and the only two starters to avoid the DL so far this season are Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia. Mauer himself has missed nearly half the Twins’ games this season (64 out of 134). With this plethora of injuries, it comes as no surprise that the Twins have struggled mightily and currently sit 17 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central. So are the Twins just having one of those unlucky seasons? Or do certain players deserve criticism for how they condition themselves?

Deserving or not, Mauer in particular has faced no shortage of criticism for his time on the bench. People have questioned everything from Mauer’s off-season preparation to his general “lack of toughness.” And through it all Mauer has maintained that this criticism is unfair. Only Mauer knows for sure how prepared he was for the season and how much physical abuse his body can take on the field, and chances are there is some stuff going on that the fans are not privy to. But like it or not, Mauer’s shiny new $184 million contract has propelled him into the group of highly paid athletes who perform under a microscope. Couple this with Mauer’s status as a hometown hero and for the remainder of his 8-year contract he can expect to be scrutinized more heavily than his teammates who make far less money.

And yes, some of this criticism will be unfair, but there are steps Mauer can take to help himself. Mauer has been fairly tight-lipped about his injuries, which isn’t exactly unheard of in sports. Athletes play hurt every day, and at this point in the baseball season most players have some type of injury nagging at them. The problem comes when a player doesn’t know when to rest a nagging injury, and suddenly he finds himself headed for the disabled list. Was Mauer ever truly ready to start the year after off-season knee surgery? It doesn’t seem like it, but that is over and done with, and Mauer seems to have learned from it. “Maybe [the injuries are] something I need to be more upfront with, and it’s one of the things I’ve learned,” he said and that’s a great start.

In that same vein Mauer needs to make sure that fans know exactly how much he wants to be in the lineup every day. Twins fans love Mauer and he loves them back, but it’s a long season, made longer by the Twins’ struggles. Even the most beloved players need to remind the fans that they haven’t given up and that they still take the field every day looking for a win. Mauer addressed his latest injury on Saturday by saying, “I’ve always said, ‘If I’m in the lineup, I’m in the lineup.’” This statement was likely an attempt to minimize any worries about the severity of the neck injury, but it doesn’t exactly drip disappointment at once again being scratched from the lineup.

For years now the Twins have consistently found ways to be competitive and there is no reason to think that this injury-plagued season isn’t a fluke. Next season is a brand new day, so to speak, and if anyone is going to lead the Twins to a resurgence in 2012, there is no one better suited for the task than Mauer.

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Robbie is the author of The Baseblawg and you can follow her on Twitter @clarkbar213.

(VIDEO) Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura’s Infamous Fight

On August 4, 1993, Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan plunked Chicago White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura. After being hit by the pitch, Ventura charged the 46-year-old Ryan who caught Ventura in a headlock and punched him in the head six times before being separated. The benches cleared and several smaller fights broke out. Ventura was ejected, while Ryan was allowed to stay in the game.

Ryan had announced before that 1993 season that it would be his last and would retire after the season completed. Just over a month later, Ryan tore a ligament in his pitching arm which effectively ended his career before the season ended. Ryan, of course, is one of the most famous pitchers of all time. His career spanned four decades and he went on into the Hall of Fame. He is now the owner, CEO and team president of the Texas Rangers.

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Follow Matt on Twitter and Facebook for all his baseball and Fantasy sports updates! For every update here at The Dugout Doctors, follow our official Twitter account @DugoutDoctors.

Fantasy Baseball: Who’s Hot & Cold

HOT

James Loney (LAD)
The light-hitting Dodgers first baseman always seems to leave fantasy owners wanting more. Over the past week however, Loney has been scorching at the plate going 15-for-26 (.577 AVG). He has also contributed 3 HR to go along with 7 RBI and 7 runs. He’s alos available in the vast majority of leagues.

Kyle Seager (CWS)
At one point, he had 4 multi-hit efforts in a row and has gone 14-for-24, good for a .583 AVG during the past seven days. Throw in the fact that in some leagues he is eligible at multiple infield positions and Seager is a hot one to be sure.

Mark Reynolds (BAL)
One of the streakiest players in the game, Reynolds is on another tear of late, hitting homers in 3 straight games, reaching 30 for the season. This is exactly the reason the Orioles picked him up in the off-season and the same holds true for his fantasy owners.

COLD

Jason Kubel (MIN)
Although he has put together a very nice season for himself as the Blue Jays unlikely leadoff hitter, Escobar has struggled recently. He has hit only .069 (2-for-29) over the past 7 days and manager John Farrell gave him the day off on August 21 to collect himself. Let’s hope it works.

Geovany Soto (CHC)
Luckily, Ethier padded his starts with an early season 30-game hitting streak as he has gone cold recently. Battling through a toe injury, Ethier has managed a mere 2-for-his-last-20 for a .100 average the past 7 days.

Adam Dunn (CWS)
The end of the 2011 season can’t come fast enough for Dunn, who did not register a hit over the past week. The good news? The White Sox only trotted him out there for 11 at bats.

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Chris McBrien is a baseball writer for numerous websites and may be found at Dear Mr. Fantasy. He may also be followed on Twitter @cmcbrien.

(VIDEO) Padres Fan Steals Foul Ball From Justin Upton

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton tries to secure one of the final outs in the ninth inning when San Diego Padres outfielder Aaron Cunningham hits a fly ball over near foul territory. Just as Upton is about to secure the second out of the inning, a defiant Padres fan reaches out into the field of play (which is against the rules and should’ve resulted an out) and catches the ball. As Upton looks at the fan in disbelief, likely thinking an Arizona fan stole the ball from him since it was a home game, the brass-balled fan points to his Padres hat like he owns the place. It didn’t amount to much in the end as Cunningham then flied out to left field and the final batter struck out to end the game. The Diamondbacks won the game, 3-1.

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Follow Matt on Twitter and Facebook for all his baseball and Fantasy sports updates! For every update here at The Dugout Doctors, follow our official Twitter account @DugoutDoctors.

Fantasy Baseball: 2012 Sleeper Keepers

In any fantasy baseball keeper league, there are always the obvious choices in regard to which baseball players you will hold onto heading into next season. Everyone knows that players such as Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are no-brainers when it comes to deciding which players to keep and which to throw back into the draft. However, there are always examples of no-brainer keeper players which turn out to be busts. Just ask fantasy owners of Adam Dunn, Joe Mauer, Alex Rios and Carl Crawford how things worked out for their sure-fire keepers in 2011.

As the 2011 season starts to wear down, it may be worth taking a look at some players and deciding if they are worth using a keeper spot on your roster for the 2012 season. Depending upon how deep or shallow your fantasy baseball league is, you may want to consider some players that are a little further down the food chain in regard to popularity. After all, when it comes to fantasy baseball, you should be caring about production, not a player’s ownership percentage in fantasy leagues.

Here are a few players that you may want to consider as keepers for the 2012 baseball season as they may provide you with some decent production:

Melky Cabrera (KC)
Career year? Maybe not. After bouncing between leagues from the Yankees to the Braves, Cabrera’s career appeared as though was headed down the path of ‘journeyman’. However, he has really found a home in Kansas City and has thrived out of the number 2 spot in the Royals line up. Players that provide a mix of power and speed are particularly valuable in fantasy and at just 27 years old, the ‘Melk-man’ is entering his prime years of production.

Michael Bourn (ATL)
We’ve all heard that speed is not something you can count on from year to year but Bourn has been a model of consistency for several years now. With stolen bases seemingly difficult to come by every year for almost every fantasy owner, you may want to think about holding onto a speedster like Bourn. Stolen bases the past 4 seasons: 41, 61, 52, 47 (and counting). Stash him.

Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE)
With players such as Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes seemingly unable to stay healthy, a shallow shortstop position suddenly gets a lot shallower. Throw in a fading Derek Jeter and an above-average shortstop like Cabrera becomes very, very valuable to your fantasy team. He’s young, talented and coming into his prime. Keeper alert!

Jonny Venters (ATL)
I know what you are thinking: a non-closer relief pitcher as a keeper? You better believe it. Last I checked, WHIP and ERA are fantasy categories and Venters is one of the best in both. Considering the massive turnover at the closer position from year to year (this is not to say Craig Kimbrel is in danger of losing the 9th inning role by any stretch), you could go a long way to solidifying your fantasy pitching roster with a guy like Venters. If holds are a stat in your league, you have to consider Venters even more strongly.

Cory Luebke (SD)
Every fantasy team needs to anchor their pitching staff with a key hurler or two, right? As a starter in 2011: 11 GS, 2.71 ERA, .935 WHIP, 9.4 K/9. He’s been a find for the Padres this season and should be for your fantasy team as well. He’s also been surprisingly consistent which is just what you are looking for in keeper material.

Mike Stanton (FLA)
The 2011 season may end up being known for two key things: great pitching numbers and a lack of power from the outfield position. That being said, if you have a young power hitting outfielder, you might want to think about using a keeper spot for him. After hitting 22 HR in only 100 GP in 2010, Stanton has followed up with 30 HR (and counting) in 2011. With strikeout totals of 123 and 138 (so far) over the past 2 seasons, Stanton needs to develop some plate discipline to go along with that power. If he does, look out.

John Axford (MIL)
Let’s face it, you’re going to need a closer next year and you’re going to need saves. Who better to fill that spot on your team than the closer who has quietly become one of the best in the game at his position. Mariano Rivera gets most of the respect, Brian Wilson gets most of the press and Craig Kimbrel puts up the eye-popping numbers. However, Axford closes for one of the best teams in baseball and with a K/9 rate topping 11 over the past 2 seasons, he delivers some key stats.

Ben Zobrist (TB)
One of Zobrist’s best features has always been his multiple position eligibility and 2011 is no different, with “Zorilla” qualifying at 2B and RF. Putting up a slash line of .282/.369/.489, Zobrist has delivered better numbers than most middle infielders. Although not prolific, he puts up decent totals in HR and SB and that is always a valuable asset to have on your team. You might not think you can afford to use a keeper spot on Zobrist, but with such a lack of talent at second base, and with the Rays’ player delivering a WAR of 6.1, can you afford not to?

Although these players may not be the first names that come to mind when thinking about fantasy baseball keepers for 2012, you may want to give it a second thought. With an eye toward 2012 production and value to your fantasy baseball squad, these players may be just the keepers you are looking for.

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Chris McBrien is a baseball writer for numerous websites and may be found at Dear Mr. Fantasy. He may also be followed on Twitter @cmcbrien.

Baseball’s National League MVP Frontrunners

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

The National League MVP race is coming down to a thrilling conclusion, similar to what is happening in the junior circuit. Most exciting is that most of the frontrunners are young players, just coming into their primes. These players have each made compelling cases as to why they should have a new trophy on their mantel after the season is over. Although it is a difficult task, I believe that after evaluating all the stats and evidence, I have been unable to uncover who will win the National League MVP.

 Arizona Diamondbacks OF Justin Upton

Upton is the best player on the surprising first place Arizona Diamondbacks. Even though it seems like he has been playing forever, the outfielder is still just 24 years old, and seemingly improving with each passing season. He has anchored the young Arizona offense, which besides Willie Bloomquist, has no regulars over the age of 30.

Upton leads Arizona in batting average, hits, runs, home runs, RBI, steals, OPS, and just about every other offensive category one can imagine. He has developed the maturity as a player that many are still waiting on from his brother BJ. Justin also leads the National League in WAR, showing that his value is not just to Arizona, but that he truly is one of the best players in baseball.

 Los Angeles Dodgers OF Matt Kemp

It is interesting to note that Kemp closely mirrors Upton in the way he has matured as a player. Last year Kemp put up disappointing numbers, and received the most recognition for dating Rihanna. He seemed to be on the verge of becoming a break-out star, but was never able to quite put it all together until 2011.

This season, Kemp has finally exploded into a superstar. He is hitting .322, and is on pace to possibly become baseball’s fifth ever 40-40 player. He plays good defense in the outfield, and has finally become the complete package that so many envisioned when he first debuted with the Dodgers in 2006.

Known for his distractions, it is thus with irony that Kemp has achieved what he has this season in Los Angeles. The contentious McCourt divorce has made baseball anything but the focus in Dodger-land. Although the Dodgers are not in serious playoff contention this year, the way that Kemp has produced and held the team together, while keeping them respectably competitive is worthy of serious MVP consideration.

 Milwaukee Brewers OF Ryan Braun

It seems like Braun makes an annual case for the most underappreciated player in baseball. Every year he has been in the majors, he has consistently put up MVP numbers, while going relatively unnoticed in Milwaukee. This year has been no different, as he is on pace for 31 home runs and 36 stolen bases, to go along with his .330 batting average.

Braun will never be accused of being a Gold Glove defender, but his subpar defense is hidden in left field by the Brewers, who have coasted through the second half of the season in first place in the Central Division. He is as consistent a player that exists in baseball, and is a major reason why the Brewers are looking to make some noise in the upcoming playoffs.

 Milwaukee Brewers 1B Prince Fielder

In his contract year, Fielder has done his best to convince possible suitors that he will provide a lot of bang for the buck. Although they may not be able to re-sign him, the Brewers have benefitted this season from Fielder proving his value. He has kept his batting average in the neighborhood of .300 all year, and is on pace to end the year with 34 home runs and 123 RBI.

Like Braun, Fielder is a below average defender, at first base. He uses his offense as a way to mask that deficiency, and so far this year, it has worked, given the Brewer’s commanding lead. It is likely the Fielder will lose MVP votes to Braun, as they have both been leaders on a first place team. Regardless, the season Fielder is having deserves to be part of this discussion.

 Atlanta Braves C Brian McCann

Before I go any further, I will unequivocally state that McCann will not win the MVP. That being said, he definitely deserves to be part of the conversation about the frontrunners for the award. The Atlanta catcher has been the foundation of the team’s offense this year, on pace for a .292 batting average and 27 home runs; numbers that make him the best catcher in baseball.

The Braves hold a commanding lead in the National League wild card despite Chipper Jones’ ongoing frailty, and the unexpected regression of Jason Heyward. Dan Uggla has probably been the Atlanta hitter in the news the most because of his 33 game hitting streak and 30 home runs, but he is still only hitting .231 with a .302 OPB on the year.

McCann has improved over his career to become a slightly below average defensive catcher, but his true value to the Braves has been in becoming the veteran influence that has been so important for previous teams. Symbolically, the baton has been passed from Jones to McCann within the past year or so, and McCann has helped the team keep pace with its winning ways, as another playoff season seems sure to be on the horizon.

Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Roy Halladay, and Troy Tulowitzki.

And the winner is…

Originally I was leaning towards Ryan Braun for the MVP, but after reviewing all the evidence, my selection for the National League frontrunner turns out to be Justin Upton. You simply can’t ignore his production, which has not only carried his first place team, but also placed him statistically at the start of any conversation about best player in the National League.

Young teams like Arizona need players to move from kid status to veteran, in order to become true contenders. It certainly like Upton has made that jump, and Arizona is poised to see what they can do come playoff time. He is carrying the team, and come the end of the year, he will likely be adding the National League MVP to his trophy case.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Fantasy Baseball: Deep Hidden Gems on the Waiver Wire

With the trading deadline having already passed in most fantasy baseball leagues, as a fantasy owner, you are now forced to look to the waiver wire for any additions to your roster. Sure, there may be a few under-performing veterans available (Alex Rios, anyone?), but more than likely the only players that can add any value to your squad will be young rookies with a hunger to succeed or prove they belong on a big league roster.

Finding these types of players is not always easy. Sometimes, these players have a ghost-like quality which leaves them hidden on your league’s waiver wire. Have no fear! With a little investigation (and perhaps some chain rattling), we can root these players out of hiding and onto your fantasy baseball roster.

Casper Wells (SEA)
The namesake of this article’s title, Wells seemed to appear out of the fog that is the Mariner’s roster. After a trade which brought him (along with Charlie Furbush) from Detroit for Doug Fister, Wells has emerged as quite the find for the Mariners. After languishing as the 4th (even 5th) outfielder on the Tigers, Wells’ 6 HR since the All Star break are good for 2nd in the AL during that span. Let him emerge forth onto your roster as well.

Lucas Duda (NYM)
Duda’s power in the minor leagues appeared to put him into a position to battle for the right field spot on the Mets roster in 2012 (or at least the 4th OF spot). However, an injury to Ike Davis brought Duda out of hiding to take over at first base (and the cleanup spot in the batting order). The rest of the season will go a long way to solidify Duda’s role on the team for next season. With Carlos Beltran traded, Duda may have to spend some time in the instructional league in the offseason learning RF but in the meantime you should consider floating him into your line up.

John Mayberry, Jr. (PHI)
After spending 2 seasons in Triple-A, Mayberry profiled as the fourth outfielder for the Phillies in 2011. However, with injuries and poor performance from players such as Raul Ibanez and Domonoc Brown, Mayberry has had an opportunity to surprise everyone with his play. Chris Murray at the Chris Murray Report reports that manager Charlie Manuel has gone so far as to say Mayberry has earned a place in the line up even when Ibanez returns. “That’s how you win jobs”, Manuel said. “He’s a good-looking hitter”.

Kyle Blanks (SD)
After fading into the shadows after a less-than-stellar performance in 2010, Blanks has made the most of things recently with 6 HR, 18 RBI in 96 AB since the All Star break. As a part of a somewhat resurgent Padres offense recently, don’t let his performance in recent seasons allow you to see through his value right now.

Aaron Miles (LAD)
Miles has scared up over 350 AB this season. He has delivered a decent average and has even gone on a modest power surge recently causing manager Don Mattingly to use him in the number 3 spot in the Dodgers batting order. With eligibility at both second and third base, Miles could give a little spirit to your fantasy roster.

If your fantasy opponents need a good scare, consider pulling one of these apparitions off the waiver wire. Without a shadow of a doubt, you might just find yourself in the playoff ‘haunt’.

Pun intended.

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Chris McBrien is a baseball writer for numerous websites and may be found at Dear Mr. Fantasy. He may also be followed on Twitter @cmcbrien.

Critics are Missing the Point of the Little League World Series

The Little League World Series has gotten a lot of flack this year. Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote a scathing article about it last week, essentially saying that the televised tournament is nothing more than a glorified reality show capitalizing on the raw emotions of the children and their parents. A few days later Jelisa Castrodale of NBC Sports penned an article criticizing the month-long coverage of 69 televised games as excessive. And just yesterday Dan Wetzel at Yahoo Sports went so far as to argue that the Little Leaguers playing in televised games should be paid, essentially adopting the familiar refrain that we have heard for years concerning college athletes. All three of these articles can be summed up as follows: ratings for the LLWS are the highest they’ve ever been, and the ESPN/ABC/Disney conglomerate is profiting greatly from the increased advertising dollars at the expense of the players.

I’ll be honest – prior to this year I never had much interest in watching the LLWS. And a good deal of my new-found interest can be traced directly to the negative press that just keeps mounting in response to the tournament. After all, there is truth to the old adage that ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity,’ and I decided to tune into a few games to see what all the fuss is about.

Yes, there seem to be ample advertising dollars in the mix (these games wouldn’t be broadcast in primetime on ESPN if they weren’t profitable). And true, listening to Nomar Garciaparra and Orel Hershiser analyze a 12-year old’s delivery to the plate is a little ridiculous. I’ll even concede that the camera sometimes lingers a bit too long on a player who is trying to choke back tears because he has just made a costly error in the late innings.

But despite all of this there are some great aspects of televising the LLWS that these columnists seem to ignore. The first is the access provided to the friends and families of the players. These Little League teams come from all over the world, and it is just not feasible for all of the players’ friends and families to fly to Williamsport. Broadcasting more games means that Grandma and Grandpa don’t have to worry about missing a game – they can watch their grandson and his team live as the game progresses. A team making it deep into the LLWS is exciting, but an extended stay in Williamsport is also expensive. Not everyone can afford to commit the two weeks and thousands of dollars to follow a team to the LLWS, but thanks to the television schedule, family members can be assured they will see their Little Leaguer’s big moment from the comfort of their own home.

The second benefit of televising so many LLWS games is the exposure children are getting to the game. Every game begins with a cute animated song sequence featuring the characters from Phineas and Ferb. If you are an adult and don’t know what Phineas and Ferb is, well, that’s because it is a Disney cartoon popular among Disney’s tween audience. Those who are skeptical of the commercialization of the LLWS may say that the Phineas and Ferb tie-in is just another way for Disney to market itself through its relationship with ESPN and ABC, but it also demonstrates that the target audience for the LLWS games is, for the most part, children. And anything that exposes children to the positive aspects of baseball is a good thing in my book. With the seemingly never-ending scandals in MLB it is refreshing to have a few weeks in the summer when children can watch their peers compete on a world stage in meaningful games.

In the LLWS these 11-13 year olds are role models to their peers and younger children. Kids can watch others who are just a few years older than them and think “that could be me someday.” Televising the LLWS can inspire children who have never played baseball to go out for their local Little League team, which is wonderful for the game when we consider the low rates of organized baseball participation in inner cities over the past few years. These broadcasts are also great for growing the game internationally, as teams such as the one from the Netherlands make repeat appearances at Williamsport and generate excitement for baseball in their hometowns and countries.

Are there some valid criticisms of the televised LLWS games? Yes. But let’s not be too hard on Little League International or the networks that choose to televise the games. Say what you will about the commercialization of the tournament. But at the heart of these broadcasts are young boys playing the game they love, the families and friends who support them, and the children watching at home who are inspired to pick up a baseball for the first time in their lives. And that sort of positive exposure for the game is something that baseball fans should be thankful for.

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Robbie is the author of The Baseblawg and you can follow her on Twitter @clarkbar213.

Baseball’s American League MVP Frontrunners

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

As the home stretch to the playoffs approached, it is time to start thinking about the individual player awards. In particular, the American League MVP race has been tight all year, with no clear-cut candidate having completely separated themselves from the pack. Fortunately, I have evaluated the evidence and determined the current frontrunner for the award.

Toronto Blue Jays 3B/OF Jose Bautista

The label of “best player in baseball” has been bandied about quite a bit this year in conjunction with Bautista’s name. He has followed up a shocking 2010 season with numbers that have even exceeded those totals. He currently leads the American League in home runs, WAR, walks, and OPS; throwing in a .316 batting average for good measure.

Cynics might point to Toronto hovering around the .500 mark the whole year as a reason why Bautista does not deserve the MVP, but that line of reasoning is wrong. He is currently the most dominant position player in baseball, and does everything he can on a daily basis to help his team win.

 Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia

The diminutive Pedroia looks more like a pizza delivery guy than he does a ballplayer, but make no mistake about it, he has game. He is not only the vocal leader of the Red Sox, but his incredible versatility is what ties his team together. He has played Gold Glove caliber defense, hit over .300 with some pop, and even stolen 24 bases, in proving that he is the most complete second baseman in all of baseball.

Despite lacking intimidation, Pedroia has even batted cleanup on a number of occasions this year, producing a 1.040 OPS in 11 games in the four-spot. He produces whenever and wherever the Red Sox ask him. Quite simply, he is Boston’s heart and soul, and a major reason why they are hurtling towards a 100 win season, despite their rough first few weeks of the year.

 New York Yankees OF Curtis Granderson

I have always seen Granderson as one of the nicest guys in baseball, and while I was happy to see his quick start to the 2011 season, I never thought he would sustain it as long as he has. Not only has he kept up his pace, he seems to have increased it as of late.

125 games into the season, Granderson is on pace to finish 2011 with 45 home runs, 127 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and 148 runs scored. He is the bargain priced heart of a potent offense, renowned for its expensive parts. With New York having to deal with the public decline of core players like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, Granderson has been a major driving force in keeping the team at the top of the standings all year.

 Boston Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury

The Red Sox have enjoyed a typical Carl Crawford season this year. Unfortunately it has not come from Crawford, who they paid 142 million dollars this past off-season, but rather from Ellsbury. Crawford will probably be fine down the road, but the improvement of Ellsbury has to be quite a pleasant surprise for Boston.

Ellsbury has rebounded marvelously from a disastrous 2010, where he missed the majority of the season with injuries, and even had his own teammates doubting his heart. He has not only significantly upped his power, but he has maintained high stolen base numbers, hit over .300 for most of the year, and turned in very good glove work in center field. He has been the catalyst at the top of the order for Boston’s big boppers, and allowed Crawford to be shifted around to work out his own issues, without as much pressure as would normally be expected. Right now, Ellsbury might very well be the most complete player in the American League.

 Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander

Traditional thought, whether it is accurate or not, dictate that pitchers shouldn’t be eligible for the MVP since they have the Cy Young Award. Anyone who may subscribe to that theory certainly has to be reconsidering after seeing the season that Verlander is having.

Verlander is in serious contention for the pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins and strikeouts, and currently only 0.18 behind Jered Weaver in ERA. He is also on pace for 267 innings, a staggering amount in today’s era of babying pitchers. His dominance also includes a no-hitter and a couple of near misses.
The consistency of Verlander in the Detroit starting rotation helped overcome a strong start by the Cleveland Indians, and catapulted Detroit into first place in the Central Division. He ensures that the Tigers will never endure a long losing streak, and is the main reason why nobody is looking forward to facing them in the playoffs.

Honorable Mention: Adrian Gonzalez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jered Weaver, and Michael Young.

And the winner is…

I honestly didn’t know who I was going to pick until I got to this point. I think going over each of the main candidates helped me come to the conclusion that Curtis Granderson has to be the current frontrunner for the American League MVP. He has made the giant machine that is the Yankees go, by putting up extraordinary run production numbers on a consistent basis all year.

Adding to Granderson’s impressive resume is how he has done it on baseball’s largest stage. In most years, the powerhouse Red Sox would be a runaway favorite to take any division, but the Yankees show no sign of letting up. The Yankees have experienced a number of distractions and injuries this year, but the team has hardly skipped a beat, in large part because of Granderson. He is having a career year at the best possible time, and deserves to be recognized as the MVP for his accomplishments.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

(VIDEO) Bobby Valentine blasts Starlin Castro for immature play

This is a long video but it’s worth watching and listening to, especially if you’re a legit baseball fan. Chicago Cubs phenom shortstop Starlin Castro is a beast at the plate, but he’s an absolute liability on the field. Former manager Bobby Valentine is broadcasting this game and puts Castro on notice for his irresponsible and lackadaisical style of play. Pretty interesting to listen to, even if it is a very critical opinion.

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Follow Matt on Twitter and Facebook for all his baseball and Fantasy sports updates! For every update here at The Dugout Doctors, follow our official Twitter account @DugoutDoctors.

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