Awards in Baseball.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus said something that I've seen from a lot of guys, who know a lot about baseball. Much more than I do might I add. However it is something that I don't exactly agree with. In his chat this question and answer transpired.

jsmoore (dallas): Does Longoria's injury open up the AL rookie of the year race? If so, does Chris Davis have a chance if he keeps raking?

Kevin Goldstein: Chris Davis has been absolutely outstanding, but lets face it and let's talk about how things really work. Longoria could be done for the season and he'd still win the award. That said, the real question is, why do we care? I've never understood people getting worked up about awards.


As far as who is the best player or who has the best production goes, I am all for figuring it out ourselves and finding new ways to define baseball value. Revised Zone Rating is by far a better measure of defense than fielding percentage. Dealing with objective statistics over subjective opinions on what transpired almost always are. At the same time awards still matter. As currently constructed the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) hold a monopoly on all the major off-season awards. MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, etc. Even if they give the MVP award to Jimmy Rollins when he is not the best player on his team or the best offensive shortsop in his division.

This may seem like a silly reason for it to be important. But, these are the same people who hold votes for the Hall of Fame. THE SAME PEOPLE. When it comes time for the Hall of Fame voting most of these guys aren't looking at OPS, they are looking at accolades and rings and the like. The other reason awards are important is that people still listen to the awards. When I was at a Devil Rays game, one of the people I was with (who I was meeting for the first time through a mutual friend) and I were talking about baseball. I mentioned that batting average wasn't really all that important and I used the word "indicator" in my argument. I guess I was too cliche but I certainly didn't want to start an argument. Apparently he had heard this argument before. He had made the decision to listen to conventional wisdom. Many do.

My point in digressing a little is that most of the general public, which includes a lot of sportswriters who may never see a lot of teams from the other league, still listen to the BBWAA. Perceptions can lead to fan bases who alienate or overrate certain players (Adam Dunn most recently), and lead to big contracts or dismissals. Perceptions can lead to front office types on the hotseat even if they are doing a fine job, and the exact opposite. Perceptions run the Hall of Fame.

Whether we like it or not the awards matter and not for the right reasons. They are awarded by people who think that being "clutch" and "gritty" are measureable statistics, and they change perceptions. Perceptions of people who aren't quite as die hard as some of us who prefer to learn and understand the way our favorite sport works. That happens to be a lot of people.