I was born into a household of Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim fans. My grandfather sat in the bleacher seats at
Opening Day 1961, the very first game the California Angels ever played. My
mother cried when she attended the 2002 World Series parade at Disneyland, and
my step-father ran to the mall to buy an Albert Pujols Angels jersey the moment
he could. Despite my lineage, my deep knowledge of baseball has led me to stray
from liking one team in particular (besides my rather complicated devotion to
the Oakland Athletics), which led me to approach the big debate rather unbiased:
Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera for 2012 AL MVP?
The question loomed over the baseball world for weeks leading up to the imminent end of the 2012 season. Despite my mother’s continuous chants of “Trouty, trouty” ringing in the back of my mind, I placed my hypothetical vote for Miguel Cabrera before the World Series even began. The real experts, the players, agreed with my choice. When asked, most players chose Cabrera, most analysts, front office executives and fans chose Trout. And I have to agree with the players, most of whom agree they cringe the moment they see Miggy stand in the dugout “in the hole” waiting to hit. While Trout’s glove allows him to take reign over Cabrera in the field, Cabrera's raw hit tool combined with his veteran presence make him the Most Valuable Player in the American League. In fact, he more than willingly shifted to third base following the Tigers’ offseason addition of Prince Fielder and managed to do it with ease. Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of Cabrera's MVP title: the triple crown. He won the triple crown this year, a feat last reached by Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. The BBWAA tends to vote in favor of players on playoff teams, which, in my opinion, reflects the name of the award: Most Valuable Player. While I do believe Mike Trout may be the best player in Major League Baseball (and will probably hold that title for many years), Miguel Cabrera was the Most Valuable Player in the American League this year. Despite a poor performance in the postseason, Cabrera helped lead the Tigers to a 2012 World Series and American League title. While Trout boosted the Angels overall level of play once he received his call to the big leagues on April 27, the Angels once again found themselves packing the clubhouse following game 162.
Perhaps 2013 will find Trout leading the Angels to a World Series run, but for right now, I'll let Miggy hold on to his triple crown, his American League pennant and his MVP title.
The question loomed over the baseball world for weeks leading up to the imminent end of the 2012 season. Despite my mother’s continuous chants of “Trouty, trouty” ringing in the back of my mind, I placed my hypothetical vote for Miguel Cabrera before the World Series even began. The real experts, the players, agreed with my choice. When asked, most players chose Cabrera, most analysts, front office executives and fans chose Trout. And I have to agree with the players, most of whom agree they cringe the moment they see Miggy stand in the dugout “in the hole” waiting to hit. While Trout’s glove allows him to take reign over Cabrera in the field, Cabrera's raw hit tool combined with his veteran presence make him the Most Valuable Player in the American League. In fact, he more than willingly shifted to third base following the Tigers’ offseason addition of Prince Fielder and managed to do it with ease. Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of Cabrera's MVP title: the triple crown. He won the triple crown this year, a feat last reached by Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. The BBWAA tends to vote in favor of players on playoff teams, which, in my opinion, reflects the name of the award: Most Valuable Player. While I do believe Mike Trout may be the best player in Major League Baseball (and will probably hold that title for many years), Miguel Cabrera was the Most Valuable Player in the American League this year. Despite a poor performance in the postseason, Cabrera helped lead the Tigers to a 2012 World Series and American League title. While Trout boosted the Angels overall level of play once he received his call to the big leagues on April 27, the Angels once again found themselves packing the clubhouse following game 162.
Perhaps 2013 will find Trout leading the Angels to a World Series run, but for right now, I'll let Miggy hold on to his triple crown, his American League pennant and his MVP title.
The Angels ended with a better record than the Tigers. How would you account for the fact that they played in a much tougher division as well?
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