You could make the argument that 2011 was the year of the pitcher.
It had been almost 20 years since a pitcher won the MVP award and it had become such taboo that few thought it would happen again. But when Justin Verlander goes off and sweeps the pitching triple crown, you have to start re-evaluating yourself. The righty won 24 games with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts to lead the Detroit Tigers to their first playoff berth since 2006.
Not only did he reopen the conversation on a pitcher’s worth, but he makes 2012 a really interesting year for hurlers. In 2011, Verlander won 24 games, most of any pitcher since 2002, followed by Ian Kennedy and Clayton Kershaw’s 21. It was the first time in three years that many pitchers got to 20 games in a season. Continue reading
Billy Beane became all the rage this past year when Moneyball, the docu-drama narrative on his rebuilding efforts with the Oakland Athletics in the early 2000s, hit theaters. At the heart of the story was how he bandaged together a caravan of some of the finest transients MLB had to offer, and still managed to win 100 games in a season. Of course, none of that could have happened if not for an improbable 20-game win streak late in the year.
Chicks dig the long ball.
Ever since Don Zimmer’s head was tossed into the wind and Dave Roberts slid in safe into second base, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has become something different entirely – what with the Sox now with more championships than New York since 2001. It now involves World Series contenders that are curse-free and includes teams with rosters that add a superstar or two each year.