By default, on one of the computers around here, MSN.com is the homepage. I've never bothered to change it, and on occasion I'll read one of their articles.

I stumbled across one just now that is still bothering me, perhaps because I only read it ten minutes ago.

Note: If you aren't into baseball, this whole entry may bore you. I'm guessing Widower will be the only person to find this interesting.

Oh. And all stats are current as of September 1st.

MVP. Most valuable player. Traditionally, it not only goes to a great player, but usually to a great player with a great batting average and a lot of home runs or RBI's. MVP's also tend to be chosen from excellent teams. I have no problem with an MVP playing on a bad team (like the Mariners) so, I think Ichiro should be the MVP.

The article proclaimed that Ichiro Suzuki is, "overrated as a ballplayer."

The guy is on pace to break the major league record of 257 hits in a season, a record that was set in 1920. 1920. He could break an 84 year-old record. He also leads baseball with a .372 batting average.

Ichiro has had three months this year in which he's had at least 50 hits. Pete Rose, one of the best hitters in baseball history, only did this four times in his 20+ year career. Ichiro has done this three times in five months.

Also in the article, the guy says that Ichiro shouldn't be MVP because of his low slugging percentage, and therefore, low number of home runs. Last time I checked, a hit is a hit. And besides, the Mariners hitting is so bad, no amount of home runs could help them.

And to hold his on base percentage against him? That's ridiculous. The hits he can control, but you can't control intentional walks, which Barry Bonds gets tons of.

Don't get me wrong, Barry Bonds is having a great season. He's hitting .367 and has 38 home runs, but since he gets walked so often, he has fewer at bats. In fact, he has about half as many as Ichiro. Granted, you shouldn't hold it against him for having so many walks, but Ichiro is able to maintain the same average as Bonds with (by the time the season ends) more than twice as many at bats.

Basically, the article says to be MVP you need to have power, which I disagree with. Did Tony Gwynn have power? No, and he's one of the best hitters in baseball history. I think the guy thinks Bonds should be MVP, which at least this year is a legitimate comment, unlike one of the last three seasons in which he's won it.

I really don't know why I ranted for so long on this and spent an hour typing this entry. Baseball has two MVP awards. And since Barry Bonds and Ichiro Suzuki are in two different leagues, both can win the MVP award, and we can all live in harmony.

I guess if anything good came out of this for me, it proved that I do know sports, no matter how little I talk about them. In fact, for those of you who think I know a thing or two about music, I probably can carry on a conversation just as interesting and long about sports, especially late 80's to mid 90's sports.

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