Archive for November 24th, 2009
MLB Most Valuable Players: Albert Pujols & Joe Mauer
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | General, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals | No Comments
Albert Pujols is your National League Most Valuable Player MVP and Joe Mauer is your American League Most Valuable Player MVP for the 2009 MLB schedule.
Albert Pujols was the unanimous MVP for the National League. Pujols received all 32 1st place votes and totaled an amazing 448 points. Pujols was a back-to-back MVP Award winner and it was his 3rd overall (he also won the award back in 2005). Pujols became the 1st player to win back-to-back seasons since Barry Bonds did so in 2002-3.
His numbers made it pretty easy – 47 HR’s; 124 runs; .658 slugging percentage and 44 intentional walks – all tops in the major leagues. Pujols led the National League with a .443 on-base percentage; he was 2nd with 45 doubles and he was 3rd with a .327 batting average and 135 RBI’s. WOW! He also set a major league record for 1st baseman with 185 assists.
Career-wise, Pujols became the 4th player to win 3 NL MVP’s – Bonds, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt are the other 3 players to do so. He is also the 2nd player to rack up at least 100 RBI’s in each of his 1st nine MLB seasons – Hall of Famer Al Simmons was the 1st to do it and he made it 11 in a row. No reason to think Pujols won’t break that record barring an injury.
Pujols received a $200,000 bonus for winning the award. He is under contract with the Cardinals for $16 million in 2010 and the Cardinals hold a club option over Pujols for $16 million for the 2011 MLB season.
Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins received 27 of 28 1st place votes and racked up 387 total points. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers picked up the other 1st place vote.
Mauer’s .365 batting average was a major league record for catchers. It also helped him win his 3rd batting title and 2nd in a row – the 1st repeat batting champion since Nomar Garciaparra did so back in 1999-2000. He also led the American League with a .444 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage. His 28 HR’s and 96 RBI’s were career highs and he racked up 76 walks with only 75 K’s. The numbers are even more impressive given the fact that he missed the entire month of April with a back injury and that the Twins were without Mauer’s next-best hitter in the lineup – Justin Mourneau – from September 12th on. Mauer had this to say about winning: “I love catching. I love the demands that are put on me and the responsibilities that I have, although it might beat you up a little bit physically and mentally. I like being back there making those decisions, you know, for my team.”
Mauer received a $100,000 bonus for winning the AL MVP Award.
Damn – wish my team had one of these guys on it…
White Sox pick up a old guy
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | Chicago White Sox, MLB | No Comments
CHICAGO — The number 13 universally has been considered unlucky, from omitted hotel floors representing that sum to athletes avoiding it on their respective jerseys.
In the White Sox organization, it apparently stands as a guarded treasure.
That fact became apparent on Monday, as the White Sox officially introduced Omar Vizquel as the newest member of their Major League team. In a signing first reported at the end of last week, when free agency officially began, the 42-year-old Vizquel agreed to a one-year, $1.375 million deal to serve as the South Siders’ primary utility infielder.
Just one problem exists in this deal, which figures to stand as a boon for the White Sox playoff cause. Vizquel wears jersey No. 13 and so does White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, which means Vizquel won’t be wearing No. 13 in Chicago.
“Omar is not going to have enough money to pay for the number,” said Guillen with a laugh, discussing the Vizquel signing during a late afternoon conference call. “I already collect watches. I have two cars, and the car I really want, I don’t think he’s going to buy.”
Source: Chicago White Sox
J-Lo still sings?
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | Concerts | No Comments
I didn’t even know J-Lo still sings even after all of the bombs she has had for albums. Here she is falling hard at some award show most people didn’t care about.
NHL Scores
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | NHL | No Comments
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit (11-7-4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nashville (13-8-1) « | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Three Stars 1. M. Erat – NSH (Goals: 2, Assists: 0) 2. P. Rinne – NSH (Saves: 30, Save Pct: .968) 3. J. Arnott – NSH (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus (12-7-3) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| NY Rangers (12-10-1) « | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Three Stars 1. M. Gaborik – NYR (Goals: 2, Assists: 2) 2. S. Avery – NYR (Goals: 2, Assists: 0) 3. A. Anisimov – NYR (Goals: 1, Assists: 2) |
| Final OT | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY Islanders (9-8-7) « | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Toronto (4-11-7) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Three Stars 1. D. Roloson – NYI (Saves: 58, Save Pct: .951) 2. J. Bailey – NYI (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 3. P. Kessel – TOR (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) |
| Final OT | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington (13-5-6) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ottawa (12-6-3) « | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Three Stars 1. M. Fisher – OTT (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 2. P. Regin – OTT (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 3. M. Green – WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1) |
| Final OT | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh (16-8-0) « | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Florida (10-9-3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Three Stars 1. S. Crosby – PIT (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 2. K. Ballard – FLA (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 3. N. Horton – FLA (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston (11-8-4) « | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| St. Louis (8-9-4) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Three Stars 1. P. Bergeron – BOS (Goals: 0, Assists: 4) 2. M. Lucic – BOS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 3. C. Colaiacovo – STL (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina (5-13-5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas (11-6-6) « | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Three Stars 1. M. Turco – DAL (Saves: 22, Save Pct: 1.000) 2. B. Morrow – DAL (Goals: 0, Assists: 1) 3. M. Legace – CAR (Saves: 27, Save Pct: .931) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix (13-10-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edmonton (10-11-3) « | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Three Stars 1. J. Deslauriers – EDM (Saves: 36, Save Pct: 1.000) 2. A. Hemsky – EDM (Goals: 1, Assists: 0) 3. S. Horcoff – EDM (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia (12-8-1) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Colorado (14-7-3) « | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Three Stars 1. P. Stastny – COL (Goals: 1, Assists: 2) 2. D. Jones – COL (Goals: 2, Assists: 0) 3. D. Briere – PHI (Goals: 2, Assists: 2) |
| Final SO | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary (13-6-3) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0) | 2 |
| Anaheim (8-11-3) « | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 3 |
Three Stars
1. J. Giguere – ANA (Saves: 41, Save Pct: .953)
2. R. Getzlaf – ANA (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
3. M. Kiprusoff – CGY (Saves: 29, Save Pct: .935)
NBA Scores
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | NBA | No Comments
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Sacramento (5-8) | 18 | 32 | 19 | 36 | 105 |
| Memphis (5-9) « | 25 | 35 | 26 | 30 | 116 |
|
|
|
|
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Milwaukee (8-4) | 18 | 32 | 24 | 24 | 98 |
| San Antonio (6-6) « | 23 | 26 | 37 | 26 | 112 |
|
|
|
|
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Chicago (6-7) | 28 | 23 | 29 | 18 | 98 |
| Portland (11-5) « | 31 | 35 | 24 | 32 | 122 |
|
|
|
|
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Minnesota (1-13) | 29 | 22 | 22 | 14 | 87 |
| L.A. Clippers (6-9) « | 28 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 91 |
|
