1968 Awards Voting

[leecemark]

--Just two days left to the end of the season, but still some tough calls in the MVP voting. Ballots are due by 9PM EST on Tuesday, which will also be the start of the playoffs. MVP ballots should list your top 10 candidates and will be counted 12, 9, 8...The CYA and ROY ballots will be 3 men each, counted 5, 3 , 1.
--Feel free to campaign for your favorite candidates here. And please share your top rookie here. I don't have a comprehensive list of who are rookies.

[leecemark]

--I expanded the leaderboards to 25 and broke the Runs Created leaders by position (not park adjusted). I'll post an expanded leaderboard up to 25 for everything here immediately after the conclusion of the season, which will give you the weekend to review before casting a ballot if you wish.

C: Bill Freehan 112 (nobody else in top 25)
1B: Willie McCovey 139, Mickey Mantle 133, Norm Cash 87
2B: Dick McAuliffe 105, Pete Rose 90, Mike Andrews 88
3B: Mike Shannon 90
SS: Jim Fregosi 98, Maury Wills 90, Bert Campaneris 88
LF: Billy Williams 143, Felipe Alou 113, Rick Monday 91, Lou Brock 91, Lee May 89
CF: Jimmy Wynn 133, Willie Mays 119, Matty Alou 113 (and locking up his 2nd staright batting title), Reggie Smith 95
RF: Carl Yastrzemski 127, Hank Aaron 107, Dick Allen 101, Willie Horton 92, Reggie Jackson 88

[leecemark]

--Here are the final leaderboards, expanded to top 25. Final team reports can be found in the season thread.

[leecemark]

MVP
1) Bill Freehan - amazing season from the catcher position
2) Willie Mays - Sey Hey finished strong to lead in RBI
3) Billy Williams - outhit Willie, but Mays has the defense and leadership (can you be a leader in a simulation:noidea)
4) Mickey Mantle - aging hero leads his last team to division title
5) Jimmy Wynn - arguably claimed "best CFer" title from Mays this year (he'll for sure be the man next year)
6) Willie McCovey - rivaled Williams as best hitter
7) Carl Yastzremski - great year lost in disappointing team season
8) Dick McAuliffe - led all If in RC while playing VG defense
9) Matty Alou - second straight batting title
10) Ron Kline - dominating out of the pen

CYA
1) Luis Tiant - should be a unanimous choice
2) Dave McNally - had everything going for him except run support
3) Fergie Jenkins - league's top horse

ROY
1) Stan Bahnsen - ace of the Gold Sox from day 1
2) Reggie Jackson - I'm guessing this kid is going to be a major star:)
3) Johnny Bench - very impressive debut behind the plate

[Erik Bedard]

Gold Sox ballot:

MVP:

1) Mickey Mantle
2) Billy Williams
3) Willie McCovey
4) Jimmy Wynn
5) Bill Freehan
6) Willie Mays
7) Carl Yastrzemski
8) Luis Tiant
9) Dick McAuliffe
10) Matty Alou

CYA:

1) Luis Tiant
2) Dave McNally
3) Jim Nash

ROY:

1) Stan Bahnsen
2) Reggie Jackson
3) Johnny Bench

Thoughts: The MVP ballot was dominated by the Knights, Legends, and Gold Sox. Only Yaz and Matty Alou made the ballot from another team. Mantle got the top spot because of his mind-boggling rate stats (which I favor over counting stats), plus a touch of homerism and sentimentality, what with this being his final season. In the CYA race, Tiant is the clear favorite. McNally is my #2, and Nash gets the #3 spot due to pitching in Wrigley (and doing a mighty nice job of it, too). ROY should need no explanation.

[jterry619]

MVP
1) Bill Freehan
2) Willie Mays
3) Willie McCovey
4) Billy Williams
5) Mickey Mantle

Just in case you missed it....Mays, McCovey and Williams are from Alabama!

CY
1. Tiant..period

ROY
1. Bahnsen

[Sockeye]

MVP

1. Billy Williams
2. Willie McCovey
3. Jimmy Wynn
4. Carl Yastrzmski
5. Willie Mays
6. Hank Aaron
7. Mickey Mantle
8. Bill Freehan
9. Felipe Alou
10. Roger Repoz

CYA

1. Luis Tiant
2. Dean Chance
3. Dave McNally

ROY

1. Stan Bahnsen
2. Reggie Jackson
3. Jim McAndrew

[-Kyle-]

MVP:
1) Mickey Mantle (glad to see him do well!)
2) Luis Tiant
3) Willie McCovey
4) Jimmy Wynn
5) Dick McAuliffe
6) Willie Mays
7) Carl Yastrzemski
8) Billy Williams
9) Bill Freehan
10) Pete Ward ( :D )

CYA:
1) Luis Tiant
2) Dave McNally
3) Dean Chance

ROY:
1) Stan Bahnsen
2) Reggie Jackson
3) Johnny Bench

[jkc32]

MVP
1. Billy Williams
2. Willie Mays
3. Bill Freehan
4. Willie McCovey
5. Luis Tiant
6. Jimmy Wynn
7. Mickey Mantle
8. Dick McAuliffe
9. Carl Yastrzemski
10. Willie Horton

CYA
1. Luis Tiant
2. Fergie Jenkins
3. Dave McNally

ROY
1. Stan Bahnsen
2. Reggie Jackson
3. Johnny Bench

[catcher24]

Most Valuable Player
1. Bill Freehan - Perhaps the best season ever by a player NOT an outfielder or corner infielder. Tremendous hitting from the toughest defensive position, managed a staff that produced three 20 game winners and a team ERA of 2.99 - over one third run better than the second best Skipjacks. And also set the all time record for getting hit by pitch as well!
2. Billy Williams - Over 100 extra base hits, awesome offensive season. Edges out McCovey because of more playing time.
3. Willie McCovey - Maybe a little "homer" boost here, but led the league in HR and runs, second in EBH and OPS.
4. Jimmy Wynn - How long do the Gold Sox have him signed for? Led the team that ended the Knights stranglehold on the Johnson Division.
5. Willie Mays - Could as easily be as high as third in my book. Great season by a true CKL legend.
6. Mickey Mantle - Would be higher if not for limited playing time. A great final season by another CKL legend.
7. Dick McAuliffe - Tremendous offensive numbers from a middle infielder.
8. Carl Yastrzemski - Great season overlooked due to Skipjacks nosedive in second half of season.
9. Norm Cash - Led Hard Cider to yet another division title and 100 win season.
10. Felipe Alou - Overlooked cog in the Gold Sox offense.

Cy Young Award
1. Luis Tiant - Won pitching triple crown and led in several other categories as well. A real no brainer, especially for me - wait, did I phrase that the way I wanted?:noidea::laugh
2. Fergie Jenkins - Not a homer vote. Second in wins, fourth in ERA and strikeouts, third in runners per nine - and led with 307 IP.
3. Dave McNally - A truly marvelous season lost in the Angels season long misery.

Rookie of the Year

1. Stan Bahnsen - The Gold Sox would probably be in the playoffs as the wild card if not for him. Terrific rookie season.
2. Reggie Jackson - The Redbirds must be happy with this pick.
3. Johnny Bench - Mark, I think he may have some upside as well.:)

[catcher24]

Freehan 8th and 9th - wow, that's tough. I figured he'd make at least top five on every ballot.

[leecemark]

--Its a tough field this year. There were 5 guys I thought were legit top of ballot guys for the MVP - and that didn't include Mantle (who was leading after 5 ballots but has slipped to 5th with 7 in). Still I agree that Freehan near the bottom of a ballot really underates his season (I had him #1). He does have the most 1st place votes (3 of 7) and is in 2nd place at the moment.

[Erik Bedard]

That '67 draft is looking better and better. A ROY from Seaver (#1 overall), and runner-up finishes from Bench (#2) and Jackson (#3) is a very strong start for what is shaping up to be easily the best class in CKL history.

A quick check of park factors on BR, cross-referenced with CKL data, informs me that Jim Nash's park-adjusted ERA was about 2.60 -- which would have been good for third on the league leaderboard. Actually, when adjusting Pappas' and McNally's data as well, Nash comes out #2 to Tiant. Bahnsen is another pitcher who Wrigley Field adversely affected. When adjusting data, he comes out in the top five, which reads Tiant, Nash, Pappas, Jenkins, Bahnsen. Just something to think about.

[leecemark]

--Nash had a very impressive season. He was as responsible as anyone for the Gold Sox coming back from 9 down to win the division. It was his lack of IP that kept him off my ballot (20th in the league). Much like all Mantle's missed time kept him off my short list for MVP, although missed time and all he still was 6th on my ballot.

[catcher24]

--Nash had a very impressive season. He was as responsible as anyone for the Gold Sox coming back from 9 down to win the division. It was his lack of IP that kept him off my ballot (20th in the league). Much like all Mantle's missed time kept him off my short list for MVP, although missed time and all he still was 6th on my ballot.

Ditto for me, although I had Mantle fairly high. If he had put up the same numbers with another 100PA, he'd be first or second on my ballot. Perhaps my putting Jenkins second was a touch of homerism, but look at the stats and I don't think so. And he was an absolute horse for my team, with 307IP.

Interesting to note that in Runs Created ERA, Tiant and Jenkins were 1-2, while Nash isn't in the top 15, while in Component ERA Tiant and Jenkins are 2-4, while Nash is 15th (Dean Chance was first in Component ERA while McNally was 3rd). Since Component ERA is based on the offense produced by the opponents who a pitcher faced, the fact Tiant and Jenkins never had to face the Legends may have hindered them in this particular instance.

[mac195]

MVP:

1) Bill Freehan
2) Billy Williams
3) Willie McCovey
4) Jimmy Wynn
5) Mickey Mantle
6) Carl Yastrzemski
7) Willie Mays
8) Dick McAuliffe
9) Matty Alou
10) Tom Haller

CYA:

1) Luis Tiant
2) Fergie Jenkins
2) Dave McNally


ROY:

1) Stan Bahnsen
2) Reggie Jackson
3) Johnny Bench

[baseballPAP]

MVP-
1-Willie McCovey/Willie Mays (tie) I can't pick, and I've always thought of them together anyway
2------
3-Billy Williams-great year all around
4-Bill Freehan-other's raw numbers were just too much
5-Jim Wynn-great year...see what the A-Dome did to this guy?
6-Carl Yastrzemski-carried his team in a silightly down year
7-Mickey Mantle-one last hoo-rah
8-Matty Alou-2 batting titles
9-Hank Aaron- another solid year
10-Jerry Grote-a bit of a homer vote, but .329 and over .400 IBP with a great glove (in 450PA)

CYA
1-Luis Tiant
2-Sam McDowell
3-Fergie Jenkins

ROY

1-Stan Bahnsen
2-Reggie Jackson
3-Johnny Bench

[catcher24]

Looks like the Cy Young and ROY races are unanimous votes, while the MVP race is extremely close.

[catcher24]

I don't know how long the balloting is going to last, but I urge the trio who have yet to vote (Jim, Ed, Jason) to get their ballots in. MVP is an extremely tight race, with the top three vote getters separated by four points (no, I won't tell you who they are), and another within twelve.

I will also stump once again for my number one pick, Bill Freehan. He put up huge numbers for a catcher, directed a pitching staff with the league's lowest ERA and three 20 game winners, and controlled the opponent's running game magnificently. He deserves serious consideration for your top pick (as does team mate Willie McCovey).

[leecemark]

--Polls are due to close in about 30 minutes. I'll give it a little longer since I've got a few other things to catch up on, but the ballots will be tallied this evening. I don't have exactly the same spilt as Lew (different counting methology, different way of counting the short ballot or a counting error by one of us?), but it is very close -with 2 Legends currently in 2nd and 3rd.

[leecemark]

--Knights LFer Billy Williams won a hotly contest elected for MVP, edging Legends backstop Bill Freehan by 3 points. Five different players received first place votes. Williams is the third Knight to win the award, joining Willy Mays (2) and Jim Gentile. The vote totals;
1) Billy Williams 77 (2)
2) Bill Freehan 74 (3)
3) Willie McCovey 71.5 (.5)
4) Willie Mays 63.5 (.5)
5) Mickey Mantle 60 (2)
6) Jimmy Wynn 58
7) Carl Yastzremski 38
8) Dick McAullife 24
9) Luis Tiant 18
10) Matty Alou 10
--others receiving votes; Cash, Horton, Ward, Haller, Grote, Kline, F. Alou, Aaron, and Repoz

[leecemark]

--Luis Tiant was the unanimous choice for the CYA. Vote totals;
1) Luis Tiant 45
2) Dave McNally 16
3) Fergie Jenkins 12
--others receiving votes (none on more than 1 ballot); Nash, Chance and McDowell

[leecemark]

--Stan Bahnsen was a unanimous winner of the Rookie of the Year award. Vote totals;
1) Stan Bahnsen 45
2) Reggie Jackson 27
3) Johnny Bench 8
--Jim McAndrew received one 3rd place vote.

[mac195]

Mark, I count 4 1st place votes for Freehan.

[catcher24]

I also had Freehan first on four ballots, but my totals are the same as Mark's as far as Williams/Freehan. He broke the points for the Mays/McCovey tie differently than I did - I just gave each one 12 points and then skipped to third. But I also show Williams winning by a 77 to 74 total. That one ninth place ballot hurt Freehan badly; even a vote as high as fifth would have given him the award. This is the second closest race we've had. Mantle and Aaron tied in 1962, with F. Robinson only three points behind them.