1996 NL MVP question.

[redban]

I have a question about the 1996 NL MVP voting. I was too young and didn't follow baseball then, but how come Ken Caminiti won the award unanimously over Mike Piazza?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.shtml

In the AL MVP voting, it was a tight race between Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez. Just 1 first place vote separated them.

On the other hand, Ken Caminiti won the award with 28 first place votes. Piazza, the runner-up, got none.

Why? It makes it look like it wasn't close when their numbers weren't so far apart. I actually think an argument can be made for Piazza given his being a catcher (Piazza actually had more Games Played)

I just find it strange that he didn't get 1 first place vote. Were the voters caught up in Caminiti's defense?

Both SD and LA made the playoffs, with similar records.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I have a question about the 1996 NL MVP voting. I was too young and didn't follow baseball then, but how come Ken Caminiti won the award unanimously over Mike Piazza?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.shtml

In the AL MVP voting, it was a tight race between Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez. Just 1 first place vote separated them.

On the other hand, Ken Caminiti won the award with 28 first place votes. Piazza, the runner-up, got none.

Why? It makes it look like it wasn't close when their numbers weren't so far apart. I actually think an argument can be made for Piazza given his being a catcher (Piazza actually had more Games Played)

I just find it strange that he didn't get 1 first place vote. Were the voters caught up in Caminiti's defense?

Both SD and LA made the playoffs, with similar records.

A lot was made out of Caminiti's leadership that year, as with Kirk Gibson in 1988. He won due to the ever-popular intangible.

[csh19792001]

I have a question about the 1996 NL MVP voting. I was too young and didn't follow baseball then, but how come Ken Caminiti won the award unanimously over Mike Piazza?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.shtml

In the AL MVP voting, it was a tight race between Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez. Just 1 first place vote separated them.

So one patent, obvious juicer won over what was (VERY) likely three others juicers.

So....the MVP in those years prior to testing, but when juicing was all the rage.. mostly equaled "who was injecting/running the best cycle as part of their training regimen"?

(e.g.)...Who had the best pharmaceuticals?

[willshad]

I think it was mostly because Caminiti's second half was downright unreal (28 HR 81 RBI .360 AVG, 1.203 OPS), and that stuck in the voter's minds. Piazza was more consistent throughout the season, but didn't have the second half numbers Caminiti did.jkkern

[brett]

So one patent, obvious juicer won over what was (VERY) likely three others juicers.

So....the MVP in those years prior to testing, but when juicing was all the rage.. mostly equaled "who was injecting/running the best cycle as part of their training regimen"?

(e.g.)...Who had the best pharmaceuticals?

Is Burks a user? I suspected so.
I think though, and its pure gut feeling, that Caminitti's win that year (along with McGwire and Sosa's '98 run) pushed Bonds to use. He knew that those guys were using, and nobody was doing anything about it. That's why while I blame Bonds, his use may be more understandable. Then again he may have used for a while and just found the right combination of the most powerful stuff later on.

[brett]

I remember that in '96 Caminiti was not even on my radar until the final month of the season. For me it was probably Piazza and Bonds (I gave Piazza the nod because Bonds had been so good in '94 but didn't get as much support as he should have because he wasn't matching his '93 levels) and there was some interest in how Burks would fare given that he was the first Colorado guy to have good road numbers: .291 with 17 home runs and 16 steals. Bonds was a 40/40 guy and people were salivating at Canseco's 40/40 in '88.

I was also surprised that Gonzalez won with the year that A-rod and Griffey put up, but Griffey probably cost A-Rod that MVP.

I was shocked when Gonzalez won it in '98 though.

[PVNICK]

Didn't Gonzalez have an inordinate amount of RBI? Couple that with winning the division for the first time in years or ever (just like Caminiti) andf that describes most MVPs.

[dgarza]

I think it was mostly because Caminiti's second half was downright unreal (28 HR 81 RBI .360 AVG, 1.203 OPS)

Yes, and the Padres were actually behind the Dodgers for much of Sept. The Padres won the division on the last day of the season.
Meanwhile, Caminiti was doing this in Sept. : .375/.465/.750/1.215

Sept. was probably Piazza's weakest month.

[redban]

Yes, and the Padres were actually behind the Dodgers for much of Sept. The Padres won the division on the last day of the season.
Meanwhile, Caminiti was doing this in Sept. : .375/.465/.750/1.215

Sept. was probably Piazza's weakest month.

That's a good point. The Padres swept the Dodgers to end the season, and Piazza went 2-12 the whole series.

September was his worst month - it was the only one where he batted below .300.

2000 is a very similar case with Piazza and the MVP. He had the award locked up before he ran into a wall into September, batted around .220 the whole month.

[dgarza]

That's a good point. The Padres swept the Dodgers to end the season, and Piazza went 2-12 the whole series.

Caminiti went 6-11 with a double and a HR that series, added 4 walks (he was 4-4 with a BB in the first game).

[geezer]

I was shocked when Gonzalez won it in '98 though.

The 98 season was far more better and deserving than the 96, because in 1996 he missed almost 30 games