Mr. Thursday’s Curious Mechanism

For the AL race for Bestest Rookie, Like, Evers, check in with The Extrapolater.  Those races aren’t such big old blowouts like ’round here.   

 Anyway, rookies, almost all of ya had to go through something like this:

And only a few of you will be celebrated today.  The rest of you, well, find a place for those stockings, at least YOU won’t have to wear them anymore. 

BESTEST NL ROOKIE TOSSER (and all the Brits chuckle)
by Mr Thursday

There are some who call him. . . Tim?

I suppose arguments can be made for Kyle Kendrick (Phillies), who has a better ERA and better W-L record.  I also suppose that arguments can be made for Peter Moylan (Atlanta) and Manny Corpas (Colorado) who have been excellent relievers this season.  But all of these arguments fail in the face of my bloated, cross-eyed volume, not to mention in the face of 142 strikeouts in 133 IP. 

He’s got a super-aggressive delivery, a great fastball, a great hook, and his future is ever-so-bright.  The only knock on him, that I can see, is that he walks too many guys.  As it is, if he goes his entire career with his present walk-rate, he’ll be a fine to very good pitcher.  If he, like Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan and others have done, reduces his walk rate a bit, he could start contending for Cy Young awards very, very soon. 

MEANWHILE, over in the batter’s box…

BESTEST MANGLER OF OPPONENT BOX SCORES BY A MAN ON CENTRAL TIME
by Extra P.

Here are the hitting candidates:

I felt it necessary to put forth the top two candidates, but Ryan J. Braun is clearly the top choice.  Not only is he putting up incredible numbers in every category, but he’s batting third for a team in a pennant race.  Hunter Pence (batting leadoff) is having the type of rookie season that would probably be ROY-worthy in any other year, but this year he’s run up against a great young hitter in a great young lineup, and that second factor is something that the Astros just can’t match this year.  They bring up the bottom while Milwaukee is battling the Cubs for the express ticket to October.

My pick - Ryan J. Braun.  The Hebrew Hammer shows no signs of slowing down or buckling under the pressure of a playoff run.  He crushed his 30th home run last night to put the Brewers one up on the Cubs in the NL Central.  He wears my favorite number.  I look forward to seeing his steely gaze at the plate for years to come. 

Uh-oh.  Mancrush Alert.

And don’t forget to check out the AL half of this post over at The Extrapolater, going up today!