Read Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan’s arguments about whether an MVP can come from a bad team.
Is it possible that baseball’s most valuable player can come from a lousy team?
Of course there is precedent. The date was May 21, 1987. The perpetually confusing/maddening/lovable Chicago Cubs were in first place in the National League. The team was coming off of an impressive five game winning streak. Though the Cubbies would start to slip some at the end of the month, the club still ended May with 18 wins against just 10 losses. Starting pitchers Rick Sutcliffe, Greg Maddux, and Jamie Moyer (hard to believe Moyer is still pitching in the majors!) all notched wins in May that month and were supported by some powerful bats, most notably right fielder Andre “Hawk” Dawson.
Dawson, at this point a ten year veteran in the major leagues, was starting to come into his own as a player. He had some good years previously in Montreal – including 1983 when he recorded 189 hits and a .299 batting average – and, of course, his first season in the majors when he earned the rookie of the year award. But 1987 was Dawson’s year. He was the undeniable leader of the Cubs’ offense. During the Cubs best month of the 1987 season – two days after their final day in first place – Dawson was doing everything he could to spur his team to victory. Trailing the Atlanta Braves by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Dawson unloaded on a Gene Garber fastball, scoring fellow outfielder Jerry Mumphrey to tie the game at six and force extra innings – a game the Cubs went on to win.
Hawk repeatedly performed heroics for the Cubs throughout the 1987 season, but to no avail. The Cubs ended their 1987 campaign in early October with a disappointing 76-85 record, 18.5 games out of first place.
Dawson, however, was named baseball’s Most Valuable Player. Though the team that went on to win the World Series that season – the Minnesota Twins – also had a fair share of successful players, the MVP award went to Dawson, a player from a losing team well out of the playoff hunt. His statistics were great. A league leading 49 home runs and a league leading 137 runs batted in. He slugged 178 hits, stole 11 bases, hit .287 and led the National League in total bases. A fantastic year compared against any other.
However, the question begs now as it did then – if Dawson is SO VALUABLE, why was he unable to spur his team into the playoffs?
Fortunately, The Sports Debates exists! Today’s debate question: Should a good player from a lousy team be named the league’s most valuable player?
Bleacher Fan will argue no, a player – no matter how talented and accomplished – should not be named the most valuable in the league while Loyal Homer will argue that value knows no bounds or limits and if a player earns the title, that is okay.
While I am partial to my Cubs, I have no preconceived notions of how this debate should end. I wish you both luck. Play ball!
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back The Bad Team with an MVP Player Debate – Did Andre Dawson Deserve the MVP?…
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back The Bad Team with an MVP Player Debate – Did Andre Dawson Deserve the MVP?…