The Game Changer
By
Hurts so good. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Last night’s Game Four win was all about A.J. Burnett‘s surprisingly effective start and a late-inning offensive relay, where everyone in the lineup just kept passing baton to the next guy. The final score (10-1) doesn’t really tell the whole story story though, because it was just 4-1 heading into the eighth. Baseball is a team game, but one man really stood on his head a bit and contributed to that 4-1 lead. That would be Curtis Granderson, the club’s MVP.
I don’t want to say that we’re overlooking what Granderson did last night, I don’t think that’s case at all, but it’s worth taking a step back to appreciate his efforts again during the off day. The defensive stats may not like him to varying degrees this year – DRS hates him (-15 runs), UZR doesn’t like him much (-5.3), and dWAR says he’s basically average (-0.2) – but even if you don’t like Granderson’s defense, you can’t deny the two plays he made last night. That first inning lunging catch (video) completely changed the dynamic of that game. If it gets by him, that ball has inside-the-park grand slam potential. At the very least, it’s three runs for the Tigers. Instead they got zero, then Burnett settled down and kept it that way. Six innings later, he made another thrilling catch on a Jhonny Peralta fly ball (video), laying out to save a run, keep the tying run from coming to the plate, and ending the inning.
On the offensive side of the ball, which is really what Granderson is known for, he doubled in the team’s third run of the game, which also helped setup the fourth run later in the inning. He also tripled in Derek Jeter in the first inning of Game Three and whacked a solo homer in Game Two as the Yankees tried (and failed) to make a comeback. Everyone’s spent so much time focusing on how poorly Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher have hit over the last two postseasons that they haven’t bothered to notice what Curtis has done with the bat, namely hit .318/.464 (!)/.614 in the playoffs as a Yankee. Remember the came tying triple off Francisco Liriano in Game One of last year’s ALDS? Another feature in his cap.
Granderson had a weak September (.205/.300/.375 in exactly 100 PA), no denying it, but he still had an MVP caliber year. We’re talking a .262/.364/.552 batting with 41 homers, and he’s shaken off that slow September to again become a force in the ALDS. He was a two-way threat last night, creating runs with the bat and certainly saving runs with the glove. Granderson impacted the game as much as any player on the field, which is something he’s been doing all year.
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The Mason Williams Watch
Good Story. Granderson is really a pleasure to watch, and has quickly become one of my favorite Yankees. His performance last night was unreal.
MLBN kept plugging Ellsbury or Verlander for the MVP last night. Verlander, because the Tigers would be no where without him. Ellsbury, because of the last two weeks of the season.
I always thought the MVP should go to a position player, based on an entire season of work. It seems that Grandy will not get an MVP this year. But, he had a helluva year and continues to perform in the playoffs. I am glad he is a Yankee.
As much as I’d love to see Granderson win the MVP, I wouldn’t be upset if Verlander won. He’s been an absolute force all season long and untouchable in the second half of the year. An 8.6 WAR is flat-out absurd. For reference, Granderson was worth 5.2 WAR.
Also, I wouldn’t be so quick to discount Ellsbury. He had a triple slash of .321/.376/.552 with a .928 OPS, squeaking past Granderson at .916. You take him out of the lineup or put him on the DL for a prolonged period of time and Boston is an afterthought for the playoffs before September even hits.
If Boston made the playoffs, he’d have a much stronger case. Though our very own Alex Rodriguez won the MVP in 2003 and Texas finished dead last in their division so…
“If Boston made the playoffs, he’d have a much stronger case.”
Only to the mainstream media. Can’t fault him for the failings of that pitching staff. He basically won two games for the sox down the stretch(HRs against Bmore and us) and OPS’d over 1.000 in the last few weeks.
Unfortunately for Ellsbury, the MVP award is given by the Mainstream Media.
It all comes down to the definition of what “Most Valuable Player” means. For some people, it just means the best player (or the player that had the best year). For others, the idea of value needs to take into account how the team performs.
Even with that definition, Verlander has a better case. And without Ellsbury, Boston isn’t even threatening for the postseason.
TrueYankee™ status approaching
I am good with Verlander as MVP. Otherwise, I think Granderson or Bautista deserve it.
I just Curtis Granderson so much.
I like it when I Curtis Granderson too.
LOL. This is what happens when people distract me with actual work when I am reading RAB.
You Curtis Granderson way too much.
Curtis Granderson’d all over yourself again?!?!
I still get chills on the second catch. Couldn’t even enjoy it when it happened because we (I) thought C Grand was hurt, seems like he slid 10 feet there.
Granderson is the AL MVP. He plays a premium defensive position well had the eye popping numbers at the plate and carried the Yankees at times. I don’t want to hear about any red sox after how their season played out or bautista on 4th place Toronto. Granderson deserves it Verlander second. He won’t win it officially due to anti yankee bias but he definately deserves the hardware.
He won’t win it because Ellsbury/Bautista were arguably better, and Verlander has just as much of a case as Grandy.
He’s in the discussion, but you’re really overstating his case.
In any event, GO YANKEES! Those catches in the OF yesterday were remarkable(even if the 1st one was the result of a poor first reaction).
Just to be fair Cabrera, Gonzalez and our own Cano will also get a few votes.
Cano or Cabrera deserve it IMO. Each made the playoffs, thats what the MSM likes to see. I think Grandy wouldve been a shoe in if he could’ve gotten his BA to .275-.280. That .263 killed his chances, via the MsM’s concerned.
The 2nd catch was totally amazing
the 1st however wasnt really that great, he got fooled on the ball and was able to recover.
The 1st ball was hit straight at him and hit very hard. We’ve all heard the hardest ball to judge is the one straight at you and if you’ve played ball, you’d agree. I wouldn’t call a split second hesitation misjudging the ball. That would have been over the head of many CFs.
Love the Grandyman. If he wins the MVP cool, if not, too bad. I’ll trade the MVP for a World Series victory easy.
Anyone notice Gardner on Granderson’s 2nd great catch?
By the time he was on the screen he was jogging, meaning Curtis called for the ball. Of course Curtis made it work spectacularly, but it looks like Brett may have had the easier catch.
What do you think?
Curtis was trying to Gardner Brett, you know, jack up his defensive metrics via a long ranging catching in the other fielders turf, and it was nice!
Jesse, I agree! I’m sure Grandy would, too.
I love the caption on the image, but I would have also accepted, “Suck on that defensive metrics!”