Who is your Orioles MVP this year?

[Can_of_corn]

If Chen, Jones or Markakis has a monster September, one of them. Otherwise, JJ. It's chic to say closers don't matter. It's popular to say anyone can pitch the last inning and that the closer role isn't even necessary. Sometimes ideas like that take hold and get carried too absurd levels. All you have to do is think back to 1 1/2 years of Gregg to realize how silly that is. Right now, I say JJ but it's too close to call

Where are you getting 1 1/2 years of Gregg? More like 1/2 a year of Gregg as he has lost the closer position before last season was even over.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

Well it's not really fair to just lump Chen as a "starting pitcher" and use everyone who's a starter to come up with a percentage.

If you're going to do that, you'd have lump Johnson as a "relief pitcher" and count everyone who plays that "position".

It's just not a comparison that works.

So if it Darren O'day was working the 9th instead of the 6th/7th you'd be willing to call him the MVO? JJ gets it simply because he gets to pitch the last inning of the game?

Really not trying to bicker about this. I really understand/appreciate JJ's value. Just wouldn't be my MVO. Probably in my top 5 however.

[brianod]

Where are you getting 1 1/2 years of Gregg? More like 1/2 a year of Gregg as he has lost the closer position before last season was even over.

Wow, you are right. He was so bad it seemed longer then it was:)

[brianod]

So if it Darren O'day was working the 9th instead of the 6th/7th you'd be willing to call him the MVO? JJ gets it simply because he gets to pitch the last inning of the game?

Really not trying to bicker about this. I really understand/appreciate JJ's value. Just wouldn't be my MVO. Probably in my top 5 however.

JJ has been extremely successful, you can't just assume O'Day would have the same results

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

If Chen, Jones or Markakis has a monster September, one of them. Otherwise, JJ. It's chic to say closers don't matter. It's popular to say anyone can pitch the last inning and that the closer role isn't even necessary. Sometimes ideas like that take hold and get carried too absurd levels. All you have to do is think back to 1 1/2 years of Gregg to realize how silly that is. Right now, I say JJ but it's too close to call

Just because the Orioles have had horrible closers doesn't somehow make them more valuable to us then they are any other ballclub. Good closers are nice to have. They're important to have. But they're also very prevalent, and less valuable then other players on the team.

There are 9 innings in a game. How the last 1/2 of the last inning carries more weight then the others is something I don't understand.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

JJ has been extremely successful, you can't just assume O'Day would have the same results

Why is what O'day does in the 6th less valuable then what JJ does in the 9th? Is it because he doesn't get a "save"?

[CA-ORIOLE]

My ballot would probably be

1) Chen- I don't know if I'd say he's been more valuable than Jones, but he's been more valuable to this team, because of the rotatational flux.

2) Jones- He's cooled off, but he carried us for a while. He could still surpass Chen imo w a big Sept.

3) Markakis- The offense is night and day different w him in the lineup. For those that poo-pooed his loss earlier, I hope they see now what he brings to the table. If he hadn't been out for 6 weeks, he'd probably be in the 1 spot for me.

4) Johnson- The bullpen in total should be probably get the award; JJ is the representative of the pen, as the closer and best pitcher in it, so I put him here, but I can't put him over everyday players and our only consistent starter.

5) Wieters- Not having a great year w the bat but brings a lot to the table besides that.

That's a pretty good list actually. I'd probably put Jones at number 1 even though he hasn't had the greatest second half.

[brianod]

Why is what O'day does in the 6th less valuable then what JJ does in the 9th? Is it because he doesn't get a "save".

There is a reason JJ pitches the ninth and O'Day doesn't. The reason is that JJ's stuff is filthy. O'Day has been great but he's simply isn't as good as JJ because he's easier to hit

[RhythmNathan]

[McNulty]

Freddie Bynum.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

There is a reason JJ pitches the ninth and O'Day doesn't. The reason is that JJ's stuff is filthy. O'Day has been great but he's simply isn't as good as JJ because he's easier to hit

And getting hits/runs in the 9th is easier then getting hits in the 6th, 7th, and 8th?

I understand there being some mental aspect of being able to handle the closers role. But is that what really separates a "good" relief pitcher from being the most valuable player on the team?

[Easternshoreguy2]

The thread is who is the MVO. Everyone has a different opinion fine but why argue about Johnson/strop/O'day.

Every player is a valuable Oriole in thier own right. If our starting pitchers do not give us a chance to win Johnson and Strop can not be clutch and shut the game down. If our hitters do not score runs our starting pitching do not have the stats they do and Johnson and Strop are pretty much like Gregg and have a useless role.

If people want to think Johnson is the MVO so be it move on and discuss what the thread says.

Everyone before the season started was not sure about DD and most had the doom and gloom theory which is what many earsyears of losing will do so even the front office can be the MVO in this case.

Buck is my MVO btw

[CA-ORIOLE]

The thread is who is the MVP. Everyone has a different opinion fine but why argue about Johnson/strop/O'day.

Every player is a mvp in thier own right. If our starting pitchers do not give us a chance to win Johnson and Strop can not be clutch and shut the game down. If our hitters do not score runs our starting pitching do not have the stats they do and Johnson and Strop are pretty much like Gregg and have a useless role.

If people want to think Johnson is the MVP so be it move on and discuss what the thread says.

Everyone before the season started was not sure about DD and most had the doom and gloom theory which is what many earsyears of losing will do so even the front office can be the MVP in this case.

Buck is my MVP btw

Most Valuable Person?

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

The thread is who is the MVP. Everyone has a different opinion fine but why argue about Johnson/strop/O'day.

Every player is a mvp in thier own right. If our starting pitchers do not give us a chance to win Johnson and Strop can not be clutch and shut the game down. If our hitters do not score runs our starting pitching do not have the stats they do and Johnson and Strop are pretty much like Gregg and have a useless role.

If people want to think Johnson is the MVP so be it move on and discuss what the thread says.

Thanks Ghandi. You're right, we should remove arguments and disagreements from the board - or maybe I'll start a thread titled "Argue about Most Valuable Oriole Here" so we'll all have a safe place for this sorta discourse.

[BmoreMatt]

It's like people trying to pass through the Oracle in the Neverending Story. Why do they do it?

This is awesome!

On topic:

I would first want to give it to the entire bullpen. JJ and Strop have been lights out, but so has the rest of the bullpen for the most part. It's a well oiled machine that does it's job with every part working towards that one run win.

If that's too much of a cop out, then I would pick Jones or Chen. Whoever has the stronger finish.