What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
One of the most compelling baseball stories of the past week has involved the eventual balloting for American League MVP.
Miguel Cabrera might become the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown, and still he might not win the MVP award. Inconceivable?!? Not exactly. The Triple Crown has never been a lock-solid, unimpeded path to the MVP:
• In 1967, when Carl Yastrzemski became the last player to win the Triple Crown, he wasn’t a unanimous MVP pick (OK, OK, he got 19 of the 20 votes).
• Ted Williams TWICE won the Triple Crown without winning the MVP award. In 1947, he received only three of the 24 first-place votes and he finished second in the voting to Joe DiMaggio. In 1942, Williams won the Triple Crown but finished second in the balloting to Yankees’ second baseman Joe Gordon.
• In 1934, Lou Gehrig won the Triple Crown and finished FIFTH in the MVP balloting in what might have been the closest five-way vote in history.
• In 1933, Chuck Klein won the Triple Crown and finished a distant second to Carl Hubbell in MVP voting.Granted, those were a long, long time ago, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Cabrera to lead the league in batting, home runs, and RBI and not be the MVP.
(Click here to read more online at Columbian Sports editor Greg Jayne’s blog)
2
Two big individual events with two very different crowds.
The Ryder Cup golf held outside of Chicago sure seemed packed to the gills with fans all three days.
Meanwhile at NASCAR’s third Chase race at Dover, Del., an estimated 85,000 was reported and that seemed generous.
About 90 minutes before the start of the race, Dover posted on Twitter, “Great seats still available at the gate!”
Wouldn’t have seen that at Medinah.
