The November 16th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Trout finishes second in MVP voting, Halos interested in Kuroda, voters explain their MVP votes and much more…
The Story: Mike Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting, getting just 6 of 28 first-place votes.
The Monkey Says: Him finishing second was no surprise, but I did think it would be a little closer. One thing that didn't help was Mark Whicker of the OC Register being a representative for the LA chapter in this vote and following through on his months of trolling Angel fans by casting his ballot for Cabrera. Nothing says integrity like voting for a guy just so you could draw attention to yourself. Of course, what Whicker did wasn't as bad as the Ohio writer that actually put Trout third on his ballot.
The Monkey Says: Kuroda would be a great fit in the Angel rotation, especially since he'd only require a one or two-year deal. What I don't like is that the Angels only view him as Plan B and not as a potential additional signing with Greinke. I think they could actually afford to bring in both, though it would be tight.
The Story: All 28 BBWAA voters explain their AL MVP choice.
The Monkey Says: Well, that's what they are trying to do. Not all voters have explanations listed. The ones that voted for Cabrera don't really have compelling arguments, though most allude to focusing on the "valuable" aspect which they largely attribute to him making the playoffs. None of them seem to care that the Tigers had fewer wins than the Angels and played in a much worse division. The vote that requires the most explaining though is LaVelle Neal, who penned a column at the end of September voicing his support for Trout. He then voted for Cabrera and made some ham-handed explanation that Miggy's performance in the final week somehow changed his mind.
The Story: A look back at some of the other more regrettable MVP voting outcomes.
The Monkey Says: In the irony of all ironies, Vlad Guerrero and Don Baylor both make the list. Still, that Willie Hernandez over Cal Ripken vote stands out as particularly awful.
The Story: The Angels might've saved a lot of money with Mike Trout thanks to him not winning the MVP.
The Monkey Says: I thought that claim was full of crap when I saw Fletcher tweet it, but I'll be damned if he isn't on to something. Go Cabrera! I LUV R-B-EYEEZZZ!
The Story: Mike Trout's mom is one very proud parent.
The Monkey Says: Nothing wrong with that. It is very true though, Debbie Trout is totally dedicated to being a fan of her son. She "likes" literally everything I post on the MWAH Facebook page that is even tangentially Trout-related. Note, that is not a complaint, in fact, I think she is a trail blazer. You should all follow the MWAH Facebook page and like everything.
The Story: Torii Hunter signing with the TIgers is the right move for both the Angels and TIgers.
The Monkey Says: Opening up playing time for Peter Bourjos is fine and all, but I don't think that is the best justification for letting Hunter go. The only real way that this decision is a win for the Angels is if they use the money they save on Torii to add another significant piece AND keep Zack Greinke.
The Story: You can hit, pitch and field at Angel Stadium this weekend.
The Monkey Says: I refuse to use some canned food drive to live out my dream of playing at the Big A. I still hold out hope that an Angel scout will stumble across me flailing hopelessly at the plate during my next adult league softball game and sign me to a contract. What? It could happen.
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