Dubious performance, link to steroids should keep Bonds, Clemens out of Hall of Fame

Dubious performance, link to steroids should keep Bonds, Clemens out of Hall of Fame
Pitcher Roger Clemens and outfielder Barry Bonds are moving closer to the 75 percent threshold needed for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but it is still a mystery as to why they should be in. As a voting member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, I can't vote for them. I don't understand or agree with the arguments that BBWAA members use to vote for Bonds and Clemens. A vote for Bonds and Clemens is a vote for steroids usage. That means a voter thinks that Clemens'...
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Some trade banter and other notes

Some trade banter and other notes
If the Orioles discuss trading closer Zach Britton - or any prominent player - and then pull off a deal, can it help the team address its biggest need? Will the Orioles get starting pitching in return? That would be desirable for the Orioles. With just two pitchers set for the 2018 rotation in Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman, they are going to need to add starters any way they can, and the trade front is one avenue that could work. The potential issue is that any contending team that wants to add...
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Scherzer, Strasburg highlight finalists for NL Cy Young Award

Scherzer, Strasburg highlight finalists for NL Cy Young Award
The Nationals raced out to a big lead in the National League East and secured the division with outstanding starting pitching throughout the season. The leaders in the starting rotation for the Nats were Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The pair has been rewarded as finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, announced tonight by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on MLB Network. But Dusty Baker was left out of the top three for NL Manager of the Year. Scherzer won the Cy Young last...
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Trey Mancini a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year (updated)

Trey Mancini a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year (updated)
With Aaron Judge a lock to be named American League Rookie of the Year, cracking the top three finalists can be viewed as a nice consolation prize. Trey Mancini will take it. Mancini, Judge and Red Sox's outfielder Andrew Benintendi were revealed as finalists tonight on MLB Network. The winner will be announced on Nov. 13. Judge, the Yankees' baseball-crushing right fielder, should gather all of the first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Benintendi...
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A few thoughts on the Hall of Fame balloting

A few thoughts on the Hall of Fame balloting
The Hall of Fame inductions are fuel for discussion and debate. The ballots from the Baseball Writers' Association were due on Dec. 31. The new inductees will be announced Jan. 18. Early vote totals say that Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are going to make huge jumps in voter percentage this year, and each could finish with more than 70 percent of the vote. It takes 75 percent to get into Cooperstown. Both Clemens and Bonds are connected to steroids, so I don't see the logic in a huge upturn...
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Murphy finishes second in NL MVP vote to Bryant

Murphy finishes second in NL MVP vote to Bryant
Daniel Murphy had an MVP-caliber season and might well have taken home the hardware had he put up the same stat line in a previous year. This year, though, Murphy was forced to take a back seat to Kris Bryant, who as the best player on the best team in baseball easily captured the National League MVP. Bryant, the brightest young star on a Cubs roster filled with them, won his first career MVP this evening, garnering 29-of-30 first-place votes and 415 total points from members of the Baseball...
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On a boat in paradise, Scherzer celebrates another Cy Young win

On a boat in paradise, Scherzer celebrates another Cy Young win
Max Scherzer and his wife, Erica, have been going on boating trips with old college friends and their spouses every November for years. It's an annual tradition, and one the Scherzers weren't about to pass up, not even when it overlapped with another annual tradition: the announcement of the Cy Young Award winners. "For the past few years, we all get together over this time of the year and find a way to do the vacation together with all of our wives," the Nationals ace said. "And it took a...
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Explaining my NL Cy Young Award ballot

Explaining my NL Cy Young Award ballot
Voting for the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America awards rarely is simple. Sure, every once in a while you get a no-brainer - Bryce Harper for National League MVP in 2015 - but most of these decisions are tough. And few I've ever voted for were tougher than this year's NL Cy Young Award ballot. As I started compiling a list of candidates in late September, I was able to come up with 10 pitchers who at least deserved consideration. Five of those pitchers wound up on the actual...
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It's hard to argue with Roberts, Francona as Manager of the Year winners

It's hard to argue with Roberts, Francona as Manager of the Year winners
The managers who win Manager of the Year awards are usually the guys that won - or at least contended - despite a list of problems. That's why the Dodgers' Dave Roberts won the Baseball Writers' Association of America award over the Cubs' Joe Maddon and the Nationals' Dusty Baker. Roberts had 16 first-place votes and 108 points. Maddon had eight first-place votes and 70 points, Baker four first-place votes and 66 points. Roberts led the Dodgers to the National League West title and 91...
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Baker finishes third in NL Manager of the Year vote, Roberts wins

Baker finishes third in NL Manager of the Year vote, Roberts wins
Dusty Baker finished third in voting for National League Manager of the Year, recognized by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for helping lead the Nationals back to the postseason in his first season at the helm. Dave Roberts, who had to overcome a Dodgers club ravaged by injuries in order to win a division title, won this year's award. The rookie manager received 16 of 30 first-place votes and 108 total points in balloting performed by two writers from each NL city...
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Showalter finishes third in AL Manager of the Year voting

Showalter finishes third in AL Manager of the Year voting
Buck Showalter failed to win his fourth Manager of the Year Award, with the 2016 American League honor going to the Indians' Terry Francona. Showalter finished in third place with 44 votes. Francona received 128 and runner up Jeff Banister of the Rangers received 64. Showalter garnered two first-place votes, compared to 22 for Francona and four for Banister. The Red Sox's John Farrell, who finished fourth, also had two first-place votes and 28 total. The Yankees' Joe Girardi (five votes) was...
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Nats, Cubs didn't meet in playoffs, but will battle for BBWAA awards this week

Nats, Cubs didn't meet in playoffs, but will battle for BBWAA awards this week
The Nationals and Chicago Cubs didn't play in October as expected, but this week, representatives from the two teams will be at the center of the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards debate. The Cubs have finalists for three of the four BBWAA awards, including MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year. The Nats have finalists in all four BBWAA awards categories. Nationals starter Max Scherzer is the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, but two Cubs pitchers - Kyle Hendricks and...
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Your primer to this week's BBWAA award announcements

Your primer to this week's BBWAA award announcements
The season ended two weeks ago, free agents are beginning to sign with new clubs and every team around baseball is fully ensconced in reshaping rosters for 2017. But first, there's still one final task that must be completed before everyone can truly turn the page on the 2016 season: Hand out the major individual awards. That process will play out over the next four nights as the winners of the four awards given out by the Baseball Writers' Association of America are announced. It begins...
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After Britton snub, should BBWAA institute an award for relievers?

After Britton snub, should BBWAA institute an award for relievers?
The Orioles' Zach Britton, who set a big-league record with 43 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run, isn't going to win the American League Cy Young Award this season. And it might be the biggest snub in the history of the voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Maybe the snub will kick-start the BBWAA into adding a postseason award for relief pitchers, but the idea hasn't caught on with the 500-plus members of the group. That could be discussed at the...
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Murphy, Scherzer, Turner, Baker finalists for BBWAA awards

Murphy, Scherzer, Turner, Baker finalists for BBWAA awards
The Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed finalists for each of the sport's major awards this evening, and the Nationals find themselves smack dab in the middle of it all. The Nationals have a finalist for each of the four big National League awards: Daniel Murphy (MVP), Max Scherzer (Cy Young), Trea Turner (Rookie of the Year) and Dusty Baker (Manager of the Year). Three finalists were revealed for each award, corresponding to the three players who received the most votes. Two...
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Machado places fourth, Davis 14th in AL MVP balloting

Machado places fourth, Davis 14th in AL MVP balloting
Though the Orioles were shut out this year in the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards, third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Chris Davis gained a measure of notice. Machado placed fourth tonight for Most Valuable Player in the American League, while Davis finished 14th. Machado received four third-place votes, 11 fourth, five fifth, one sixth, one seventh, one eighth, three ninth and one 10th for 158 total points. Davis received five seventh-place votes, two eighth, two...
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Explaining my BBWAA vote for AL Manager of the Year

Explaining my BBWAA vote for AL Manager of the Year
I was in the minority in the voting for the American League's Manager of the Year. I was one of two voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America to cast my first-place ballot for New York's Joe Girardi, who led the Yankees to a wild card spot in the playoffs. Texas' Jeff Banister, with 17 first-place votes, won the award followed by Houston's A.J. Hinch and Minnesota's Paul Molitor. Banister led the Rangers to the AL West title. This was the most intriguing Manager of the...
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Orioles shut out in BBWAA awards

Orioles shut out in BBWAA awards
Leading the majors in home runs has its privileges, but it doesn't guarantee hardware in the offseason. Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is not a finalist for the American League Most Valuable Player award, the announcement coming tonight from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Third baseman Manny Machado also is excluded. Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain, Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and Angels center fielder Mike Trout are the finalists. The winner will be revealed on...
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As expected, Bryce Harper named a finalist for NL MVP

As expected, Bryce Harper named a finalist for NL MVP
In no shock, the Baseball Writers' Association of America named Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper as a finalist for the National League Most Valuable Player award. Harper is the favorite to take home his first MVP when it's announced on Nov. 19, but the young slugger faces stiff competition with Reds first baseman Joey Votto and Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in contention. After battling injuries the past two seasons, Harper experienced a breakout campaign in 2015. He...
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