If someone can explain to me how the MLB came up with 4 games each, I’d truly appreciate it.

When it comes to the number of games a player gets for his actions, it’s anyone’s guess. It appears to me there are no firm rules for penalties. That’s a large dilemma in my eyes.

Let’s have a look at two non-drug related suspensions that have been given so far in 2009:

Does everyone else see what’s wrong here? There’s no rhyme or explanation for all of the suspensions.

How did Youkilis and Porcello get five games for provoking a bench-clearing fracas, but Posada and Carlson only received 3 games? What did Youkilis and Porcello do differently that their fight resulted in 2 extra games?

In my belief, a bench-clearing fight is a dugout-clearing brawl. They’re similar to coincidences; there are no levels.

How does Beckett receive a six-game penalty for pitching at someone’s head, although Zambrano becomes the same game suspension for roughing up a water cooler? I did not realize possibly ending someone’s career could be just as detrimental as roughing up an inanimate object.

This is not a Red Sox-Yankee dilemma – this is a reasonable issue. I feel like I’m off the rocker even writing something such as this. If you do A, you get B. It’s as easy as that.

Major League Baseball – and I am talking about you Bob Watson – has to come up a benchmark suspension for each infraction.

Right now, it just doesn’t make any sense.

Come to the best baseball forums online and answer sports trivia at RootZoo.

Major League Baseball Must Crack Down on Brawls is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

Joe Crede has been magnificent at third base for the Twins in 2009. Not only is his fielding percentage the best in the AL, but he also has the least errors at the position. In addition to this, there’s a stat called the UZR, which measures a player’s effectiveness at a position relative to how many runs it costs his team. Crede’s UZR here is best of breed.

Crede is a very valuable Minnesota Twin offensively. Relative to where he hits in the order, his numbers are solid to the point where any team would be happy to have such numbers later in the lineup. His fielding has been better though.

The UZR/150 is the average number of runs saved over the course of 150 defensive games. As can be seen, Crede sits between 25-30 runs saved per 150 defensive games. The next highest run saver,Adrian Beltre, is between 15-20 runs saved per 150 games. Thus, Crede saves about 10 runs more per 150 games than Beltre, one of the premier defensive 3B in baseball.

It’d seem that Joe Crede should be a shoe-in for the Gold Glove at 3B. All of his stats beat out the competition. Somehow, no one really seems to know what he’s accomplished at the position.

Crede gets very little respect for what he does. He’s a solid hitter and people recognize this, but virtually no one ever discusses his efficient play as a third baseman. He’s simply been phenomenal this year.

Should Crede win a Gold Glove in 2009? In my opinion, yes, hands down. Unfortunately, the writers who vote for the Gold Glove, do not vote for the bestdefensiveplayer in baseball, as it should be, but the bestoverall(fielding and hitting: OBP, SLG, AVG) player in baseball at their respective positions.

This would explain why Castillo was never awarded a Gold Glove while with the Twins, despite being the best defensive second baseman in the american league. This would explain why Morneau has not won a Gold Glove, though he has won silver sluggers and an MVP award. This would explain why Mauer lost out on the Gold Glove for Pudge Rodriguez, despite Mauer being the better defender.

The Gold Glove voting, like voting for most awards in sports, is sugarcoated with bias. This is unfortunate, especially in the face of such a great campaign like Crede’s at 3B this season.

Give Crede the Gold Glove is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za