Clayton Kershaw Beats out Roy Halladay for NL Cy Young Award

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Kershaw Beats out Halladay for NL Cy Young

The close vote that was expected for the National League Cy Young Award never happened as Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw easily outdistanced Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay. Kershaw received 27 of the 32 first-place votes while Halladay got only four first-place votes.

Kershaw becomes the first Los Angeles pitcher to win the Cy Young since Orel Hershiser in 1988 and the eighth Dodger in history to win the award. Kershaw received 207 points which was 74 more than Halladay received. The Phillies’ Cliff Lee finished third in the voting followed by Ian Kennedy of the Diamondbacks. Kershaw led the league in wins with 21, in ERA at 2.28 and in strikeouts with 248. It was a career-best year for Kershaw who started 33 games and pitched 233 1/3 innings. He had three complete games and two shutouts. He was virtually unbeatable in the second half of the season and routinely favored in MLB baseball betting. He went 12-1 with a 1.31 ERA in the second half of the season. Kershaw went up against former NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum four times and the Dodgers beat the Giants in all four of those games.

Triple Crown

Kershaw actually won the Triple Crown of pitching as he had the most wins, lowest ERA and most strikeouts. Never in the history of the Cy Young award has a pitcher not won the Cy Young when he led the league in the Triple Crown categories. Kershaw had a .808 winning percentage this season and since 1956 there have only been six other pitchers who had a winning percentage that high, as low an ERA and as many strikeouts. Kershaw was 21-5 this season and he did that for a Los Angeles team that was basically average as the Dodgers finished 82-79. If you take out Kershaw’s wins the Dodgers would have been awful in MLB baseball betting. And it is not like Kershaw got a lot of help from the Los Angeles offense as the Dodgers scored four runs or less in 11 of his 21 wins.

Historic

Kershaw is off to a historic start to his career. He is just 23 years old and already has 47 wins, a 2.88 ERA and 745 strikeouts. No pitcher in Major League history has ever had that many wins an ERA that low and averaged so many strikeouts at the age of 23.

NLDS Game 5: Chris Carpenter 1, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Let the keyword searches for "Shirtless Chris Carpenter" commence. (Thank you Nick Punto). It's amazing what seeing a man's abs can do for a girl...as if tossing a three-hit, complete game shutout to carry your team to the National League Championship Series in a must-win Game 5 isn't sexy enough.

Carpenter was out of control. Lights out. In command. Determined to pitch that entire game, and probably thrilled as hell that his teammates managed even one run off his offseason fishing buddy Roy Halladay.

David Freese Drives in Four Runs, Cardinals Force NLDS Game 5

It was the David Freese Show Wednesday night in St. Louis, with the third baseman hitting a home run and a double for a total of four RBI to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Phillies 5-3 and force a deciding Game 5 back in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.

After going 2-for-12 with just one RBI over the first three games of the series, Freese nailed a two-run double in the fourth inning before his two-run bomb to deep center in the sixth. Also, the hot corner had the the most awesome quote of the postseason so far:

"We're going to come to the yard and give it a hard nine."

Hell yeah buddy.

Lance Berkman, who's looking more and more like Fat Elvis these days -- especially when he runs, smoked a double in the first to score a run as well, before being allowed third base on a Shane Victorino throwing error.

Edwin Jackson was sucking it up early, but he recovered to win his very first playoff start ever. It was a momentous occasion for him. After serving up two longballs on his first five pitches, it was not looking good for the Cardinals starter, but he ended up tossing six solid innings, giving up just those two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

Then, in true Tony La Russa fashion, five relievers finished the game, with closer Jason Motte being the only one to pitch an entire inning all by himself.

Game 5 is Friday night at 8:37pm ET on TBS, featuring a rematch of Cy Young-winning aces Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter. This is going to be a great contest, and it's literally anyone's game. So don't miss it.

[Usa Today]

Roy Halladay is a Hot Mess

Roy Halladay left his team's 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs Monday evening in a dizzy, light-headed daze. Heat exhaustion.

I don't know about all you, but I've been holed up in the air conditioning of my home for the past few days. You honestly couldn't pay me to throw a heater... mainly because I live in Minnesota and I've been bred to withstand temperatures literally 130 degrees colder than this.

Unfortunately, Halladay is paid to throw heaters, so he didn't have much of a choice but to start Monday night in the 91 degree humid Chicago air. Yuck. He lasted until Starlin Castro led off the fifth inning with a single and was promptly replaced by Drew Carpenter.

It's all good though, since the Phillies' ace should be ready to go for his next start. Drink plenty of water Roy!

[Yahoo!]

Always Remember to Thank Your Backstop

Find out more about the Perfect Game Challenge by clicking here. But really, all you need to do is play MLB2k10 day and night to perfect your pitching repertoire, sleep in the Best Buy parking lot on March 7, begin playing the game immediately upon purchase, and be the first to toss a perfect game.

Boom. You're a millionaire.

If you're really hard up for a copy, you could always follow us on Twitter. We just so happen to be randomly dishing one out once we hit 3,000 followers.

Update: Congratulations to fellow baseball babe @BravesDiva on winning a spankin' new MLB2k11 for her xbox 360!

[MLB2k on Facebook]

Babes Love Baseball's Top 10 MLB Stories of 2010

It was a hell of a season. In case you've forgotten what was so great about it in the aftermath of yet another year when your team did not win the World Series, here is a list of the Top 10 things that we believe made the 2010 baseball season wonderful, memorable, and oftentimes hilarious. In no particular order.

10. Suffering from Over the Hill Syndrome, Ken Griffey Jr. nodded off in the clubhouse and slept right through a pinch hit appearance. A few weeks later, The Kid retired after 21 illustrious seasons in the game. [Not Now Kids, Grandpa's Trying to Nap]

9. The New York Yankees failed miserably at acquiring the studly Cliff Lee. High fives all around. [Cliff Lee Reunites with the Philadelphia Phillies]

Tonight's Badass NLCS Pitching Matchup

If you thought Tuesday night's pitching matchup between David Price and Cliff Lee in the deciding game 5 of the ALDS, in which the Texas Rangers emerged victorious over the Tampa Bay Rays, prepare to be dazzled by Game 1 of the NLCS. If you love pitching, this game is for you.

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum will take the hill at Citizen's Bank Park against Philadelphia Phillies gunslinger Roy Halladay at 7:30pm tonight.

Roy Halladay is a Beast

At 6:26 pm, Central time, I texted Sooze and said "Halladay has a fucking no-no going with 2 outs in the 8th. One walk. Holy Shit." (Yes, I'm a bit of a sailor when it comes to my vocabulary.) At 6:27 pm, Central time I thought to myself "Oh shit. I really hope I didn't just jinx Doc's no-no." Luckily for Doc, my bad luck with jinxing post-season games doesn't extend to the National League because at 6:43 I then texted Sooze again and said "OMFG he did it".

Halladay, who had a perfect game earlier this season, pitched the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history. Wow. This came as a welcome distraction to me while I'd been pacing back and forth waiting for the Twins/Yankees game to start. Doc also knocked in a run in the 4-0 victory over the Reds. NLDS MVP anyone? Finally escaping from Toronto this year, Doc gets to make his postseason hopes and dreams come true. It's about time.

Congratulations, Doc, on firmly cementing your place in postseason history. Your badassery knows no bounds.

Making Roy Halladay's Dreams Come True

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on clinching their fourth consecutive National League East division title.

Yep. They're the team to beat once again.

After winning it all in 2008 before losing the World Series the following year to the New York Yankees, the Phillies are ready to battle. With just five games left in the season and a 94-63 record, they've ensured home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and into the Big Show -- if they make it there -- since the NL won the All-Star game this year.

Roy Halladay Wins No. 20 for the Phillies

The face of a winner.

That Roy Halladay acquisition is looking better and better for the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

The right-hander won his 20th game of the season Tuesday with a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves to give the Phillies a five-game division lead over Atlanta and reduce their magic number to six. Even more impressive is the fact that Halladay became the team's first 20-game winner in 28 years.

Roy Halladay Is Perfect

Cliff who?

Roy Halladay has firmly cemented his place in badass hall of fame. In the Phillies 1-0 victory over the Marlins last night, he pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. This is the second perfect outing in the big leagues this season - nay, this MONTH! - after Dallas Braden did it on Mother's Day. Until now, there have never been two perfect games in a season.

Roy Halladay Will Sorta Miss Canada

Roy Halladay loved his (devastated) Blue Jays fans so much that he gave them a thank you card in the form of a full-page newspaper advertisement this Tuesday.

[warm fuzzies]

After 12 seasons with Toronto, the 2003 Cy Young Award Winner was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-team blockbuster last week. In the ad, Halladay said he felt "blessed" to have been an honorary Canadian since being drafted by the Jays in 1995.

"Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart. The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude."

In his career as a Blue Jay, Doc went 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA.

[ESPN] | [Mop Up Duty] | [NESN]

Roy Halladay FINALLY Going Somewhere

If there's one thing we dislike here at BLB, it's teams pussyfooting around. The Toronto Blue Jays have held Roy Halladay hostage for over an entire season, but it looks as though they're ready to ship him off to Philadelphia.

In what should go down as the biggest post-winter meetings blockbuster of the offseason, Halladay is likely to be traded to the Phillies in a three-team stunner... at the cost of lefty ace Cliff Lee and a few prospects.

Smokin' Hot Stove: Big Names Tossed Around

Some big names have been thrown out in the early winter meeting talks, but little has been seen to back up the smack.

Coveted 2003 Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is probably the biggest fish out there, while other names strung out on the trade market like Dan Uggla and Detroit Tigers teammates Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson provided little more than mullings.

A few minor deals were struck in Indianapolis Monday, with Brian Bruney heading to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named later along with Pudge Rodriguez, and Tigers lefty Clay Rapada being shipped off to Texas for a bag of cash and some guy they'll decide on in the future. The busy Motor City Kitties did agree to a $1.55 million, one-year deal with shortstop Adam Everett, though.

Free agent righty Brad Penny somehow reached a tentative agreement on a $7.5 million, one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, pending a passed physical. Hopefully he'll remember to zip his fly this time.

Of the 23 free agents offered arbitration by their former club last week, only three accepted by the midnight deadline: Minnesota Twins right-hander Carl Pavano, Atlanta Braves reliever Rafael Soriano, and Colorado Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt. Lots of work to be done there.

Stay tuned for more Hot Stove Goodness over the next four days!

[MLB.com] | [Hot Stove Blog] | [The Diamond Cutter]

Blah Blah Roy Halladay

We have a saying around here when stuff starts to get stale.

Blah, Blah, Blah.

Anyway, since Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi still hasn’t heard any tasty offers for staff ace Roy Halladay, he has set a July 28th deadline to complete a deal.

The 2003 Cy Young Award winner, who is signed through 2010 and has no-trade clause power at his fingertips, is 11-3 on the season with a 2.73 ERA and 113 strikeouts. Ricciardi won't let on as to exactly how many proposals he's received for Halladay, but he claims there's been "enough."

Doc pitched a six-hitter against the Boston Red Sox last Sunday, earning his first victory since June 7th. After landing on the disabled list shortly thereafter, he is 1-2 in four starts since returning to the hill on June 28th.

There's another old saying that comes to mind here as well.

Crap or get off the pot, Ruben. See ya Monday!

[MLB] | [Dueling Couches] | [The 700 Level] | [MLB Rumors]

Roy and Timmy: Your All-Star Hurlers

We're officially more than half-way through the 2009 baseball season, but the All-Star break is more or less considered the halfway point. Are you happy with where your team is sitting in its division standings? Washington Nationals fans, feel free to ignore that question. The rest of you have four days rest to ponder.

Anyway, your All-Star starters have been named, and there's no surprise there. San Francisco Giants phenom Tim Lincecum (10-2, 2.33 ERA) will take the hill Tuesday night for the National League while Toronto Blue Jays righty Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85 ERA) will start for the American League.

What Are The Chances of a Halladay Deal?

I'm gonna go with slim to none. Of course, Roy Halladay says he'd love to keep pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays... which he kind of has to say in order to avoid looking like a traitorous a-hole.

However, he also said he's willing to consider accepting a trade if the Jays approached him with a sweet-enough deal. He had this to say on the scenario:

"I want to stay, but I think it’s a situation you have to evaluate. I’m really not at that situation just yet. If something does come up, you weigh your options at that point. I hate to put the cart in front of the horse and start saying 'Do I want to do that?' I think you just evaluate the situations when they come."

Halladay Outpitched By Niemann In Return

Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, fresh off the disabled list, was out-dueled by a rookie Monday night in his first game back from resting his man-parts.

Tampa Bay Rays newbie Jeff Niemann (7-4, 3.95 ERA) tossed 7.1 solid innings for his third straight decision, allowing just one run on four hits, walking two and fanning one. That'll do.

One of only four 10-game winners in baseball so far this season, Halladay entered Monday night's game looking for his eighth straight winning decision, which already marked the longest streak in the majors. Instead, he lost for the first time since April 21st, giving the Blue Jays their third consecutive loss, 4-1.

Halladay Hits DL, Richmond Shines

Scott Richmond absolutely lit up the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.

The 29-year-old rookie struck out a career-high 11 over eight innings and got some hefty run support from his Toronto Blue Jays for a 7-1 win. Richmond surrendered just five hits and retired his last 13 batters, which is a nice turn-around after going 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA over his previous five starts.

Jays Totally Screwed Without Halladay

Roy Halladay left two pitches into the fourth inning in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Florida Marlins after apparently pulling a groin muscle. He attempted a warmup toss, but headed to the dugout anyway, marking the first time in 14 starts this season he's failed to pitch at least seven innings.

The initial findings were that the Toronto Blue Jays tall drink of water, having a Cy Youngish season at 10-1 with a 2.53 ERA, had "tweaked" a muscle in his right groin. He didn't report much pain, and is considered day-to-day at this point.

Hopefully for the Jays, he'll be alright. The team is 10-3 when Halladay is on the bump, while they sit at 24-25 when anyone else starts. Leading not only the American League, but all of baseball with 10 wins, the righty has won seven straight decisions and entered Friday having thrown back-to-back complete games. He also ranks first in innings with 103, and is in the top five in ERA, strikeouts, complete games and win percentage.

Skipper Cito Gaston will skip the 2003 Cy Young winner's regularly-scheduled start at Philadelphia this Thursday and hold onto him until Saturday at Washington, as long as he's better by then. Get well soon, Doc.

[Toronto Star] | [FanHouse] | [Knuckle Curve]