2012 American League Batsmen of the Year

While it may seem a bit late to some, those who know the pains we at the Cheap Seats go through to check our figures will understand. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report in just a few weeks, we are announcing the final tabulations for our 2012 Batsmen of the Year.

Along with this week’s Hall of Fame announcement, The B.O.T.Y. will be the award an athlete can look back on and say………What???????????  6 of our 20 finalists from last year (and here) are on our list again with a repeat winner in the AL.

 

For those who don’t remember, we take all batting statistics of the top 5 players in each category and assign a value. The top 10 players are then ranked against each other. The results are an unbiased selection of the most feared players at the plate for an entire season.

Here are the National League Batsmen of the Year.

American League Batsman of the Year

 Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers - Batsman Score: 1012.05

Miggy repeats with a massive thrashing of the competition in 2012.

109 Runs

205 Hits

40 Doubles

44 Homers

139 RBI

66 Walks

.333 Average

.606 Slugging

.999 OPS

Losing Josh Hamilton

"The Rangers have done a lot for me, but I've got a question for y'all: Have I done a lot for the Rangers? I think I've given them everything I've had," Hamilton said. "I don't think anybody can say I haven't. When it comes down to it, people don't understand, fans don't understand, this is a business, this is an entertainment business."........ Josh Hamilton , Feb 24th/2012


"Things will have to play out. I truly think he would like to stay in Arlington, the Metroplex and be a member of the Texas Rangers. I think he's very comfortable and his family is very comfortable. We are certainly in hopes that we'll able to work a deal out with him. But I think [Hamilton and his agent] had the mindset they'll go through the season and see what happens and see what the market is for Josh Hamilton. It's hard to make any kind of prediction where that will go. I think it's probably pretty much where we are."....... Nolan Ryan, May 18th, 2012


"I've got faith in God and I trust God and I want to do his will more than mine. I don't necessarily want to do what's more comfortable for me or my family. If he asks us to leave and go somewhere else, it might not be comfortable. But you know what? That's going to bring me closer to him and make me have a better relationship with him"....... Josh Hamilton, when asked about Ryan's comments.

He may be the best baseball player I have ever seen. Mantle and Mays were on the back side of Hall of Fame careers when I was young. Barry Bonds has previously held that spot of honor in mind, but even pre-steroids, Hamilton has him beat as an all around player. Not since Nolan Ryan have the Rangers had a singular player that fans come specifically to see.

Baseball Bonding

In September of the 2009 baseball season my family was at a Rangers game, sitting about 20 rows up from the visiting team's dugout.  Chris Davis stepped to the plate and lined a foul ball over the netting into the row behind us, where a man about my age picked up the ball, walked down to us and handed the ball to my 2 year old son, Eli.  Everyone cheered and when I had the chance I walked down, shook the man's hand and gave a heartfelt thanks to him for what he did.  Eli didn't understand the significance, and today he still doesn't.  But one day he will know that he has something that some people have been trying 60 or more years to find: a foul ball from a Major League Baseball game.