Welcome to this week’s edition of Around the Horn where we will cover:
- The Woeful Royals
- Albert Pujols on the Decline?
- April Awards
Kaufman Stadium: A Great Spot to Catch Up on Your Reading
Everyone knows that the Kansas City Royals are bad this year, but even fans with premium tickets don’t want to watch them pump out loss after loss. Earlier in April, as the Royals were in the midst of a 10 game HOME losing streak, a fan seated behind home plate was spotted reading a book. He wasn’t reading a program, trying to learn the new player’s names. He wasn’t keeping a score book. No, he was reading a full-on novel while sitting in a seat that probably cost upwards of a couple hundred bucks. We can only hope that whatever fantasy world the author was creating with their pen and ink was enough to erase the real-life nightmare season that the Royals are putting together in 2012.
Prince Albert in a Can
The biggest blockbuster signing of the MLB offseason was the Anaheim Angels getting Pujols. The 10 year, $240 million contract is barely through its first month and already looks like the bust of the century. Through his 23 games played in April, Pujols has yet to smash a homer, has only driven in 4 RBI, and is hitting .217. Throughout his career, Pujols has averaged a home run ever 3.8 games and about ¾ of an RBI per game. Oh, and did we mention that he is a career .327 hitter?
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Maybe it is taking him some time to get used to American League Pitching. Maybe the pressure of the quarter billion dollar contract is starting to affect him. Maybe he is just in a bit of a funk and will bounce back with a season on par with what we’re used to. Or maybe he is a 32 year old first baseman who has lost a step, and will never be able to live up to a single dollar of his contract. What do you think?
April 2012 MLB Awards
National League MVP for April
Matt Kemp: No surprise here, just a guy who hit .417 with 12 home runs and 25 RBI’s. He is the driving force behind the Dodger’s success this month, leading them to a 16-7 record which is tops in the National League.
American League MVP for April
Josh Hamilton: He didn’t win this award by a landslide like Kemp did in the NL (mostly because David Ortiz actually had a higher OPS for the month), but given Hamilton’s ability to play a position as well as hit .395 with 9 homers and 25 RBI he came away as our winner in the American League.
National League Cy Young for April
Kyle Lohse: Nobody in the National League won more games while posting a more impressive ERA than Lohse. His four wins in April are tops in the majors, and his 1.62 ERA is the lowest of any starting pitcher with more than three wins (and that includes Roy Halladay).
American League Cy Young for April
Derek Lowe: It’s easy for Lowe to fly under the radar, especially because he plays in Cleveland. You can’t, however, ignore his four April wins, and his ERA of 2.27. The Indians went 11-9 during the month of April and even though Lowe pitches just once every 5 games, he accounted for more than a third of Cleveland’s wins.