Worse Things Have Happ-ened

I’d like to provide you with some in depth analysis on who is going to take that NL Rookie of the Year top spot, and why or why not it’ll be the Phillies’ own phenom J.A. Happ, but I was up all night watching “I Survived…” on Hulu, which, if you haven’t seen it, is a show that reminds you that terrible things will happen, to you, anywhere, at any moment, all the time.  Always.

At this point, I’m less worried about Happ not getting ROY than I am about him getting stranded on an outcropping of rocks in the middle of the ocean or kidnapped and left in a field.

Does Happ deserve the Rookie of the Year?  Yeah, sure.

The guy had to pitch in some pretty intense games that would have had a lesser first-timer grinding their teeth into dust.  He came out all right, Exhibit A being his stats on the year.

He pitched 166 innings, with 119 K’s and, my personal favorite, three complete games. There are plenty (PLENTY) of seasoned vets in the league right now who aren’t putting up those numbers, and some of them are on the Phillies pitching staff (Hey, Cole.  What’s up.  Just insulting you on my blog).

Though I guess we’re only supposed to compare him to other rookies, and in the ERA department (2.93 for Happ), Tommy Hanson’s got him beat (2.89).  And some of those offensive nightmares high in the balloting are too ridiculous to ignore.

But what’s going to cost him is that stretch on the DL.  If they’re going to give it to a pitcher, it’s not going to be a guy who had a chunk of time off.  Not that this discredits Happ as a pitcher overall (Did I even really need to say that?  No), but you’ve got to figure that Tommy Hanson was putting together a jaw-dropping season down in Georgia without getting hurt, so, you know.

Do the math.

But, after considering the math, we can see that The Sporting News and the MLB Players Choice committee (AKA, the other players) already saw what Happ has done in 2009 and given him their own Rookie of the Year Award.

Damn, you know, sometimes it just feels like these guys don’t read this site.

I’d like to give Andrew McCutchen some attention, but I think he’s getting all the support he needs over at Rum Bunter.

Good luck, J.A.  And may all the quick sand and snake bites of the world avoid you.