Discussion of this on Mike & Mike this morning...Does Alex Rodriguez deserve consideration as the AL Comeback Player of the Year? Would you vote for him if he was deserving or would his past transgressions keep you from voting for him even if he was the most deserving?

 

Hitting .277 his highest average since 2009 when he was 33yo

Has 23 HR and projects to close to 40 for the season, which would be the most for him since 2007 when he hit 54

Has an OPS of .914 his highest since 2007

And he will approach 100 RBIs for the season.

Interesting debate this morning.

 

Is a "comeback from self-imposed stupidity" vote-worthy? The majority weighing in seemed to be saying no.

No.

Didn't Jason Giambi get the award for similar reasons or do I have that screwed up?

 

I have no issue with him winning it if he has a better season than all others in consideration.

Yes he was suspended last year. Yes, it was totally his fault he didn't play. But what he has done so far this year, is really pretty unbelievable. I have no issues with him winning the award.

Didn't Jason Giambi get the award for similar reasons or do I have that screwed up?

 

I have no issue with him winning it if he has a better season than all others in consideration.

 

Giambi wasn't suspended the year prior to winning. He had a variety of ailments and had undergone knee surgery in the previous offseason, and only played about half the season prior to his comeback player of the year award season. Nothing related to steroids.

Giambi wasn't suspended the year prior to winning. He had a variety of ailments and had undergone knee surgery in the previous offseason, and only played about half the season prior to his comeback player of the year award season. Nothing related to steroids.

 

Correct! However, he admitted to use of steroids then won the award if memory serves. I am not sure they had the comprehensive testing and suspension program that they do when he came clean. He was just named in the BALCO fiasco. Point being he had the steroid cloud hanging over him when he won. ARod has a tornado over him :lol2:

 

The award doesn't specify what you have to come back from. If you are grading it on a curve, given the goof ball that he is, pressure applied to himself, and not playing for over a year, ARod's "comeback" is the most impressive, imo. The award is very subjective. I tend to look at what my expectations are for a player compared to the season that they have when evaluating the award. I felt ARod would hang around the tail end of the batting order and be benched.

Didn't ARod miss quite a bit of time due to injury before being suspended also...look at his stats this years versus the 3 or 4 previous seasons, definitely a rebound season for him.

Didn't ARod miss quite a bit of time due to injury before being suspended also...look at his stats this years versus the 3 or 4 previous seasons, definitely a rebound season for him.

 

Yes. Only ARod could do something this goofy. Easily one of the top 10 most awkward athletes of all time.

I don't think anyone who is coming back from a suspension should win this award. I don't think that is what it was created for.

I don't think anyone who is coming back from a suspension should win this award. I don't think that is what it was created for.

Look at it as coming back from an injury 2 years ago, wasn't he injured first?

What did Casey McGehee comeback from last year, besides Japan and the minor leagues...he wasn't coming off of an injury was he?

Yes and a first ballot Hall of Famer

100% yes.

Having a great season after not performing well before the suspension. I say it's ok.