OK. We all know that "Rookie of the Year" is a fairly overrated and ultimately forgotten baseball award. I mean, seriously: who the hell remembers that Ron Kittle and Pat Listach won it, and who realistically cares? That being said, this week's recent American League Rookie Of the Year Award voting deserves a little editorial commentary.
This year, the award came down to two basic candidates: Hideki Matsui of the Yankees, and Angel Berroa of the Royals. Based on numbers and conistency alone, Hideki Matsui was the clear winner. However, Mr. Berroa beat him out by two votes. Why is this, you might ask? Therein lies the rub.
To understand the answer, one must know the following: Hideki Matsui was a professional baseball player in Japan for 9 years. He is a seasoned veteran who knows the game and has played for several championship teams. Because of this, many do not consider him to be a "rookie" in the true sense of the word. However, this is NOT how American Major League Baseball classifies him.
According to the rules that govern Major League Baseball, Hideki Matsui--and ANY foreign player that picks up a bat for the first time as an American team--is considered to be a rookie, by definition. Baseball purists can sit around and debate all day if the moniker of rookie is warranted on a "moral" level, but facts are facts: Hideki Matsui is indeed a rookie, according to the sport.
Now let's investigate the Rookie of the Year voting process a bit. The Rookie of the Year is voted on by a group of baseball writers, and is based on numerical acheivements in any of several accepted categories. Statistics and superior accomplishments are the determining factors in who is voted as Rookie of the Year. When these Baseball writers vote on Rookie of the Year, they are told explicitly who is to be considered a rookie, and who is not. They have no choice or ability to determine who is a rookie on their own--this decision is made for them. In other words, a group of players are set in front of the voters, and they all exist on equal ground--whether they agree or not.
With all of this in mind, two baseball writers took it upon themselves to change the rules of voting by personally deciding that Matsui is NOT rookie. They felt that a seasoned 9-year veteran of Japanese baseball is anything but. While this may be logically TRUE, again, this decision is NOT theirs to make. If they are TOLD Matsui is a rookie, then he is a rookie, and he is to be judged as such. Unfortuneately, these two writers felt they could serve baseball better by working around the system, and not within it.
What makes this so frustrating is that a precedent was set years ago regarding rookies who "weren't really rookies" winning this award. Ichiro Suzuki, a Japanese import won the award several years ago. So too did Kazahiro Sazaki. In fact, the award was created in honor of Jackie Robinson, who won it after playing years in the Negro Leagues. To put it bluntly, the precendent for Matsui's winning this award was clearly there, whether you agree with it or not. So why didn't he win it?
It's no secret that every market in baseball basically hates the Yankees. Yours truly wouldn't be surprised to find out that the above mentioned writers had a bit of a vendetta against the Bronx bombers, and wanted to give them a little hit. Would it shock you to know that the two writers in question were from Boston and Minnesota? Should it? They were.
Now before you think I'm chalking this up to a conspiracy, cool your jets. I'm willing to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume that they did this to send a message to baseball: Veteran players from other countries should not be considered rookies. I heartily agree! However, stealing an award from a player who deserves it is NOT the way to send the message. Change the rules that determine the winner, but OBEY THE RULES wihile they are in effect. I don't think Matsui is a rookie either--but if my job is to consider him as such, and I'm a baseball writer/voter, I'm going to hold him on the same level as any other rookie in baseball.
Imagine for a second if voters in other scenarios didn't follow the regulations of voting... From local towns all the way up to Congress, this would not be tolerated. However for some reason, baseball--a sport governed by rules that havent changed in eons--seems satisfied with this development.
Congratulations, Mr. Berroa. Here's hoping you don't end up as another Ron Kittle.
