Media salute ‘father’ of baseball cards

MEDIA
Baseball card pioneer Sy Berger died Sunday, Dec. 14, at the age of 91, prompting a multitude of media stories about the man who, as the New York Times stated in its obituary headline: “turned baseball heroes into brilliant rectangles.”

The New York Times’ obit delves briefly into Berger’s life and career, from collecting cards as a kid to his rise to Topps vice president to dumping dozens of unsold 1952 Topps cases  - yes, including the now treasured ’52 Mickey Mantle card – into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Times article also quotes Berger from an interview he conducted with SABR in 2004.

Tyler Kepner also penned a must-read piece for the NY Times saluting Berger.

In its own tribute, Forbes.com wrote “10 Business Lessons to Follow from Baseball Cards’ Father.” Berger also was recognized by People.com, and the Los Angeles Times, which led its article with the Atlantic Ocean anecdote.

On the broadcast side, ESPN’s Keith Olbermann, fittingly donning a bubble gum-colored suit jacket, beautifully eulogized Berger as only Keith can.

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Nate's Take on the AL MVP Race

I can't imagine what the political junkies are thinking today.

Baseball talk on the FiveThirtyEight blog?

Blasphemous!

If you have a few extra minutes today, check out Nate Silver's lengthy article on the New York Times' website – it's on the FiveThirtyEight politics blog – explaining why Mike Trout, not Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, should win this year's American League Most Valuable Player honor.

If you're familiar with his work, both in baseball and politics, it'll come as no surprise to you the "statistically-minded" Silver picks the Los Angeles Angels star.

Many of those supporting Cabrera point to his hitting numbers, a .330 average with 44 home runs and 139 RBI, but Silver looks at the all-around performance of each player, including their performances in the field and on the base paths.

"Between his defense and his base running, therefore, Trout was about 35 runs more valuable to the Angels than Cabrera was to the Tigers," Silver writes.

The article is a must-read if you're still on the fence between the two candidates.

And let's be honest, why try to argue with a guy who, through a ton of numbers crunching and analysis, correctly predicted the outcome of all 50 states in the presidential election?

The American League and National League MVPs, voted on at the end of the regular season by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced Thursday on a MLB Network hour-long special, which airs at 6 p.m.