[howard38]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Kiner hit .310 with 54 home runs and 127 RBI. He also walked 117 times, had a .658 SLG, a 1.089 OPS, and an OPS + of 186. He led the NL in HR, RBI, walks, SLG, OPS, OPS +.

Robinson led the NL in batting at .342 and in stolen bases with 37. He only scored 6 more runs than Kiner.

Musial hit .338 with 36 home runs and 123 RBI. He led the NL with 207 hits, 41 doubles, 13 triples, a .438 OBP and 382 total bases. He scored 128 runs, more than Robinson.

Robinson was the best player in the National League? Not in my opinion.

The Dodgers had Campanella, Hodges, Snider and Furillo, and the Dodgers won the pennant. That's why Robinson won the MVP.

I challenge you to name a single player on the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949 besides Kiner without looking. That's why he finished fourth in the MVP vote.

Same thing with the Cardinals. Name another player on the Cardinals in 1949. You might get a lucky guess. I will tell you this. After Musial's 36 home runs, the second highest home run total on the team was 13.

What's my point? Musial and Kiner carried their teams. Robinson didn't have to.

I will grant you that had Musial had teammates as good as Robinson's the Cards would have won the pennant and Musial probably would have been the MVP. I'm not arguing that Robinson was necessarily better that year just that there is a defendable case that he was. Robinson was a better baserunner and more valuable fielder than Musial and much better in both cases than Kiner and there are sabermetric stats that support him being the best in the league in 1949. The fact of the matter is that Robinson was the best player on a team that won the pennant by a single game and as such he did not need a "surge of emotion" to win the MVP award.

I too am enjoying the debate. Keep 'em coming.

Btw, w/o checking I knew that Musial's teammates were not bad. Two of the other seven starting position players were hall of famers in their prime, Enos Slaughter and Al Schoendienst.