Josh Hamilton may have lifted the spirits of the bored, home run-hungry 2008 All-Star crowd with his long home runs, but the real story was the disastrous debut of what would have been the oldest rookie pitcher 71-year-old Clay Council.
The story of Albert Belle can be summed up in one word: controversy. His talent on the field was matched by very few, and his propensity to deal with the media the way he did, made national headlines.
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By Christopher Reina
At RealGM, we use the Field Impact Counter (FIC) to objectively measure how effective players are performing and then use the Reina Value to evaluate their financial worth.
The player with the highest FIC for the season, therefore, ‘deserves’ the highest salary, which is Alex Rodriguez’s $28 million contract for 2008. The player with the 10th highest FIC 'deserves' Carlos Zambrano's $16 million salary.
Pujols recently got his 100th RBI, making it the eight consecutive season (every season of his career) he has hit over .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs.
2. CC Sabathia, MIL: 307 (+113%)
The Cubs have become the only gambit in the National League Sabathia cannot master, giving up seven earned runs in 13+ innings.
3. Cliff Lee, CLE: 290 (+440%)
Lee has given up three runs and four runs in his past two starts, the first time this year he has given up three or more in two consecutive starts.
4. Roy Halladay, TOR: 286 (+99%)
Halladay is one complete game away from matching his career high of nine that he set in 2003.
5. Tim Lincecum, SFG: 285 (+4,498%)
Lincecum's ERA has dropped 17 points in his last two starts, down now to 2.43.
6. Lance Berkman, HOU: 284 (+18%)
The Astros have lost four in a row, and it has come at a time where Berkman is on an 0-for-17 slump.
7. Dustin Pedroia, BOS: 268 (+3,616%)
Jimmy Rolins won the NL MVP last season with an .875 OPS, so can voters look past Pedroia's .872?
8. Carlos Beltran, NYM: 261 (+78%)
Beltran is hitting .373 with five homers in September.
9. Mark Teixeira, LAA: 259 (+32%)
Teixeira's OPS is 167 points higher with the Angels than it was with the Braves.
10. Justin Morneau, MIN: 258 (90%)
Morneau is 4-for-18 during the Twins' current four-game losing streak.
11. Francisco Rodriguez, LAA: 256 (+60%)
Since becoming the Angels' full time closer, Rodriguez has averaged 47.5 saves per season.
12. Nate McLouth, PIT: 256 (+3,660%)
McLouth was an early fixture on this list early in the season, and it's nice to see him back with a September in which he is hitting .380/448/.700.
13. David Wright, NYM: 255 (+190%)
Wright is one for his last 13 since he hit two homers against the Braves on Sunday.
14. Brandon Webb, ARI: 255 (+190%)
Since those two rough Dodgers' starts and the Padres one that preceded it, he went eight scoreless innings against the Reds and gave up just two in seven against the Giants.
15. Matt Holliday, COL: 254 (+66%)
The Rockies have lost nine out of the last 11 games in which Holliday has appeared, and he has a .693 OPS for the month.
