2009 Astrology Awards Recap
View the 2009 FABL Lineups Here!
However you designate decades, it’s indisputable that 2009 was the last year with the two-zero-zero before a number. I’m counting it as the end of a decade, as measured in Fantasy Astrology Baseball League terms – of the BEGINNING of a decade, when you’re going reverse-chronologically. Despite this designation, I’m going to keep my graphic going, so this is every year from 2009 thru 2019.
Apparently no one told Libra about the change in decade, because their three-year run at the top of FABL’s fantasy point leaderboard has now spanned from 2009 to 2011. That crosses the decade line no matter how you cut it, which is one reason why it’s not ideal to divide groups of seasons into artificial constructs such as “decades,” but it’s the best we’ve got so far. The 2009 Scales were led by Positive Polarity Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke (2,746 / 83.2), who also won the American League CYA with the Royals, his original team. Sticking with the PP, the #2 pitcher was Felix Hernandez (2,711 / 79.7), and #3 was Tim Lincecum (2,708 / 84.6) who won the NL CYA with the Giants.
The top pitcher in the Negative Polarity was Justin Verlander (2,512 / 71.8), making it his FIFTH NP CYA win in the last 12 years. But perhaps more impressively, a Pisces pitcher has won the award NINE times – it’s like the Fish can’t lose! And before you say this is just a coincidence that Verlander and Clayton Kershaw share the same sign, how do you account for Jake Arrieta in 2015? Call me crazy, but this seems like a general astrology trend to me. It is worth noting, however, that Virgo Adam Wainwright (2,491 / 73.3) and Taurus Roy Halladay (2,484 / 77.6) were VERY close behind Verlander in ‘09.
I started this post with pitchers, just because I was talking about Libra, but the overall fantasy point leader in 2009 was Albert Pujols (3,204 / 20.0) – a title he would nearly defend the following year, where he finished less than 50 points behind Halladay. The Capricorn first baseman led the National League in homers, runs, and OPS, on the way to his second consecutive NL MVP award. #2 overall was another first baseman, and a sign-mate of Halladay: Prince Fielder (2,783 / 17.2), who led the NL in RBI. First basemen continue their offensive dominance, as Aries Mark Teixeira (2,563 / 16.4) wins the MVP in the PP, but in terms of points, he was behind two Scorpio Ryans – Braun (2,673 / 16.9) and Howard (2,660 / 16.6).
In somewhat of a spoiler alert, we’re about to see Sagittarius start to dominate the Positive relief pitching ranks, thanks to a legendary closer named Mariano Rivera (2,146 / 32.5). Mo actually finished third overall amongst relievers in ’09, behind, Gemini Jonathan Broxton (2,157 / 29.5) and the PP Reliable Reliever Joe Nathan (2,257 / 32.2) – although perhaps the name I chose for the award doesn’t quite apply, since injuries wiped out Nathan’s entire 2010 and most of 2011. The Negative Polarity winner of the award is yet another Pisces Brian Wilson (1,879 / 27.6). 2009 would be the first of two years at the top of NP relievers for The Beard, which itself was part of a four-year stretch of Pisces winners. Starters or relievers, the Fish can Pitch!
The Positive Polarity Rookie of the Year is another relief pitcher: Gemini Andrew Bailey (1,903 / 28.0), who also won the American League version of the award while pitching for Oakland. Bailey beats out the incomparable Andrew McCutchen (1,625 / 15.0), baseball’s best ever Andrew, and sign-mate Chris Coghlan (1,610 / 12.6), who’s moonlighting as a center fielder in Gemini’s lineup. McCutchen’s Libra sign-mate J.A. Happ (1,582 / 45.2) also finished in front of the best Negative Polarity rookie: Elvis Andrus (1,446 / 10.0), who will be changing real-life teams in 2021 for the first time in his career, after a trade from the Rangers to the Athletics.
I know we’ve technically entered a new decade, however you slice it, but in the next post, I’m going to indulge myself with one more look back at the previous ten-year time period, this time through the lens of real-life awards.