MVP voting is always one of those things that no matter how the voting goes, people are going to be outraged over the way a someone voted. Bashing reporters for their voting choices has almost become a new sport, especially since the BBWAA chose to make all of the ballots public. One of the cardinal sins of voting, at least in the eyes of the fans, is for a writer not to give a first place vote for the best player on the local team. This is something Arizona Republic beat writer Nick Piecoro has been finding out the hard way after he had the audacity to vote for Andrew McCutchen over D'Backs slugger Paul Goldschmidt.
Piecoro, who is really one of the best beat guys there is, knew full well what he was getting himself into and laid out the logic for his vote and even addressed the controversy over making or not making a homer vote. Nonetheless, Piecoro is getting lambasted by Arizona fans. This much he expected. What he surely did not count on was that he would be taken to task in public by Arizona Senator John McCain.
Hard to believe anyone wouldn't vote for one of AZ's finest. @NickPiecoro: "Explaining my MVP ballot" http://t.co/o4UTV2zEuZ #Goldy #dbacks
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) November 15, 2013
It really shouldn't be that hard for Senator McCain to believe, because nobody gave Goldschmidt a first place vote. In fact, only two first place votes went to anyone other than McCutchen. Those were both votes for Yadier Molina and both cast by St. Louis Post Dispatch writers. Yes, they took the homer route that Piecoro declined to take and surely are basking in the adulation of their readers while Piecoro is busy fending off a potential hearing before the Senate.
It just goes to show that no matter how any writer votes, they just aren't going to please everyone. Even when they behave like Piecoro and shun personal biases in favor of a well-researched, contemplative choice, there will still be criticism lobbed at him from both the anonymous trolls and the famous ones.
As for McCain, he should take some solace that Piecoro at least gave Goldy the second place vote. It could have been worse, like maybe giving him a seventh place vote instead.
