LVMVP! LVMVP! LVMVP!

Tonight Miguel Tejada failed in an attempt to extend his hitting streak to six games. In his previous five games the reigning AL MVP was batting .313. That sounds great, right?

Well after an 0-for-3 tonight, Tejada's batting average dipped to .176. It has been as low as .155 on April 25 and has not been over the Mendoza line of .200 since April 14.

What's more, even with five home runs, his slugging average sits at .308. It had been below .300 on April 25 and has not been over .400 since April 10.

His on-base percentage is .245, was as low as .218 on April 24, and has not been over .300 since April 10 (the only day this season it's been over .300).

His OPS (on-base plus slugging) is a miserable .554 and has not been over .600 since April 14.

For comparison's sake, Tejada did not have a day in 2002 on which his batting average was under .232, his OBP was under .250, his slugging average was under .350, or his OPS was under .600. His batting average is almost 90 points below his career average, his OBP is about 80 below, his slugging average is almost 150 points below, and his OPS, 225 points below his career average. Add to this the fact that he has made 8 errors in 31 games, which translates into slightly less than 42 over a full season, 16 more than he committed in his worst defensive season, his rookie one.

He's having a bad year, it would seem.

It got me to thinking if Tejada continues like this, however unlikely, would he be the LVMVP ever. LVMVP is something I just made up to stand for Least Valuable MVP, the player who plays the poorest while serving as the reigning MVP.

Let's take a look, shall we?

Here are the lowest batting averages for reigning MVPs:

BA	Player, Year
.207	Roy  Campanella, 1954
.213	Kirk  Gibson, 1989
.219	Roy  Campanella, 1956
.226	Jeff  Burroughs, 1975
.238	Roger  Peckinpaugh, 1926
.238	Johnny  Bench, 1971
.247	Robin  Yount, 1990
.248	Orlando  Cepeda, 1968
.249	Joe  Gordon, 1943
.249	Zoilo  Versalles, 1966
.250	Don  Baylor, 1980

It seems like a lot of middle infielders, catchers, and older players. Burroughs and Versalles are probably the two guys thought of as the worst (or best) LVMVPs. By the way, no one ever batted under .200.

Now, here are the men with OPS's under .700 as reigning MVPs:

OPS	Name, Year
.653	Zoilo  Versalles, 1966
.657	Don  Baylor, 1980
.659	Roger  Peckinpaugh, 1926
.670	Johnny  Evers, 1915
.676	Willie  McGee, 1986
.679	Kirk  Gibson,  1989
.680	Bob  O'Farrell, 1927
.685	Orlando  Cepeda, 1968
.686	Roy  Campanella, 1954
.687	Dick  Groat, 1961
.689	Cal  Ripken Jr., 1992
.696	Phil  Rizzuto, 1951
.699	Frankie  Frisch, 1932

There are a lot of the same suspects in that list. The new ones are of the same type: middle INFs, Cs, and aging stars.

Well, Tejada certainly is a middle infielder but the only such players who are a good match for him are Ripken, Versalles, and maybe Gordon (Yount was already a center fielder when he won his second MVP in 1989).

I hope that Tejada's career does not follow that group's: Versalles was washed up at 26 and Gordon and Ripken, though both have pretty good credentials for the Hall of Fame, had more down years than good ones after winning the MVP (i.e., Ripken's second MVP).

Versalles in 1965 led his team to a division championship. In two years he had been traded to the Dodgers, in four he had been drafted by the expansion Expos, and in five was playing in the Mexican League.

Tejada is only 26 (he'll turn 27 on the 25th), and should have plenty of great baseball left in him. But that's what everyone though about Zoilo Versalles in 1966.

[By the way, here are the LVMVP pitchers by ERA (note that Chandler only pitched one game that year):

ERA	Name, Year
4.50	Spud  Chandler, 1944
4.16	Dennis  Eckersley, 1993
4.09	Bobby  Shantz, 1953
4.05	Jim  Konstanty, 1951
3.53	Dazzy  Vance, 1925
3.49	Don  Newcombe, 1957

And wins:

W	Name, Year
0	Spud  Chandler, 1944
2	Dennis  Eckersley, 1993
4	Jim  Konstanty, 1951
5	Bobby  Shantz, 1953
5	Rollie  Fingers, 1982
6	Vida  Blue, 1972
8	Willie  Hernandez, 1985
11	Don  Newcombe, 1957]