A Grip on Sports: The A.L. MVP news was not surprising, being the numbers weren’t in Cal Raleigh’s favor even before the voting, but at least it’s in the past now

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Cal Raleigh didn’t win the American League Most Valuable Player award Thursday. Not that anyone with a sense of history expected it to happen. At least baseball had the courtesy to disappoint the Northwest before the weekend, clearing the decks for football and basketball.

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• If an email ever arrives in your in-box claiming to have proof there is no such thing as an Eastern bias in any aspect of American life, delete it. Immediately.

It is a scam.

Not when 80% of the country’s population lives in the Eastern or Central time zone. And 57% of the rest live in California. Not when an even higher percentage of media and political power exists within commuting distance of I-95. It may not be a conscious bias. But it is unavoidable.

Baseball reflects that. In the American League, 12 of 15 teams play in the two time zones. That, not coincidentally at all, happens to be 80% as well. And for the folks who follow those teams, it has always been easier to keep up with the clubs who don’t start their home games after 9 or 10 p.m. in Chicago or Boston.

When Ken Griffey Jr. won the MVP in 1997, he not only put up incredible numbers – .304 average, 56 home runs, 147 runs batted in and a baseball-leading WAR of 9.1 – he was coming off Nike’s “Griffey for President” advertising campaign of the previous year. It made him a national figure.

And Ichiro in 2001? His rookie year transcended world boundaries, let alone national ones. Heck, he was even better in 2004, when he broke an unbreakable record with 262 hits, but finished seventh in MVP voting. Think of that, the guy who led baseball in WAR that season finished behind six other players – five of them from teams east of the Mississippi and the winner, Vladimir Guerrero, playing in Southern California.

Raleigh was up against a stacked deck in many ways. It’s not just the Aaron Judge outpaced him in many offensive categories. That’s happened before when it came to A.L. MVP voting, and a catcher, playing the most-important defensive position on the field, was able to overcome it.

Of course, when Yogi Berra won in 1953, despite the Tigers’ Al Kaline having a huge edge statistically, or when Elston Howard won in 1963 over the Twins’ Bob Allison, or even when Thurman Munson outpaced George Brett in 1976, the winner wore pinstripes. Even in ancient history, that meant something, as it did Thursday.

And, like Raleigh, those three deserved the award not just because of what they did next to home plate, but behind it as well.

Anyone who purports to understand how hard it is to catch more than 1,000 innings in an MLB regular season, as Raleigh did, is lying. Unless they have done it. It’s unlike any other experience in baseball. Not just physically, which is about three times as hard as playing the outfield, but mentally as well. A catcher can’t spend even one second during opponents at bats thinking about their swing or what pitches they might see. Outfielders? Heck, Ted Williams was known to put his glove down between pitches and mimic his batting stroke.

That’s an extreme example but the mind wanders in the outfield. For most, it wanders towards their next at-bat.

Judge had an offensive season for the ages. Raleigh? He had one of the best overall seasons ever. Maybe if he wore pinstripes, it would have been enough.  

• That’s behind us now. What’s ahead on TV?

Tonight features a much-better-than-anyone-might-think college basketball game and a much-closer-than-anyone-might-think college football game.

The latter will happen in Eugene, where 7th-ranked Oregon – eighth in the CFP listings – host Minnesota (6, Fox). The Ducks, who face USC next week, are favored by more than three touchdowns but the Gophers are coming off a bye.

The former? It’s in Tempe, where No. 19 Gonzaga visits Arizona State (8, ESPN2). For all of the Zags’ vaunted nonconference matchups, this non-vaunted one – it probably isn’t a term but really should be – against an unranked for could prove to be as tough as any. OK, maybe not as tough as No. 8 Alabama or No. 9 Kentucky or even 15th-ranked UCLA, but right up there.

Recently, the Sun Devils, fueled by their 14,000-plus fans, have played one home game every season in which they perform out of their minds. Ask Arizona. If it is tonight, watch out.

There is also the once-fierce rivalry game on the Palouse, pitting David Riley’s team vs. the visitors from Washington (8, ESPN+). With the breakup of the Pac-12, this one just does not seem to carry the same weight it once did.

For mid-November, Saturday’s football schedule seems a little light. Ninth-ranked Notre Dame at No. 23 Pittsburgh (9 a.m., ABC), maybe? If the Panthers give a better effort than coach Pat Narduzzi seemed to indicate earlier in the week they would. No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama (12:30 p.m., ABC)? Revenge factor might be big for the Tide. Texas at Georgia (4:30, ABC)? It is the SEC. The team that picks up the loss, even if it is the Longhorns’ third, isn’t out of the CFP picture. Louisiana Tech at Washington State (7, The CW)? It seems to be a must-win game for the Cougars’ bowl eligibility hopes, considering they need two wins a road trip to 8-1 James Madison, ranked 24th, looms next week before the finale at home vs. Oregon State.

The best basketball games that day? The men feature No. 7 BYU playing third-ranked UConn in Boston (4 p.m., Fox). But it’s the women’s game that follows, second-ranked South Carolina vs. Jazzy Davidson-led USC (6, Fox), ranked eighth, that interests us more.

Sunday is all about one NFL game. One game that overpowers the top men’s college hoop matchup, top-ranked Houston at No. 22 Auburn (noon, ESPN) or the area’s top women’s matchup, Stanford at Gonzaga (2 p.m., SWX).

It is the 7-2 Seahawks at the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams (1:05, Fox). The battle for the top spot in the NFC West. The favorite’s role – for a week at least – for the NFC’s Super Bowl berth. The answer to the question of whether Mike Macdonald can solve the Sean McVay problem the Hawks have.

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WSU: We shared our thoughts on the way Washington State president Elizabeth Cantwell dumped athletic director Anne McCoy yesterday. And Jon Wilner did as well. But that’s behind us. Ahead? Greg Woods throws out some names of people who might be the next A.D. As we said yesterday, Cantwell more than likely already has one in mind. If not, then why not? … In advance of Saturday night’s home game, Greg hands out kudos to the Cougar secondary. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Wilner has his weekly picks in the Mercury News. We can pass along others as well. … John Canzano has a look at the conference’s media rights deals. … It seems Michigan and the Big Ten are fighting again. This time over money. … Colorado needs a new athletic director as well. Rick George is leaving that post at the end of the academic year.

• Here are the rest of the (current, old and future) Pac-12 games this week, with the latest Associated Press rankings and listed chronologically. All are on Saturday unless noted. The schedule below also includes any game in which finding news turned out to be nearly impossible.

– Minnesota at No. 7 Oregon (tonight, 6 p.m., Fox): It sure seems as if this is a bit of a trap game for the Ducks. And, with USC visiting next week, for the fans as well. 

– Arizona at Cincinnati (9 a.m., FS1): Here are six players to watch.

– Oregon State at Tulsa (10, ESPN+): Here is another name to consider for the open head coaching position. Ed Orgeron. I wonder if the Beavers would have to hire an interpreter for his media hits? … The Beavers season is winding down.

– West Virginia at Arizona State (10, TNT): With the injuries the Sun Devils have, winning this one would be an upset.

– Colorado State at New Mexico (Noon, Mountain West): The way the Lobos have been playing, this game should not be close. And that is before figuring in the issues the Rams face.

– Iowa at No. 17 USC (12:30 p.m., Fox): The Trojan offensive line has become the steadiest group on the team.

– Texas State at Southern Mississippi (12:30, ESPN+): The Bobcats have a vulnerable secondary it must protect.

– No. 15 Utah at Baylor (4, ESPN2): Former WSU running back Wayshawn Parker is finally hitting his stride for the Utes.

– Purdue at Washington (4, FS1): Even in these changing times for college sports, playing for the family’s legacy school is a big deal. At least it is for one Husky. … Special teams still matter too.

– Utah State at UNLV (4, CBS Sports): The road has been challenging all season for the Aggies.

– UCLA at No. 1 Ohio State (4:30, NBC): If the Bruins win, give Tim Skipper the job permanently.

– Boise State at San Diego State (7:30, CBS Sports): For the Broncos to come out on top against the Aztecs’ tough defense, they will have to run the ball more often. 

– Wyoming at Fresno State (7:30, FS1): At least it will not be hard for Bulldog fans to watch this week.

• In basketball news, Providence is facing the Colorado men tonight. … California came up short last night. … UCLA and Arizona will battle this weekend. 

Gonzaga: The Zag women opened with two road games. Returned home last night and welcomed in Colorado State, soon to be a Pac-12 foe. Built a six-point lead headed into the final quarter. And lost 70-66. Greg Lee was in McCarthey and explains how it happened. … Colin Mulvany has a photo gallery as well.  … The roster for the men includes one player who was a crowd favorite in Tempe as recently as nine months ago. Adam Miller gave everything he had for the Sun Devils – ASU coach Bobby Hurley said that, not me – before deciding to move north for this winter. Theo touches on what the game means to Miller in this story. … Theo also has his key matchup, focused on a familiar face wearing a different jersey. … Theo also has a story on two players on opposite of this one with a history that transcends such meaningless boundaries. And national ones too. … Recent signee Luca Foster was named to the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year watch list Thursday. Theo has that story as well. 

EWU: Northern Colorado coach Ed Lamb admitted something this week most college football coaches would never admit. His team’s confidence is broken, done in by a 55-7 loss to Montana State a couple weeks ago. He’s acknowledging it in hopes of fixing it. A win Saturday (1 p.m., SWX) at Roos Field would help the Bears in that process. Dan Thompson has more in this preview. …The Eagle women fell to Southern Utah 74-68 at home last night in what will be a conference battle next season. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the college football journey has not been easy for one Montana State player. … Northern Arizona holds its final home game of the season, hosting Cal Poly. … In basketball news, the Idaho State women shut down UC Irvine in a 61-49 victory. … Montana is adding a club sport. Flag football for women.

Idaho: The 4-6 Vandals have no chance of playing in the FCS playoffs. But this week’s road opponent, Sacramento State (6-4, 4-2 in conference), still has slim hopes left. That’s why Peter Harriman labels the game as a chance for UI to play spoiler.

Whitworth: The last regular season home game for any athlete is tough. And memorable. For Luis Salgado, Saturday’s game with Puget Sound is the last chance to add to his career total of more than 3,000 rushing yards. Ethan Myers has more in this story. … The Pirate men hosted Bethany on Thursday and rolled to a 94-72 victory.   

Preps: Northwest Christian finished off another State-title winning season by stopping Freeman in the 2B volleyball championship match in Yakima. The Crusaders added the volleyball crown to the girls’ basketball one earned last March. … There is a special cross country race Saturday out at the Polo Grounds. Greg Lee has a preview of the Nike Cross Regional. … Former Central Valley High star Dylan Darling has been nursing an injury recently for St. John’s.

Mariners: We linked above the story about Raleigh’s MVP finish. We also do it here. … We can also pass along this story about how and why two writers from The Athletic voted. They split their votes. … The two Seattle Times writers, Ryan Divish and Tim Booth, did not. … There is other coverage as well. … M’s general manager Justin Hollander has a priority. Keep as much of last season’s team together as is possible. … Raleigh will be one of Team USA’s anchors in the World Baseball Classic next spring. … He was named All-MLB yesterday. As was Julio Rodriguez.

Seahawks: Due to an injury, a backup offensive lineman is getting another chance to start. … The Rams are favored by three points. Is that enough for going with the Hawks in L.A.? It is the best game on the NFL schedule this week. … Cliff Avril won a Super Bowl with Seattle. He also lost 16 games with the Lions. He wants us all to understand the difference.

Sounders: The MLS voted Thursday to change when it holds its season. The league will move to a more-winter-centric one in 2027. That joins the rest of the major soccer leagues in the world. And may add in a few weather-related hiccups for some northern franchises.

Kraken: Seattle shook up its lines. It needed more offense. It worked Thursday, with a 5-3 win over visiting Winnipeg.

Bloomsday: When we see Nina Culver’s stories on perennial racers, we pass them along. We do that today.

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• As far as I’m concerned, there is only one can’t-miss contest on the schedule this weekend. The Hawks game. And, ironically, due to other commitments, I’m going to miss a lot of it. Until later …