Ray Ratto thinks Barry Bonds is Boring.

The argument is a bit incoherent, but he seems to think Bonds is not the NL MVP because ....

1. Walks are boring.
   
2. He doesn't play for the Cardinals.

Apparently in an attempt to further convince the world that he's an idiot, Ratto also comes up with this pearl of wisdom a year after ARod won the MVP for a last-place team:

"This association with the best team is typically, and rightfully, very helpful to MVP candidates, because value is defined by what you do to make your team as good as it can be, and there isn't a lot of head room between where the Cardinals are and how much they can improve. That's why Todd Helton hasn't gotten any MVP trophies yet."

First of all, it's kind of obvious that Bonds helps make the San Francisco Giants baseball club "as good as it can be." Just look at the rest of the team full of mediocre players. The Giants have no business leading the league in runs and challenging for a playoff spot. It's all Bonds.

Ratto's argument collapses upon itself because the Giants score as many runs as the Cardinals without Edmonds, Pujols, Rolen. Just Bonds. That's Value and it is easily measured.

Secondly, I love his Helton take. I just mentioned this yesterday in passing. Helton is not winning MVPs largely because of Coors Field, and rightfully so.

You have to look at Home/Away splits when you're talking about Rockies players.

This year, Helton is .314, 10 hrs, 28 rbis on the road. Nice player, but hardly an MVP candidate. Same goes for his entire career.

Everybody knows this, Ray Ratto must know this. Maybe Ratto's just being silly.

For his entire career, Helton is .375, 152 hr, 501 rbis at home and .296, 95 hrs, 315 rbis on the road.

The Coors Effect is so well-known and striking, it's hardly worth discussing, but for more proof please check out the following Rockies players who also never won MVPs: Jay Payton and Vinny Castilla.