Now that Miguel Cabrera has secured the first Triple Crown in 45 years, we can say two things.

First, fun as it was, it’s over. It’s World Series or GTFO now.

Second, and less important, Cabrera deserves the American League MVP award.

Angels’ rookie centerfielder Mike Trout has had a fantastic season. MVP voters can’t be faulted for choosing Trout, but if *I* had an MVP vote, I would cast *my* MVP vote for Cabrera.

Trout’s case is based on his remarkable 10.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Troglodyte pundits have wasted barrels of ink arguing against Trout’s MVP candidacy because they refuse to understand more sophisticated sabermetric stats like WAR. Those guys are morons.

The theoretical replacement player is a triple-A lifer, i.e. Crash Davis, and a team of those guys would be expected to win about 50 games playing a big league schedule.

The 2012 Tigers position players collectively racked up an 14.5 win above replacement and it’s pitchers earned 22.4 wins above replacement. If WAR is accurate, this team should have 87 wins. They actually won 88 games.

In other words, those fogies droning on about how “in my day we had RBIs and a slice of pie cost a nickel” need a ride to the glue factory. Their ignorance, however, shouldn’t diminish Cabrera’s case for the MVP.

Cabrera’s value to his team is not only expressed by his 6.9 WAR, or his Major League best 1.002 OPS, but also by his move to third base.

If you recall, Prince Fielder didn’t want to sign with a club looking for a full-time DH. He wanted to play first base, and that meant shifting Cabrera back to third.

Cabrera is no one’s idea of a Gold Glover, but he slimmed down over the off-season, relearned the position, and wasn’t the defensive liability many expected. On it’s own, “not a defensive liability” isn’t the stuff of MVP candidates, but Cabrera's move to third allowed the other pieces to come together for this club.

Fielder hit 30 home runs, drove in 108 RBIs, and batted .312 with a .410 OBP and .528 SLG, all of which added up to 4.4 wins above replacement. And with both Cabrera and Fielder in the infield, defensive liability Delmon Young was able to DH. He saw mercifully little time in left.

Not to go off on a rant, but if Young makes the 2013 roster, they shouldn’t even issue him a cap. Or let him to bring his glove to the ballpark.

Anyway, it’s also worth noting the Tigers’ other options at third base were grim. Brandon Inge (0.3 WAR—if you combine his Detroit and Oakland stats)? Don Kelly (-0.9 WAR)? Ramon Santiago (-0.8 WAR) with Ryan Raburn (-2.0 WAR) full time at second until they land Infante? You might as well re-activate Tom Brookens, for all that it would matter.

Had Cabrera stayed at first base and had Prince Fielder signed elsewhere, this team doesn’t make the playoffs. If you accept WAR's validity, that’s a quantifiable fact. Replace Fielder in the line-up with the theoretical replacement player and, other things equal, they probably finish a game or two behind Chicago.

Sports fans love to invent fictions about leadership, clubhouse guys, and blah blah blah. So and So may only hit .235 and he may not have any range, but he’s a gamer! Well, here’s an actual situation where a player sacrificed for the good of the team. And it created actual value for Cabrera’s club. 

Also, you know, he kind of won the freaking Triple Crown.