<p>The lines of argument over the 2013 American League Most Valuable Player Award are already forming. They are looking altogether too much like last year's.</p><p>Do we have to do this twice? Wasn't one conventional stats (Miguel Cabrera) vs. advanced metrics (Mike Trout) enough?</p><p>Yes, it was. Actually, it was already one too many.</p><p>The Spanish philosopher George Santayana once wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This passage has often been misquoted to read "history" rather than "the past." But the real issue here is that Santayana clearly would be a Miggy voter, especially this year.</p><p><a href="http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130719&content_id=54047008&vkey=news_det&c_id=det">Keep reading...</a></p>