My brother tells me David Ortiz will NEVER win the AL MVP award because he's a DH.
He gives it to Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez (known in these parts as "Slappy McBlueLips").
Besides me, all these folks (many of whom actually vote for the award) disagree:
Ray McNulty, Knoxville News Sentinal: (registration required; use bugmenot.com)
Saluting baseball's best
MVP: David Ortiz, Boston.
I know, he's a DH. And doesn't play defense. And his team didn't win its division. But nobody in baseball got more big hits this season, nobody was more valuable to his team, nobody is more deserving of this award.
Jeff Passan, The Kansas City Star: Red Sox’s David Ortiz the true AL MVP
Tom Hanson, Naples (FL) Daily News: Big Papi deserves MVP
Kevin Hench, FOXSports: Ortiz, not A-Rod, is the AL MVP
Jim Salisbury, Philadelphia Inquirer: Award voters face some tough calls
American League MVP. People like to point out that a designated hitter has never won the MVP, as if defense has carried a lot of weight with voters in recent years. (Witness Barry Bonds. He long ago stopped playing left field the way he once did, yet powered his way to the last four NL MVP awards.)
This might be the year that the prejudice against DHs ends. That's how big David Ortiz has come up for the Red Sox.
Alex Rodriguez has had a huge offensive season for the Yankees, and he has done it while playing brilliant third base. But Ortiz has become baseball's most intimidating hitter with the game on the line.
Take Thursday night, for example. Ortiz tied a game the Red Sox could not afford to lose with his 47th homer in the eighth, then won it with a single in the ninth.
Twenty of Ortiz's homers have tied games or put the Sox ahead. Of those 20, 10 have come from the seventh inning on, with eight of those after the all-star break.
Stats Inc. describes close-and-late situations as ones that occur from the seventh inning on, with the batting team ahead by a run or tied or the tying run on base, at bat or on deck. Ortiz leads the majors with 33 close-and-late RBIs. Rodriguez is not even in the top 50.
The picks: 1, Ortiz; 2, Rodriguez; 3. Travis Hafner, Cleveland.
Jack Todd, Montreal (Can.) Gazette: Gainey makes right call
Oh, yeah, AL MVP? Split it between Manny Ramirez and Papi Ortiz and tell Alex Rodriguez to shove it in his, uh, wallet.
Dennis Deitch, Delaware County Times (Philadelphia): In final voting, here are the award winners
[T]he Red Sox would have been nothing without Ortiz hammering his team through the pitching woes it had all season.
David Borges, Journal Register News Service: Big Papi is at his best when game is on the line
For reasons that extend far beyond the stat sheet and render his status as the Sox DH moot, Ortiz for MVP is a slam dunk - or, as David Wells puts it, "a no-brainer."
He is, as the plaque presented to him by owner John Henry a few weeks ago attested, the "Greatest Clutch Hitter in Red Sox History." He is the straw that stirs the drink in the middle of the Sox’ lineup, flip-flopped with Manny Ramirez from cleanup to the third hole back in May and putting up record-breaking numbers ever since.
He is a magnanimous figure in the Sox’ diverse clubhouse, a jovial presence who unites players from all backgrounds.
Alex Rodriguez might be baseball’s Player of the Year, if such an award existed. But he’s not even the MVP of his own team - that honor belongs to closer nonpareil Mariano Rivera.
David Ortiz is the American League’s MVP.
Salt Lake Tribune: [G]ive the MVP to David Ortiz, who produced a superhuman number of game-changing hits.
Dan Connolly, Baltimore Sun: In tight MVP races, go with your heart
David Ortiz, Boston. I've flip-flopped on this hair-puller three times now. New York's Alex Rodriguez has had the best all-around season -- he has even stolen 18 bases -- while Ortiz leads the league in RBI and dramatic moments. Ortiz probably is more important to his team than any other player in baseball, and that's the difference. However, A-Rod has helped carry the Yankees and he plays a great third base, while Ortiz, a designated hitter, sits throughout most games. That's a compelling argument, Yankee fans. But, simply put, the stats-driven mind says Rodriguez, and the unrelenting baseball heart screams for the never-give-up Ortiz.
David Del Grande, InsideBayArea.com: Ortiz has big edge as MVP in AL
Carl Steward, The Argus, CA:
-Forget the DH argument, there's absolutely no way David Ortiz isn't the AL MVP over Alex Rodriguez, regardless of how the weekend turns out between the Yanks and Sox.
Dave Roloff, OnMilwaukee.com: Roloff doles out baseball honors
Winner: David Ortiz -- despite my feeling about A-Rod dominating both sides of the game, nobody has been more clutch over the past months than Ortiz.
Bob Matthews, Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle: 'Big Papi' deserves MVP honors for sure
Ray Hamill, Eureka (CA) Times-Standard: A great time of the year
[G]ive David Ortiz a deserved MVP award over A-Rod.
And finally, from the home of the d**m Yankees:
Mike Lupica, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (Yes, you heard that right, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS): No one tops this Papi
DH or not, he's MVP
Mike Vaccaro, NEW YORK POST (Yes, you heard that right, NEW YORK POST!): PAPI PULLS AWAY IN MVP BATTLE
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. David Ortiz is the MVP of the American League.
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7 comments:
Ok, here goes, I thought it hilarious that one writer actually had Mariano Rivera as the Yankees MVP....???? Most valuable pitcher? Not PLAYER. Player's play. A-Rod is MVP...Most valuable PLAYER...not part-timer. For the same reason relief pitchers won't win the Cy Young award. It makes no sense. I understand you bleed from the RedSoxNation heart incessantly, but sorry kiddo...the MVP list goes like this...A-Rod..Vlad Guererro..and THEN Papi......with an asterisk. *(DH)
The Yankees pitching was all over the place this year, except for the ever-reliable Mariano Rivera. There's an argument that he's the MVP.
Relief pitchers won't win the Cy Young award? Then how do you explain Cy Young award winners Eric Gagne (NL, 2004, 55 saves), Dennis Eckersley (AL, 1992, 51 saves), Mark Davis (NL, 1989, 44 saves), Steve Bedrosian (NL, 1987, 40 saves), Willie Hernandez (AL, 1984, 32 saves), Rollie Fingers (AL, 1981, 33 saves), Bruce Sutter (NL, 1979, 37 saves), Sparky Lyle (AL, 1977, 26 saves) or Mike Marshal (NL, 1974, 21 saves)?
And how can any self-respecting Yankee fan forget Sparky Lyle?
Pitchers don't win the MVP? Checked your Baseball Encyclopedia lately, smart guy? Dennis Eckersley (AL, 1992), Roger Clemens (AL, 1986), Willie Hernandez (AL, 1984), Rollie Fingers (AL, 1981), ring any bells? Remember 1968? AL MVP: Denny McClain, NL MVP: Bob Gibson? Sandy Koufax, NL, 1963? Don Newcombe, NL, 1956? Bobby Shantz, Philadelphia, AL, 1952? Jim Konstanty, NL, 1950? Hal Newhouser, AL, 1944 AND 1945? Mort Cooper, NL, 1942? Dizzy Dean, NL, 1934? Carl Hubbell, NL, 1933? Lefty Grove, AL, 1931? 1924: Walter Johnson (AL) and Dazzy Vance (NL)? Walter Johnson, 1913?
You're arguing like a wingnut here. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story....
A-Rod, I mean A-Fraud, is unfortunately guaranteed to disappear in big games. He's the guy with Jason Varitek's hand around his throat while his teammates have to run out to protect him. He's the guy doing the classless high school play in last year's series, hacking/slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's hand on the first base line. (That's the "Slappy" part of "Slappy McBluelips"). He gets a lot of hits, yes, but not clutch hits. He's Wade Boggs on steroids, a singles hitter who hits home runs. His MVP numbers: .321 with 48 homers and 130 RBIs. Good numbers, but not clutch. He's not the heart and soul of the Yankees by any stretch of the imagination.
And Vlad Guerrero 2nd? Are you joking? You'd put a guy with .317 with 23 homers and 108 RBIs over Ortiz, .300 with 47 homers and 148 RBIs. There's no asterisk. Every player competes for the MVP.
Did you think Roger Maris should get an asterisk, too?
David Ortiz deserves the MVP award.
I don't like arguing against someone being considered for an MVP just because he's a DH. I think it is obvious that Papi has the superior offensive season here. Do you really think A-Rod's defense is so outstanding that it can overcome the disparity in offensive output? Maybe if he was still playing shortstop. But the facts are that David Ortiz was a far more valuable player to his team than A-Rod was to his.
Can't we just ditch the DH altogether, it's kind of a stupid thing.
I hate to pick out the moronic statements you've made but here's one maybe you might want to reconsider....since when is 48 dingers and a .321 average and 130 RBI's considered "good"????? When do you become great? With less homers? ZERO Gold Gloves? Less average? 18 more ribbies? Take of the Red colored glasses. DH is a DH, one dimensional. Period. Your serve Bjorn.
It's when they hit 'em that counts.
Ortiz leads the majors with 33 close-and-late RBIs. Rodriguez is not even in the top 50.
A Fraud.
Right back at you.
Big Papi is the best. A rod sucks. remember the first game against the redsox how the bases were loade and a ground ball was hit to him and he bbbled it and let a run go by. he also didn't even get an out on that play. Sure he has made some other great plays at third but he doesn't deserve th MVP because he really wasn't the most valuable player.Big Papi was. I think I have proved my point thanks.
Yeah, Big Papi defintly deserves M.P.V. award i mean he's one of the biggest hitters in the leauge right now! i mean he deserves it big time!!!!!
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