Who's the AL MVP?
What does MVP really mean?
For weeks I have been reading sports pages from all different newspapers, from all different cities, give their opinion on who should win the MVP in both the AL and NL. But the AL is getting just a little more attention, and for some reason people believe that it is only between two players, the New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez and the Boston Red Sox David Ortiz. There are a few areas which I want to touch base. 1) There are more candidates than that who deserve to be mentioned, and possibly even voted for over those two. And 2) Why David Ortiz does not deserve the award, Yes, because he is ONLY a Designated Hitter.
First I will start off with why David Ortiz, and DH’s, do not deserve to be awarded Most Valuable Player. They do not play the field. Playing the field makes a huge difference for a few reasons. First, if you make an error, it could loom with you for your next at bat and even for the rest of the game. Playing the field is exhausting in itself. After a DH bats, he has the opportunity to go into the video room and review his at bat, his swings, the pitch sequence, etc... which gives the DH another advantage. And lastly, a fielder has the ability to save a run, or in some cases, allow a run due to an error. But watching A-Rod again yesterday, I watched him save a run while playing 3B. With a runner on 3B and 2 outs, a scorcher was hit his way, made a great play and made the out, not allowing the tying run to score. When was the last time that David Ortiz saved a run? In order for a DH to win the award, his numbers do have to be significantly better than a player who plays the field. And lastly, and possibly most importantly, David Ortiz does not deserve the MVP award because he sat out and did not play, well, in his case, hit against the Yankees Randy Johnson. Granted, it was reported that he was injured, but even if you are injured, shouldn’t your MVP be playing in the most important games against the best pitchers? Especially in games that are the magnitude of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox? And if he was that hurt, how come he was able to pinch hit and face Mariano Rivera? That, to me, stands out even more. What a coward.
Mike Lupica who I have a lot of respect for as a journalist, somehow believes that David Ortiz should win the MVP award. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/348688p-297514c.html He is a Yankee fan, so I admire him picking Ortiz as the MVP. But c’mon Mike, no DH deserves it. In his article he makes an excellent point about why A-Rod should not be the MVP, because he is not the most feared hitter on his own team. I agree with that to a point. People make the argument about how clutch Ortiz is and that’s what MVP’s are about, well, then, here are four more candidates for MVP, all four of whom are not even mentioned. Johnny Damon, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Travis Hafner and Mariano Rivera.
I did an analysis on who the most valuable player on the Yankees about a month ago. There were 4 candidates (this was for hitters only), Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez. Derek Jeter automatically was eliminated from the conversation. He has not been clutch at all this season. A-Rod was then eliminated. He has been a lot more productive this year as opposed to last year, but he is no where in the class as Sheffield or Matsui. These two were very close in all categories. Both come up with the big hit in important and late inning situations. But due to the fact that A-Rod is not the most clutch hitter on his own team, how can he be regarded or considered for MVP. So if people keep talking about how “clutch” you have to be in order to win the MVP, then why not include Sheffield and Matsui in on that conversation? But I understand where the writers, voters and fans are coming from. They are looking at the big picture, the overall stats, and yes, A-Rods are superior to both Matsui and Sheffield.
Finally, here are a few players who deserve recognition for the MVP award:
Johnny Damon – Boston Red Sox - .315/10/75, 111 runs scored, 14 SB, 192 hits, .804 OPS
Damon is the catalyst of this ferocious Saux lineup. He is the one on that Red Sox team that gets on base, which allows Ortiz to drive in all those runs. Boston’s poor performance and skid erupted once Damon went down. The offense couldn’t get anything going, no one getting on base. Damon is the single most important batter in that lineup next to Ortiz. But Ortiz really needs Damon.
Gary Sheffield – New York Yankees - .293/33/120, 102 runs scored, 10 SB, 167 hits, .894 OPS
Sheffield is absolutely, without question, the most feared hitter in the Yankee lineup. The only other player in baseball that hits the ball nearly as hard as he does is Vlad “The Terrible” Guerrero. He is hitting .352 with runners on base to go with a 1.096 OPS. But more importantly he is hitting .367 with a 1.181 OPS with Runners In Scoring Position (RISP). Those definantly are better numbers than the one-dimensional David Ortiz (.312, 1.005 OPS with Runners On Base, .344, 1.034 OPS with RISP).
Hideki Matsui – New York Yankees - .299/22/114, 106 runs scored, 2 SB, 185 hits, .848 OPS Hideki Matsui, or as it was called to my attention by my buddy J, Hit-deki, has been one of the most consistent players in all of baseball. Yes, he went into a major slump after his unbelievable start to the season, but since that slump he has remained consistent and exceptional as well as reliable to play LF and CF when called upon. He has been moved around the lineup often. He has batted in the 2 hole 18 games, 4th 50 games, 5 slot 81 games and 6th for 8 games. While being placed all over the lineup, which can be very difficult because you keep hitting in front and behind different hitters, which means different pitches and different approach depending on where you are hitting, he has been able to produce. Just check out these numbers. Matsui has hit .307 with an .873 OPS with RISP, has hit remarkably with bases loaded with a .444 average, 1.117 OPS, 4 doubles, 21 RBI and striking out only 3 times in 18 times at bat with the bases loaded. But now comes the more remarkable aspect and stats to show why he is so clutch. In Late Inning Pressure (LIP) situations, which means 7th inning or later with your team up or down 1 run or a tied game, he really shines. In 67 LIP he has a .388 average, 1.192 OPS, 6 doubles, 5 HRs, 21 RBI, 9 BB and ONLY 5 K’s. But it gets even better. In LIP situations with RISP in 35 at bats, he has a mind boggling .455 average, a staggering 1.435 OPS, 3 doubles, 4 HRs, 20 RBI, 5 BB and only 3 K’s. Talk about clutch. Pressure doesn’t faze him. That’s what MVP’s are truly made of.
Travis Hafner – Cleveland Indians - .304/33/109, 93 runs scored, 0 SB, 144 hits, 1.007 OPS
If David Ortiz, a DH, is being considered for MVP, then Pronk should be too. Granted, Pronk (Hafner's nickname) has 37 less RBI than Ortiz, and 14 less HR, but he has a better OPS but has played in 22 fewer games than Ortiz, due to a concussion that side-lined him for over 2 weeks. And if you remember, during that span, the Indians weren’t even being considered as Wild Card contenders, let alone winning the AL Central. When he’s in the lineup, he is one of the 5 scariest hitters in all of baseball. But he doesn’t get much publicity or attention due to playing for the Indians, where fans are scarce. In the last week, he has hit .385/6/16, carrying his team to division and wild card contention. With RISP and 2 out, he is hitting .328/4/29 in just 61 at bats with a 1.045 OPS. He is hitting over .300 al the following statistical categories: RISP, RIPS w/ 2 out, Runners On Base, Bases Empty, Bases Loaded, LIP, LIP with Runners On, with 1 out and finally with 2 outs. He hits in every situation. If Pronk never suffered that concussion, he would be in the debate for MVP.
Mariano Rivera – New York Yankees – 7-4, 43 Saves, 1.40 ERA, 80 SOs, 0.87 WHIP, .187 BAA
The question isn’t how good Mo’ is and has been for this ball club, but how to measure what he has meant to the New York Yankees. He has the most wins of any relief pitcher in baseball. Only 2 closers have more saves, but he’s only blown only 4 saves and only 2 since his 2 blown saves in the opening series against Boston. So take away that first series, he has really only blown 2 saves during the year. And he doesn’t come in for just 3 outs, and is not in there for just the “soft” save. Torre puts him in for 4, 5, and sometimes 6 outs. The bullpen is depleted and the starting pitching has been sour, at best. He has been the savior. But he will not get true consideration for MVP, since he is being considered, and should be honored with, the Cy Young award. But he has been the Yankees MVP. He is the irreplaceable one on the squad. Imagine if he were on the Red Sox? They would have run away with the division over a month ago. Imagine if the Yankees did not have Mo’? They would have been done in June.
So the question is, who would I vote for MVP? Well, Ortiz has had a great run, and again last night hit the tying HR and got the game winning hit. But I’m sorry, I can never give the award to a one-dimensional player, unless of course, his numbers out weigh his competition by a large margin. But in this case, it doesn’t. A-Rod has been spectacular in the field and at bat. He isn’t pressing as much, but I still don’t think he is the true MVP. He isn’t even the MVP of his team. Sheffield is the scariest hitter and has been clutch and well, just look at Matsui’s numbers. He has been a gem. You also have Johnny Damon, who I believe, is the MVP for the Red Sox. He sets the tone from the top of the order, and he alone allows Ortiz to knock in his 147 RBI. And remember, he was the one that got the single in the 9th, then stole 2B which allowed him to score on Ortiz’s single. Then you have Travis Hafner, who I believe is just as valuable to his ball club as Ortiz is, but once again, I couldn’t give the award to a DH. Then there is Mariano Rivera. The single most important player to their respective team in all of baseball, hands down. The only other player who comes close is Albert Pujols. But due to the erratic bull pen and shaky starting pitching, he has kept his ballclub alive when they should have been dead and out of the race since May/June.
But we all know that it is between Ortiz and A-Rod, so if I had to vote between the two of them, my vote would go to A-Rod, hands down. He excels both offensively and defensively. He produces runs with his bat, and saves runs with his glove. Until Ortiz plays the field day-in-and-day-out, at a gold glove caliber like A-Rod, then I would consider him for MVP. Until then, A-Rod deserves his 2nd MVP in 3 years.
For weeks I have been reading sports pages from all different newspapers, from all different cities, give their opinion on who should win the MVP in both the AL and NL. But the AL is getting just a little more attention, and for some reason people believe that it is only between two players, the New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez and the Boston Red Sox David Ortiz. There are a few areas which I want to touch base. 1) There are more candidates than that who deserve to be mentioned, and possibly even voted for over those two. And 2) Why David Ortiz does not deserve the award, Yes, because he is ONLY a Designated Hitter.
First I will start off with why David Ortiz, and DH’s, do not deserve to be awarded Most Valuable Player. They do not play the field. Playing the field makes a huge difference for a few reasons. First, if you make an error, it could loom with you for your next at bat and even for the rest of the game. Playing the field is exhausting in itself. After a DH bats, he has the opportunity to go into the video room and review his at bat, his swings, the pitch sequence, etc... which gives the DH another advantage. And lastly, a fielder has the ability to save a run, or in some cases, allow a run due to an error. But watching A-Rod again yesterday, I watched him save a run while playing 3B. With a runner on 3B and 2 outs, a scorcher was hit his way, made a great play and made the out, not allowing the tying run to score. When was the last time that David Ortiz saved a run? In order for a DH to win the award, his numbers do have to be significantly better than a player who plays the field. And lastly, and possibly most importantly, David Ortiz does not deserve the MVP award because he sat out and did not play, well, in his case, hit against the Yankees Randy Johnson. Granted, it was reported that he was injured, but even if you are injured, shouldn’t your MVP be playing in the most important games against the best pitchers? Especially in games that are the magnitude of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox? And if he was that hurt, how come he was able to pinch hit and face Mariano Rivera? That, to me, stands out even more. What a coward.
Mike Lupica who I have a lot of respect for as a journalist, somehow believes that David Ortiz should win the MVP award. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/348688p-297514c.html He is a Yankee fan, so I admire him picking Ortiz as the MVP. But c’mon Mike, no DH deserves it. In his article he makes an excellent point about why A-Rod should not be the MVP, because he is not the most feared hitter on his own team. I agree with that to a point. People make the argument about how clutch Ortiz is and that’s what MVP’s are about, well, then, here are four more candidates for MVP, all four of whom are not even mentioned. Johnny Damon, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Travis Hafner and Mariano Rivera.
I did an analysis on who the most valuable player on the Yankees about a month ago. There were 4 candidates (this was for hitters only), Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez. Derek Jeter automatically was eliminated from the conversation. He has not been clutch at all this season. A-Rod was then eliminated. He has been a lot more productive this year as opposed to last year, but he is no where in the class as Sheffield or Matsui. These two were very close in all categories. Both come up with the big hit in important and late inning situations. But due to the fact that A-Rod is not the most clutch hitter on his own team, how can he be regarded or considered for MVP. So if people keep talking about how “clutch” you have to be in order to win the MVP, then why not include Sheffield and Matsui in on that conversation? But I understand where the writers, voters and fans are coming from. They are looking at the big picture, the overall stats, and yes, A-Rods are superior to both Matsui and Sheffield.
Finally, here are a few players who deserve recognition for the MVP award:
Johnny Damon – Boston Red Sox - .315/10/75, 111 runs scored, 14 SB, 192 hits, .804 OPS
Damon is the catalyst of this ferocious Saux lineup. He is the one on that Red Sox team that gets on base, which allows Ortiz to drive in all those runs. Boston’s poor performance and skid erupted once Damon went down. The offense couldn’t get anything going, no one getting on base. Damon is the single most important batter in that lineup next to Ortiz. But Ortiz really needs Damon.
Gary Sheffield – New York Yankees - .293/33/120, 102 runs scored, 10 SB, 167 hits, .894 OPS
Sheffield is absolutely, without question, the most feared hitter in the Yankee lineup. The only other player in baseball that hits the ball nearly as hard as he does is Vlad “The Terrible” Guerrero. He is hitting .352 with runners on base to go with a 1.096 OPS. But more importantly he is hitting .367 with a 1.181 OPS with Runners In Scoring Position (RISP). Those definantly are better numbers than the one-dimensional David Ortiz (.312, 1.005 OPS with Runners On Base, .344, 1.034 OPS with RISP).
Hideki Matsui – New York Yankees - .299/22/114, 106 runs scored, 2 SB, 185 hits, .848 OPS Hideki Matsui, or as it was called to my attention by my buddy J, Hit-deki, has been one of the most consistent players in all of baseball. Yes, he went into a major slump after his unbelievable start to the season, but since that slump he has remained consistent and exceptional as well as reliable to play LF and CF when called upon. He has been moved around the lineup often. He has batted in the 2 hole 18 games, 4th 50 games, 5 slot 81 games and 6th for 8 games. While being placed all over the lineup, which can be very difficult because you keep hitting in front and behind different hitters, which means different pitches and different approach depending on where you are hitting, he has been able to produce. Just check out these numbers. Matsui has hit .307 with an .873 OPS with RISP, has hit remarkably with bases loaded with a .444 average, 1.117 OPS, 4 doubles, 21 RBI and striking out only 3 times in 18 times at bat with the bases loaded. But now comes the more remarkable aspect and stats to show why he is so clutch. In Late Inning Pressure (LIP) situations, which means 7th inning or later with your team up or down 1 run or a tied game, he really shines. In 67 LIP he has a .388 average, 1.192 OPS, 6 doubles, 5 HRs, 21 RBI, 9 BB and ONLY 5 K’s. But it gets even better. In LIP situations with RISP in 35 at bats, he has a mind boggling .455 average, a staggering 1.435 OPS, 3 doubles, 4 HRs, 20 RBI, 5 BB and only 3 K’s. Talk about clutch. Pressure doesn’t faze him. That’s what MVP’s are truly made of.
Travis Hafner – Cleveland Indians - .304/33/109, 93 runs scored, 0 SB, 144 hits, 1.007 OPS
If David Ortiz, a DH, is being considered for MVP, then Pronk should be too. Granted, Pronk (Hafner's nickname) has 37 less RBI than Ortiz, and 14 less HR, but he has a better OPS but has played in 22 fewer games than Ortiz, due to a concussion that side-lined him for over 2 weeks. And if you remember, during that span, the Indians weren’t even being considered as Wild Card contenders, let alone winning the AL Central. When he’s in the lineup, he is one of the 5 scariest hitters in all of baseball. But he doesn’t get much publicity or attention due to playing for the Indians, where fans are scarce. In the last week, he has hit .385/6/16, carrying his team to division and wild card contention. With RISP and 2 out, he is hitting .328/4/29 in just 61 at bats with a 1.045 OPS. He is hitting over .300 al the following statistical categories: RISP, RIPS w/ 2 out, Runners On Base, Bases Empty, Bases Loaded, LIP, LIP with Runners On, with 1 out and finally with 2 outs. He hits in every situation. If Pronk never suffered that concussion, he would be in the debate for MVP.
Mariano Rivera – New York Yankees – 7-4, 43 Saves, 1.40 ERA, 80 SOs, 0.87 WHIP, .187 BAA
The question isn’t how good Mo’ is and has been for this ball club, but how to measure what he has meant to the New York Yankees. He has the most wins of any relief pitcher in baseball. Only 2 closers have more saves, but he’s only blown only 4 saves and only 2 since his 2 blown saves in the opening series against Boston. So take away that first series, he has really only blown 2 saves during the year. And he doesn’t come in for just 3 outs, and is not in there for just the “soft” save. Torre puts him in for 4, 5, and sometimes 6 outs. The bullpen is depleted and the starting pitching has been sour, at best. He has been the savior. But he will not get true consideration for MVP, since he is being considered, and should be honored with, the Cy Young award. But he has been the Yankees MVP. He is the irreplaceable one on the squad. Imagine if he were on the Red Sox? They would have run away with the division over a month ago. Imagine if the Yankees did not have Mo’? They would have been done in June.
So the question is, who would I vote for MVP? Well, Ortiz has had a great run, and again last night hit the tying HR and got the game winning hit. But I’m sorry, I can never give the award to a one-dimensional player, unless of course, his numbers out weigh his competition by a large margin. But in this case, it doesn’t. A-Rod has been spectacular in the field and at bat. He isn’t pressing as much, but I still don’t think he is the true MVP. He isn’t even the MVP of his team. Sheffield is the scariest hitter and has been clutch and well, just look at Matsui’s numbers. He has been a gem. You also have Johnny Damon, who I believe, is the MVP for the Red Sox. He sets the tone from the top of the order, and he alone allows Ortiz to knock in his 147 RBI. And remember, he was the one that got the single in the 9th, then stole 2B which allowed him to score on Ortiz’s single. Then you have Travis Hafner, who I believe is just as valuable to his ball club as Ortiz is, but once again, I couldn’t give the award to a DH. Then there is Mariano Rivera. The single most important player to their respective team in all of baseball, hands down. The only other player who comes close is Albert Pujols. But due to the erratic bull pen and shaky starting pitching, he has kept his ballclub alive when they should have been dead and out of the race since May/June.
But we all know that it is between Ortiz and A-Rod, so if I had to vote between the two of them, my vote would go to A-Rod, hands down. He excels both offensively and defensively. He produces runs with his bat, and saves runs with his glove. Until Ortiz plays the field day-in-and-day-out, at a gold glove caliber like A-Rod, then I would consider him for MVP. Until then, A-Rod deserves his 2nd MVP in 3 years.
posted by Mark D. Miller at 10:17 AM
0 comments
