2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball: MVP Rhetoric
Nathaniel Weeks
Issue date: 11/20/06 Section: Sports
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November 21 marks the day when baseball's American League Most Valuable Player will be announced for this past season. Although there are several worthy candidates, in the eyes of most fans here at Clarkson there are only two. Derek Jeter, the dynamic shortstop for the New York Yankees, and David Ortiz, the clutch power-hitter for the Boston Red Sox, both had tremendous seasons for their ball club. Reading this article will help fans of both sides gain perspective on what is, for many of us, a heated issue. A tremendous effort was made so that this article is as unbiased as possible despite the author's complete devotion for the Sox.
Since 1931, the Baseball Writers Association of America has awarded the best player in the league with the MVP trophy. This year, like many others, the decision is not an obvious one. However, there is a general consensus that Jeter and Ortiz are the two most deserving candidates. It should not be surprising that the decision is between a Red Sox and a Yankee player. The two teams seem to garner more media coverage than all other teams combined. For the clubs to have the by far highest player salaries, and more MVP's than any other in the American League, the Red Sox with ten and the Yankees with twenty-one, it becomes almost expected for the MVP to emerge from one of these teams. So why Jeter? He is the captain of the team with the best record in the league. He finished second in the league in both batting average and runs scored, .343 and 118 respectively. However, Jeter's true value comes from the "intangibles" he does to win ballgames. He plays a solid shortstop and if the Yankees ever need a rally, Jeter would be the guy to start it off with a hit. In essence, he does all the little things right. It is also believed by many that Jeter carried the Yankees during the period in which Yankee All Stars Gary Sheffield and Hideiki Matsui were injured.
So why Ortiz? Big Papi, as he is known to all baseball fans, had a fantastic offensive season. He finished first in the league in home runs and Runs Batted In (RBI), achieving two thirds of the Triple Crown. Ortiz finished third in the league in runs scored, only three runs behind Jeter for the season, and also finished first in the league in walks. However, Ortiz is best known for the big things he does to win ball games. Ortiz personally had five hits that won ball games in the bottom half of the last inning, three of which were game winning home runs, making him the most feared bat in the league. Finishing the season with five winning hits were more than most teams ended the season with. There were also numerous instances when Ortiz's bat tied the score, or brought Boston ahead, late in games that were won by the Sox. Ortiz also hit the Yankee pitching staff hard this season, batting .310 with six home runs. And although Ortiz's batting average is well below Jeter's, .287 to .343, the two players got on base almost just as often as each other, .413 to .417. His 54 home runs broke both the Red Sox club record, and the record for home runs hit by a designated hitter.
Since 1931, the Baseball Writers Association of America has awarded the best player in the league with the MVP trophy. This year, like many others, the decision is not an obvious one. However, there is a general consensus that Jeter and Ortiz are the two most deserving candidates. It should not be surprising that the decision is between a Red Sox and a Yankee player. The two teams seem to garner more media coverage than all other teams combined. For the clubs to have the by far highest player salaries, and more MVP's than any other in the American League, the Red Sox with ten and the Yankees with twenty-one, it becomes almost expected for the MVP to emerge from one of these teams. So why Jeter? He is the captain of the team with the best record in the league. He finished second in the league in both batting average and runs scored, .343 and 118 respectively. However, Jeter's true value comes from the "intangibles" he does to win ballgames. He plays a solid shortstop and if the Yankees ever need a rally, Jeter would be the guy to start it off with a hit. In essence, he does all the little things right. It is also believed by many that Jeter carried the Yankees during the period in which Yankee All Stars Gary Sheffield and Hideiki Matsui were injured.
So why Ortiz? Big Papi, as he is known to all baseball fans, had a fantastic offensive season. He finished first in the league in home runs and Runs Batted In (RBI), achieving two thirds of the Triple Crown. Ortiz finished third in the league in runs scored, only three runs behind Jeter for the season, and also finished first in the league in walks. However, Ortiz is best known for the big things he does to win ball games. Ortiz personally had five hits that won ball games in the bottom half of the last inning, three of which were game winning home runs, making him the most feared bat in the league. Finishing the season with five winning hits were more than most teams ended the season with. There were also numerous instances when Ortiz's bat tied the score, or brought Boston ahead, late in games that were won by the Sox. Ortiz also hit the Yankee pitching staff hard this season, batting .310 with six home runs. And although Ortiz's batting average is well below Jeter's, .287 to .343, the two players got on base almost just as often as each other, .413 to .417. His 54 home runs broke both the Red Sox club record, and the record for home runs hit by a designated hitter.
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