Tuesday, November 21, 2006
no justice, no peace -- violence breeds violence!:
Goddamn it, NO! No! Justin Morneau is not the AL MVP! Recount! Where was Katherine Harris? Diebold? Atti-ca! Atti-ca!

What the fuck? Jeter put together the most amazing season of his career, anchoring a team that suffered the loss of Sheffield and Matsui and still ran away with the goddamned division. He just barely lost a dogfight with Morneau's teammate Joe Mauer for the batting title. While everyone else's defense was suffering, Jeter remained a great shortstop, if not a Gold Glover.

I recognize that there can be no sympathy for the embarassment of riches that is Derek Jeter. But when an incredible athlete is at or near the height of his talent, he deserves to be recognized. I suppose that 97 RBI and a paltry 14 homers are not traditional MVP numbers, but the guy hit an amazing .343 and had a ginormous .417 OBP. Life is unfair.

Don't make me buy Jeter's cologne to make up for this. Please.
--Spencer Ackerman
posted 1:36 PM |
Jeepers, you act like 1987 never happened. The BBWAA is not known for its delicate sensibilities and fine judgments.

Jeter had an awfully good year, but I'd have picked Mauer, myself.

In the end, though, who can care about the AL or about the Yankees?

Not I.
Blogger wcw | 3:48 PM

Word Spencer.
Blogger Eric Martin | 5:16 PM

I agree that Jeter is probably the AL MVP, last year and for the next few years. The guy is awesome. And I hate the Yankees.

But shouldn't the MVP come from the team that won the American League? Shouldn't a Tiger carry off the trophy?

Full disclosure, schoolmarm: Lifelong Tigers fan. As in, Alan Trammell is one of my personal heroes. As in, George "Taco" Bell shouldn't have been MVP in 1987.

There's 1987 again.
Blogger Number Three | 7:18 PM

Full disclosure, schoolmarm: Lifelong Tigers fan. As in, Alan Trammell is one of my personal heroes. As in, George "Taco" Bell shouldn't have been MVP in 1987.

Carlos Guillen had a better year than Jeter, though no one ever talks about him. That's before you translate the numbers for the fact that Comerica is a much tougher place to hit.

Ah, well. There's a long tradition of deserving Tiger shortstops getting snubbed. I'd still have picked Mauer.

Justin Morneau is the third most valuable player on his team, not the most valuable player in the AL. The list of people who should have finished ahead of him is long.

By the way, Spencer, this was not the most amazing season of Jeter's career. 1999 was far and away his best season. That is probably the year he should have won, but the field was absolutely brutal, and I could make a case for any of the guys who finished in the top seven, except Palmeiro.
Blogger Unknown | 11:26 PM

Maybe he should have taken A-Rod's marginally deserved 2005 award as he was sticking him with the shiv in August.

Leadership matters...
Blogger Pooh | 2:09 PM

Jeter deserved the MVP, yes. In fact in Jeter v. Morneau, it's not even close, and as has been pointed out, Morneau wasn't even the most valuable Twin (that being Mauer). I think this is a case of trophy-fatigue---Jeter emphatically did not deserve the Hank Aaron or the Gold Glove, and the voters got tired of seeing him win. Unfair or at least irrational, but that's my best guess.
Blogger Unknown | 9:35 AM