[onlooker]

I guess it shows that a DH doesnt get credited for anything. David Ortiz helped his team win in many games this year, but the lack of fielding cost him.

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in three seasons, beating David Ortiz on Monday in a vote that rewarded a position player over a designated hitter.

Rodriguez, in his second season as the New York Yankees' third baseman, received 16 first-place votes, 11 seconds and one third for 331 points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ortiz, the DH for the Boston Red Sox, got 11 firsts and 17 seconds for 307 points. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero received the other first-place vote and was third with 196 points.

Voting was done before the start of the postseason, when both the Yankees and Red Sox were eliminated in the first round. Rodriguez hit only .133 with no RBIs in a five-game loss to the Angels while Ortiz batted .333 with a home run as the Red Sox were swept by the Chicago White Sox.

Rodriguez hit .321 with an AL-high 48 homers and 130 RBIs, breaking Joe DiMaggio's 68-year-old Yankees record for home runs by a right-handed hitter (46). A-Rod also won the award in 2003, his final season as the Texas Rangers' shortstop before he was dealt to the Yankees.

Ortiz batted .300 with 47 homers and a major league-leading 148 RBIs. Big Papi had 34 RBIs that put his team ahead, the most in the AL, and had eight RBIs from the seventh inning on that put Boston ahead to stay.

Rodriguez became the first Yankees player to win the award since Don Mattingly in 1985 and only the fourth player to win an MVP with two teams, joining Barry Bonds (Pittsburgh and San Francisco), Jimmie Foxx (Philadelphia Athletics and Red Sox) and Frank Robinson (Cincinnati and Baltimore).

A-Rod also is the fourth to win at two positions, following Detroit's Hank Greenberg (first base and left field), the St. Louis Cardinals' Stan Musial (outfield and first base) and the Milwaukee Brewers' Robin Yount (shortstop and center field).

Rodriguez gets a $1 million bonus for winning the MVP for the second time during his record $252 million, 10-year contract. With Ortiz's second-place finish, the price of Boston's 2007 club option increases by $400,000 to $8.4 million. The buyout goes up by the same amount to $1.4 million.

Guerrero got $200,000 for finishing third and Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez gets $75,000 for placing fourth.

Cleveland DH Travis Hafner was fifth and earned an automatic $200,000 annual raise to $2.7 million next year and $3.95 million in 2007, with the price of Cleveland's 2008 option rising to $4.95 million.

AL MVP Voting
Player 1st-place votes 2nd 3rd Points
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees 16 11 1 331
David Ortiz, Red Sox 11 17 0 307
Vladimir Guerrero, Angels 1 0 9 196
Manny Ramirez, Red Sox 0 0 9 156
Travis Hafner, Indians 0 0 5 151
Paul Konerko, White Sox 0 0 2 128
Mark Teixeira, Rangers 0 0 1 106
Gary Sheffield, Yankees 0 0 0 84
Mariano Rivera, Yankees 0 0 1 59
Derek Jeter, Yankees 0 0 0 23

[bigboydan]

David Ortiz got robbed !!

[Dead Money]

I agree.

The Sox with out Big Pappi are a 500 team,
The Yanks without AROD are still decent.


IMO Ortiz was more VALUABLE to his team..

[Razz]

I guess it shows that a DH doesnt get credited for anything. David Ortiz helped his team win in many games this year, but the lack of fielding cost him.

What it shows is that the majority of the voters ignored the media propaganda and voted for the player who did the most for his team.

[Senator7]

What it shows is that the majority of the voters ignored the media propaganda and voted for the player who did the most for his team.

Razz, you're 100% right here. As a Yankee fan, I'm genetically built to hate the Red Sox, but I can't stand all the hype they get from ESPN and the media. When Boston fell behind the White Sox 0-2 in the playoffs, some in the media were still talking about the Red Sox being the favorites. I agree with Razz 100% here.

[bigpig19]

i agree also with razz because david ortiz should not have been in the top five or even been considered. You cannot be an MVP and not play Defense saying ortiz got robbed is a joke. He should not have been in consideration.

[moses millsap]

I would've given it to A-rod, but I'm a Yankees fan Seriously, I think it should have been a much bigger differential for the mere fact that Arod plays defense and Ortiz just hits.

[Mudcat]

It shows that voters don't understand the game. Defense is very important. A-Rod should have won by a much bigger margin.

[Illusion]

The real joke is is Paul Konerko finishing 7th

Paul Konerko, White Sox 0 0 2 128

I'm not saying he should have won it, but the man should have been in the top three.

[onlooker]

The real joke is is Paul Konerko finishing 7th

Paul Konerko, White Sox 0 0 2 128

I'm not saying he should have won it, but the man should have been in the top three.

He won the World Series, so F him.

[Illusion]

He won the World Series, so F him.

You are right looker, he only finished in 7th. Hopefully the Sox resign him for less money since he is a nobody.

[moses millsap]

You are right looker, he only finished in 7th. Hopefully the Sox resign him for less money since he is a nobody.

Illusion, what are the rumors concerning that? Does it look likely he will return?

[Senator7]

The White Sox won the World Series because of their pitching staff, not Paul Konerko. Without A-Rod, the Yankees wouldn't have made the playoffs. You can't give it to Ortiz because he's just a DH. Though he faltered in October, A-Rod deserved the award.

[Illusion]

The White Sox won the World Series because of their pitching staff, not Paul Konerko. Without A-Rod, the Yankees wouldn't have made the playoffs. You can't give it to Ortiz because he's just a DH. Though he faltered in October, A-Rod deserved the award.

So what you are saying is A-Rod won the award because he played defense. Where would Boston have finished without Ortiz? Your arguement holds no water.

[Senator7]

I just don't think you can give someone who doesn't play both ways the MVP award. The fact that the Yankees wouldn't have made the playoffs without A-Rod is not the only reason he deserves the award. I agree that Boston would not have made the playoffs if not for Ortiz, but you can't argue against a guy who hit .321 with 48 homers and 130 RBIs AND finished 2nd in the Gold Glove voting for 3rd basemen. Ortiz had more RBIs, but fewer homers and a lower average. And where did he finish in the Gold Glove voting? The MVP award is meant to award the best overall player in each league and the player who is most valuable to his team. The voters got it right this year in both leagues.

[Razz]

Generally, I think most of you guys are right here. My personal list was

1. A-rod - .321 with 48 homers and 130 RBIs, 2nd in the Gold Glove voting (and he probably should have won). The best season by a right-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium.
2. Guerrero - I think this should have been the only candidate besides A-Rod that was seriously considered. You guys used the "where would his team be without him" argument. The Red Sox still have the 4th place MVP finisher without Big Papi, and the Angels have no one to protect Vlad. Without him, this team finishes third in their division.
3. Papi - Look at his career numbers before coming to the Red Sox and hitting before Manny. Not that he didn't have a great season, but he's playing in Goofy Golf Park, and he has a big-time hitter behind him.
4. Hafner - the most underrated player in baseball, and the man I expect to win the award next season, when the Indians win 100 games.
5. Konerko - his late season performance puts him at this point.
6. Teixiera - very good fielder, and one of the best hitters in baseball. I don't like voting someone on a mediocre team in the top 5.
7-10. Mo, Manny, Shef, DJ - I don't think you can finish in the top 6 and be the second choice on your own team.