A-Rod=MVP.

[kick-ass-bob]

Discuss.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2223736

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. A-Rod=steaming pile of elephant excrement.

[kick-ass-bob]

5. I tend to agree.

[Arkana]

40. Hee hee hee...

Hear, hear!

[MrScorpio]

2. More Yankee tyranny

We all suffer for it

[kick-ass-bob]

4. to be fair, this is the 1st Yankee to win since '85.

[MrScorpio]

10. Okay, okay...

More Yankee Tyranny in another form or fashion

[tsakshaug]

3. Still does not have a ring

Big Papi does

[kick-ass-bob]

6. that works for me.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

:evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

56. Doesn't trust anyone with all his precious money

[underpants]

8. ANYTHING to keep the Yankees in the news PLEEAAAASE!!!

I saw this earlier on ESPN's homepage and thought "Wow they will do anything to keep the Yankees in the sports news"

WHO CARES? Baseball season is over and they barely got into the playoffs to start with. I have no idea how the voting was exclusively between the White Sox only-they won the pennant so they had to have the most valuable player.

[kick-ass-bob]

12. it is based on regular season only.

They even vote before the playoffs are done.

[underpants]

18. Oh then that is different ... now it all makes sense

he is on a team with a $100Million payroll and bats clean up (right?) and he puts up big numbers you say huh?

The best player I have seen (in the AL) in a while is Vlad. He would be the first player I would take if I choosing up sides.

I didn't catch much of the White Sox this year but that Crede guy is good too.

A-Rod pfffft big whoop.

Oh BTW this isn't directed towards you but watch how many of the holy and righteous TO bashers talked endlessly about this INDIVIDUAL achievement award for the next week or so. Yeah the last thing we want is someone looking out for themself in a team oriented game we sure as hell don't want someone self promoting now do we ________________ insert whatever sports reporter ( ;-) ) that has yet another introspective look back at their child hood or nostalgia for the 80's book out this week. BTW#2-Does Lupica ever STOp writing or shut up about NY sports? I've been wondering about that for a decade or so now (this A-Rod thing will be worth several Lupica columns and references to it Sunday mornings at 10 AM throughout the rest of the winter football be damned). oh oh oh and another thing.....

[kick-ass-bob]

19. wheeeeeee!!!!

:bounce::bounce:

[SeattleGirl]

9. A-Rod: Smarmy, disingenuious, worthless piece of human form.

And I prefer to refer to him as Pay-Rod.

Wonder if he's save all the Monopoly money showered upon him by Seattle Mariner fans! Probably -- to him, money is money and nothing else matters.

Hmmmmm, can you tell I don't exactly care for him?

[kick-ass-bob]

11. I can't believe the people of Seattle have such vitrol for him.

:sarcasm:

:P

[SeattleGirl]

17. It IS difficult to believe, isn't it? After all, we are such kind,

laid-back folks here in our corner of the Great Pacific Northwest!

[Missy Vixen]

26. Mike Cameron still thinks so!

Mike Cameron was showered with the Seattle love when he was here. I'm hoping he'll come back to us.

Let's talk about the differences between Pay-Rod and, shall we say, Ichiro? I understand that they don't play the same position. Ichiro is a great player, though. He had a challenging year this year, but his worst is still better than most of the league. He doesn't whine. He doesn't act like a jerk in the clubhouse. He's nice to the fans.

AAAARGGGGHHHHHHhhhhh. :mad:

Julie

[SeattleGirl]

29. I really miss Mike Cameron, and was so sad when he left!

And yes, there are those who, when they come back to Safeco Field, are showered with love instead of Monopoly Money: Cameron, Randy Johnson, Joey Cora (sweet little Joey), and my very favorite: Louuuuuuuuuuuuu Pinella! :loveya:

[Missy Vixen]

38. Cammy rocks!

>Louuuuuuuuuuuuu Pinella!<

Nobody kicks dirt on a base like Sweet Lou did! :loveya:

You know, don't you, that I've been saving money for Kleenex... Dave Niehaus will retire someday, and my heart will break. :cry: I was so lucky to meet him a couple of years ago; I shook his hand and said, "You are the man that made me love baseball."

Julie
edited for inartful use of the English language :eyes:

[SeattleGirl]

47. Not to mention kicking his baseball cap all over the infield!

I have met him, Jamie Moyer, Dan Wilson (he of the extremely nice tush!), Dave Niehaus, and Rick Riszz. Have autographs from all of them but Rick -- ran into him in the office building I used to work in, and just did not feel it appropriate to do the "Can I have your autograph" thing!

And yes,it will be a sad day when Dave Niehaus retires. No more rye bread and mustard! :cry:

[Missy Vixen]

50. SeattleGirl, how fun!

>Dan Wilson (he of the extremely nice tush!),<

:rofl:

I was always into Edgar Martinez, baseball's thinking woman's hunk. ;-) We went to Edgar's last home stand. I don't think that there was a dry eye in the stadium. There certainly wasn't when Jay Buhner retired. :cry: :cry: :cry:

I keep hoping that we'll win a World Series. Someday! In the meantime, it sure looks like the Seahawks' year, doesn't it?

Julie

[SeattleGirl]

53. I was definitely there at Edgar's last home game,

I love Edgar...he is my mom's favorite player, so she came up from Oregon to be at that game. You know, Dan was the last of the Boys of '95! :cry:

Hey, did you go to the last game at the King Dome? We did. We had aisle seats on the 3rd base side, and I was right next to the aisle. Do you remember the kid who jumped out onto the field and streaked? Well, this kid shucked his clothes right next to me! I did not realize at first what he was doing, as I was looking toward home plate, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement, looked over, and OMG! Then he ran down the steps and onto the field. It was the perfect stunt for the last game in the Dome! :rofl:

[Missy Vixen]

59. I wasn't at the last Kingdome game

but we were at the Stones concert. It was the first event in the newly reroofed Kingdome, so of COURSE, I had to climb up on the lip of the roof to say that I did it... :scared:

We went to one of the last regular season games in 1995 in which the better part of the batting rotation hit homers, one after another, in the same inning. The other team was a bit demoralized. :evilgrin: I was amazed the roof held through all the vibration of people stamping their feet and cheering!

>out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement, looked over, and OMG!<

SeattleGirl, I don't even know what I'd do if I was at a sporting event, saw movement in the corner of my eye, and watched someone basically strip... ;-)

The Boys of '95: :cry:

Julie

Edited to say: The Kingdome implosion was held on DH's birthday.

[SeattleGirl]

60. Well, I'll tell you, no offense to the young streaker, but

he wasn't all *that*. :evilgrin:

And I miss the Boys of 95. That was the first year I had really paid attention to them; actualy, it was during the one-game playoff with the Angels. I was at the Amtrack station in Tacoma, waiting to pick up a ticket for my daughter, and they had the game on the TV. I am a huge baseball fan, and could tell something very important was going on. I listened to the game on the way home, watched the rest of it on TV at home, and I was hooked!

I moved here in 1983, but at the time, I was going through a divorce. plus I started school full time and was working 40-60 hours a week. The Mariners were so bad at that time, they did not even register on the radar!

[Blackfish]

13. best ever???nt

[kick-ass-bob]

15. best ever what?

statistic padder?

Yes.

Well, actually, probably not.

[Blackfish]

20. right now...

shortstop.

in 10 years, player????

[kick-ass-bob]

22. shortstop? uhhh, he's not even the SS for his team.

:rofl:

[Blackfish]

23. i know.

makes the greatness hurt even more doesn't it.

5 years - greatest 3rd baseman.

[kick-ass-bob]

25. if he was the greatest SS ever, wouldn't he play that position for his

team? Doesn't that make him the 2nd best SS on his own team?

Yankee logic is so fun.

[Blackfish]

30. lets look into the numbers...

please let me know which shortstop you are comparing him to.

kinda sucks when a player is so good he will go from the best in one position in baseball to the best in another in 2 seasons.

[underpants]

31. Like Pete Rose?

He did it at 5 positions.

Welcome to DU :hi:

we are just having some fun with you, you know that right?

[Blackfish]

35. thanks. i do not feel like i am being attacked.

pete rose was a great player.

[kick-ass-bob]

32. The one that has "his" position?

So great that each team he goes to underachieves, and the one that he leaves gets better. :think:

I am just messing, for the most part. He is a very good player, and very good on defense. Best ever is not in my discussion yet.

[Blackfish]

34. i did say in 10 years (player)...

i will look at Jeters stats though

A-Rod - 1 mvp as ss
Jeter - 0

A-Rod - 2 gold gloves as ss (2 years prior to switching positions)
Jeter - 0

A-Rod - 1 batting title
Jeter - 0 (Jeter career BA .314 slightly higher than A-Rod .307)

offensive catergories are no comparison

career fielding %

A-Rod - .977
Jeter - .975

[northzax]

52. the only stat that matters, in the long run, especially in the Bronx:

Jeter: 4
A-Rod: 0

[underpants]

21. Fly fisherman?

Rocket scientist?

Post Soviet mathematician?

Nude Curler?

Brown trout specialist?

[maveric]

27. "Statistic padder"? As opposed to what else?

All great offensive ballplayers are "statistic padders". Thats how they gain noteriety. And A-Rod knocks in runs. Thats what they pay him for.

[underpants]

33. I thought they paid him for his winning attitude, his haircut, and....

his award winning vinegrette salad dressing.

[Initech]

14. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I seriously hate Alex Rodriguez. :grr: :grr: :grr:

Out of any of the playoff teams, he deserved it the least. After all, he cost the Yanks any chance of a post season with his ground-out double play in the ninth inning of game 5 of the ALDS.

How much is a plane ticket to Cooperstown so I can go kick Bud Selig in the testicles?

[maveric]

43. .321 BA (2nd in league), 48 HR's (1st in league), 130 RBI's(3rd in league)

Plus he won a Gold Glove at 3rd base.
As much as I cant stand A-Rod and the Yanks, he does deserve this award.

[Initech]

57. I still hate him, though.

[Blackfish]

58. everyone that doesn't have him...

hates him.

[Initech]

61. Even still, he cost the Yankees the championship!

That HARDLY deserves to be MVP material, I dont care how good his regular season stats are!

[Missy Vixen]

16. Dear God in Heaven,

MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!111!!!!!

Are you kidding? Pay-Rod is the best there is to offer in the league? I'm sick about this.

Julie
still loving to hate Pay-Rod for the people of Seattle

[maveric]

24. I'm a Red Sox fan who loves "Papi" but A-Rod deserved it.

Duly based on the fact that Ortiz, the runner-up, does not play defense (DH), as A-Rod does so greatly.
He is not one of my favorite players but given the field, he deserves it.

[underpants]

28. A little over ONE .... YEAR.. .... AGO

[Missy Vixen]

39. Mr. Varitek certainly would not approve of this

A little birdie told me that Pay-Rod went nuts at the plate after being told that the Red Sox don't bother throwing at someone batting .240.

I'm just saying. :evilgrin:

Julie

[Arkana]

41. Who made that?

I've seen it before, but it's very funny.

[underpants]

42. Check the properties

larry the lizard or something like that

[dr.strangelove]

36. The "DH thing"

Did the DH thing come into play? With the exception of Vlad, all the players that got any serious support were Red Sox or Yankees, so I don't buy the pro-Yankee media position. I always buy the east coast bias, but there are just as many yankee haters in the east coast media as their are yankee lovers.

For me, the DH would be a huge factor. I can not support a DH for this award because I think the DH is such a terrible concept. I do feel badly that this hurts Ortiz in what was a fabulous offensive season. However, the DH role takes a player out of helping his team whenever they are in the field, other than being a cheerleader.

While I am no A-Rod fan, Matsui made some comments about being able to play 10 -12 feet further off the line when A-Rod is in because his range to the bag is better than any other third baseman he has played with. 10-12 feet is a three step jump on the ball. So not only does a good position player like A-Rod help by making plays himself, but his play lets at least one fielder be in a better position, which will result in more outs (I think). Good offensive players that are also good defensive position players appear to be more valuable to me. I think a similar argument goes against giving this award to relief pitchers, like Mariano Rivera this year.

As a fan, I don't like either of these players. Both were incredible this year and either would have deserved it on numbers alone, but I would go for a position player over a DH.

[maveric]

44. Mark Texeira of the Rangers ,AVG .301 | HR 43 | RBI 144

Also had a great year.

[dr.strangelove]

49. Teixeira is a solid one-bagger

I like him and expect great things in the future. One of the big parts of the MVP is value to the team. Most voters seem to think that one can only be valuable to a winning/playoff team. I disagree with this. If A-Rod was not on the yankees, another solid 3B would still have gotten them into the playoffs (I think). Teixeira certainly was valuable, if he was not there, the team would have finished way below .500. They were kept near .500 (79-83) due in part to his bat. I wish we gave more discussion to players who play great rather than only great players on winning teams.

Don't worry, Mark Teixeira will be in on his share of MVP discussions in the future. I hope it is not in a red sox or yankees uniform though.

[maveric]

51. Andre Dawson and Ernie Banks won MVP's for last place teams.

Both on the Cubs, mind you.

[dr.strangelove]

55. I knew about Dawson

but I did not know about Banks. This does not happen any more though. As an example, last year during the superbowl, several reporters were waling through the press box in the fourth quarter trying to press an Eagle for Superbowl MVP and were told that the MVP had to come from a winner. References to Chuck Howley in Superbowl V did not help. Todays game loves a winner. The MVP must play for the winning team in the superbowl and the MVP of baseball must be on a winning team. Even though the rules allow anyone to be selected MVP, the unwritten rule is that it must be a winner. I agree that this is total bullshit, it is just the way it is now.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

37. A-Rod is a *&(%)&$W^&$^.

Coming from a Mainer, of course.

:D :D

[alarcojon]

45. Fucking Pay-Rod

Too bad he can't come through when the chips are really down..

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

[DainBramaged]

46. To all you Yankees haters

[Blackfish]

48. don't hate the player...

hate the game. maybe papi should pick up a glove. x(

[maveric]

54. Papi is too scary with the glove.

He's allegic to leather.

[JackDragna]

62. I love it, I love it, I love it.

All you Evil Empire Lite (read:Red Sox) and general haters come out of the woodwork to dis Rodriguez. A-Rod is the best player in baseball, by far, and far more deserving of the MVP than Ortiz. It may be cliche, but playing the field well adds tremendous value to a player..not to mention A-Rod's batting stats are pretty much a push with Ortiz.

I know that doesn't matter to most of you. You hate him because he makes a lot of money, even though most of you Evil Empire Wannabees (Read: Red Sox again) root for a team that won a World Series after spending like a sailor on shore leave. He hasn't hit particularly well in the post-season, but he was responsible in a big way for the Yankees winning the division. I don't much like the Yankees, but I am adoring the handwringing I'm hearing on this board and from people on sports call-in shows.

[Missy Vixen]

64. Okay, I must respond

>You hate him because he makes a lot of money, even though most of you Evil Empire Wannabees (Read: Red Sox again) root for a team that won a World Series after spending like a sailor on shore leave.<

First of all, I am a Seattle Mariners fan. I was at the Mariners' first ever game in the Kingdome, and I have been watching them ever since. The Red Sox are my backup team. (Let's just say that my chowderhead friend Daver from college would be so pleased he still has this influence over me.) Do you know the agony of the average Seattle Mariners fan? Let me explain. Our owners like to trade people that actually have talent, instead of keeping them together and trying to win something. Some of these trade-ees wore out their welcome (see Ken Griffey, Jr.) I can appreciate this. At the same time, it is a bit disheartening to watch Mariners players starting on World Series teams elsewhere. (Then again, I have to confess that I was thankful Freddie Garcia and his huge salary are now the problem of the White Sox. He is very inconsistent, IMHO.)

Do you KNOW why I hate Pay-Rod with the heat of a thousand suns? He's a big, spoiled, whiny baby. He whined and whined about how he wanted to play for "a winner," then went to Texas, where he and his metric buttload salary mired the Rangers in the basement. He didn't want to play for a winner. He wanted to have the biggest contract. I'm thinking this says something about, well -- I shouldn't go there, this is a family board. The people of Seattle rolled out the red carpet of Mariners love for him, and he spurned us. He dumped us. He let it be known that we and our beautiful new stadium just weren't good enough for him. He's already whining to the Yankees. Call the WAAAAAAMbulance!

Again: Big, whiny, spoiled baby. Thank GOD I don't live in New York. Then again, I think I'd be a Mets fan.

Julie

[bigwillq]

63. Well-deserved.

I'm happy! :bounce:

[Blue_Tires]

65. A Rod=Jagg Off!!!

nt