al mvp race

If they would just call the award player of the year, it'd be much more simple.

 

IATS

 

I don't think I saw this point posted anywhere on here (if it was, by apologies), but something else to consider: Mark Teixeira had a miserable month of April while Mauer was recovering from his injury. On the day Mauer came back, Teix's line was .200 BA / 3 HR / 10 RBI / .738 OPS. My guess is that some of those advanced metrics had him giving the Yankees fewer wins/runs than the average player would (though I don't have those numbers handy and understand not everyone likes them anyway). The point is, would you really think Mauer was a better candidate if he played in April but put up those numbers? I wouldn't. How does Teix's production that month help his case over Mauer?

Missing a month hurts a guys chances a lot more if it's September -- see Carlos Quentin last year and Travis Hafner two years before that. So we've still got a ways to go, but for the reasons everyone else has pointed out, Mauer should be the slam-dunk choice at this point.

 

I doubt it. Certain types of baseball fans just like to have weird opinions. They'd find a way to twist it so that the POTY had to be on a winning team somehow too.

 

Bob Ryan (of all people) this morning did his Sports Reporters soliloquy on Jeter, how he's won everything but the MVP and that how, after 13 years, he's having one of his best seasons.

Voters are going to get sentimental and give Jeter the body-of-work-plus-great-twilight-season MVP.

 

There is a player of the year award picked by AP.
The BBWAA picks MVPs in each league.

Two different things, some years.

This year, it's Mauer and Pujols ... players of the year, most valuable players, no doubt on either one.

 

just now catching up on today's posts. don't worry, i won't stay long. just wanted to clarify one point:

as i've said before on this subject, several times i believe: i'm not advocating jeter for mvp. i'm not at all sure he's even the yanks' mvp. i'd probably argue tex is no. 1 and a-rod no. 2, in the purest sense, based upon his production and the clear effect he's had on tex's turnaround since coming off the dl following tex's lousy first month.

yes, i adore heter for the way he has always played the game the right way and conducted himself the right way in this age of knuckleheads. i make no apologies for that and am stunned when criticized for it.

mauer has all the same qualities to admire. i've told my sons for 13 years, "watch and appreciate this jeter fella. he plays the game the way it's supposed to be played."

if i lived in the twin cities, i'm sure i'd do the same with mauer. it must be a pleasure watching him play every day.

he's a hall of famer, obviously, with or without an mvp trophy. whether he gets it this year or not matters not a smidge to me.

sorry if some here find that hard to fathom. 'tis the truth.

 

Admit it, you're just a yankeesfanboilooser, shockey. ;D

 

What's hard to fathom is you talking about how Mauer wouldn't be in your top three for the AL MVP, but failing to disclose who your top three would be at the moment.

That's all some of us want. A top three. Give us an idea as to who your MVP would be. Give us an idea as to what three players you feel might be more deserving than Mauer this season.

 

Who, exactly, outside of the northeast gets sentimental about the Yankees in general and Jeter in particular? Nobody. He's got a shot at four sentimental votes and that is it.

He had his best candidacy in 2006 and lost to Morneau. No way in hell he wins it this year. If Mauer somehow doesn't win it, Teixiera or an Angel will.

 

Angel Pagan may have hit 2 homers today, but he's not winning the MVP.

Oh, wait, wrong kind of Angel.

 

agree 1,000 percent. 8) 8) 8)