Sept 11- MVP or Lifetime Achievement Award?

Since when the does the BBWA give out a lifetime achievement award disguised as an American League MVP? What am I talking about, you may ask? Do I have to answer that? Of course I am talking about this nonsense surrounding Derrick Jeter’s bid to win this year’s AL MVP. As of this morning, this is what DJ’s season projects out to:

635 113 219 42 15 105 .345 .419 .493

DJ is undeniably having a very good year and perhaps his best. But you know what better numbers from a shortstop netted in the 1999 MVP race? Try 7th! And that came from a guy who CARRIED his meager team to the AL wildcard. You think I’m joking? Try these numbers on for size

532 103 190 42 27 104 .357 .418 .603

Granted, Nomar was hurt that year, but his contributions were huge and far superior to DJs. FAR SUPERIOR! Hook nose had an OPS was 100 bps higher than DJ and yet, if there was a Heisman like presentation for MVP, Nomar wouldn’t have even been invited to the Downtown AC. For godsake, he had 13 more extras than DJ in 100 less at bat and I don’t want to hear any “we’re no longer in the steroid era.” Sorry, these two years were compiled in the same era.

I just find this Jeter talk to be a little bit juvenile and I am bit surprised the national press has bought into this NYC-driven campaign. Listen, the Yanks are in front by ten games so the argument that DJ carried this team is purely fictional. This team would have won with a modest year out of Jeter and that is pretty hard to dispute. It’s also a bit hard to stomach some of these Yankee fans complain about the bias against Yankee MVP candidates. Boy do these fans have a short memory since it was just last year that the BBWA committed one of its biggest atrocities to date when it handed Alex Rodriguez a trophy that had David Ortiz name on it. Papi is the rightful winner once again but I understand it can’t go to a guy on a non-playoff qualifier. With that said, there is no doubt in my mind that the trophy belongs in Minnesota where you can flip a coin between Johan and Justin. If you disagree, I suggest you take a look at Sanatana’s numbers once again since they project to 21- 6, a WHIP under one and his team hasn’t lost one of his starts since May. That is an MVP.