I'm not one of the people that thinks that pitchers shouldn't win MVP's, but they should be rare. Steve Carlton was a rare case in which he won about 27 of his team's 53 or 54 wins and was well deserving of that MVP and I can think of a couple of other marginal cases.

I'm still not at all sold on DH's winning the AL MVP. Change my mind or tell me how right I am.

The award is for Most Valuable Player, not for Most Valuable Player Who Plays Both Offense And Defense. David Ortiz shouldn't win a MVPWPBOAD award, but that's not what he's up for.

How valuable is he? Well, when you're in the bottom of the ninth and you're down by one run and there's a guy on base, most batters come to the plate and you know there's a chance they could pull it off. With Big Papi, you know there's a chance he might not pull it off. But he so often succeeds, and everybody in Red Sox Nation is deliriously happy that their faith is once again justified.

How do you quantify that? You can't really put a price tag on that sort of value.

Not to mention his personality, which makes him a huge part of the heart and soul of the team.

Unfortunately the Sox caught fire and sank into the swamp, and everyone's attention is on the teams in the playoff races. I'd be surprised if he won the MVP this year.

Some past MVP winners are a detriment in the field, why shouldn't a DH win it?? If a pitcher who appears in 1/5 of his teams games can win it, why the hell not.

I have no problem with a DH winning the MVP award, but I also think the MVP should go to a player that has helped his team get into the playoffs.

But without Ortiz the sox are terrible, he makes them a playoff contender. I don't think being on a good team should matter, making your team substantially better should.

Also, if Dennis Eckersly can win it, a DH definetly can

Originally Posted by Steve-O

But without Ortiz the sox are terrible,

Actually, they are terrible with him also. 3rd place in AL East when all is said and done.

I know you guys are going to bash Jeter, but the year he has had, coupled with what he means to the Yankees makes him a no brainer.

Originally Posted by Steve-O

But without Ortiz the sox are terrible, he makes them a playoff contender. I don't think being on a good team should matter, making your team substantially better should.

Also, if Dennis Eckersly can win it, a DH definetly can

1.) It's taken about 10 years, but I'm finally starting to drink the Jeter kool-aid out of the sippie cup this year. That's the '06 AL MVP as I see it because no matter how I feel about the DH issue, unless you shatter the leaderboards in a really extraordinary manner, you should take your team to the playoffs.

2.) Dennis Eckersley never won an MVP. Did you mean that if he can win the Cy Young, a DH can win the MVP? My point on pitchers was you have to be completely speechless after asked the question "How does Player X not win the MVP?" That applies for the Steve Carlton season.

3.) The "they won't make the playoffs, but they wouldn't be a playoff contender with Player X" doesn't fly with me. What if, by some miracle, the White Sox go ahead of the Twins and the Twins miss the playoffs and the Yanks win the East? Are the Twins better this year without Justin Morneau than the Sawx without David Ortiz? Hell, are the Twins better this year without Johan Santana than the Sawx without Ortiz?

Not to mention that if the Bo-Sawx and the Chi-Sax don't make the playoffs, this is a MAJOR choke on the part of both teams. These aren't teams that came out of nowhere to come oh, so close. This was "supposed" to be the ALCS matchup.

4.) Take Jeter off of the Yankees, where are they? Morneau off the Twins? Maybe even Frank Thomas off the A's (for the DH argument)?

5.) AL Player of the Year= David Ortiz. AL MVP= Derek Jeter.

A team is not a playoff contender...if they're not in the playoffs, plain simple. I've been a Phillies fan for 13 years (I'm only 19) and I've followed Ryan Howard since the minors. He's having a monster season and if the Phillies take the Wild Card, he should be the lock for the NL MVP. He carries the team on his back but if they don't make the playoffs, it's for nothing, it really is. If the Phillies don't make the playoffs, NL MVP should be Beltran.

If the White Sox make it, Dye should get the AL. He was World Series MVP last year, having his career year, and he's keeping Chicago in the hunt. He's exactly what an MVP should be. Sox don't go, Jeter.

Originally Posted by SeanyBullets1

A team is not a playoff contender...if they're not in the playoffs, plain simple. I've been a Phillies fan for 13 years (I'm only 19) and I've followed Ryan Howard since the minors. He's having a monster season and if the Phillies take the Wild Card, he should be the lock for the NL MVP. He carries the team on his back but if they don't make the playoffs, it's for nothing, it really is. If the Phillies don't make the playoffs, NL MVP should be Beltran.

If the White Sox make it, Dye should get the AL. He was World Series MVP last year, having his career year, and he's keeping Chicago in the hunt. He's exactly what an MVP should be. Sox don't go, Jeter.

Just because we're getting immune to Albert Pujols doesn't mean that he isn't the best anymore. Pujols is the NL MVP. I'm a big fan of Howard and I still the Wild Card is the Phillies' to lose, but it's Albert F'n Pujols.

The Sax and the Sawx are done. A couple of months ago, I'd say that Dye was the MVP, but even if a miracle took the Sax into the playoffs, Jeter's my AL MVP.

I love Pujols like the next guy...but this is Beltran's career year and because of it...the Mets have the NL East. That's the only reason I'd give him the nod over Albert.