Ortiz Lashes Out about MVP Race; A Little Out of Character?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2582790

David Ortiz, the American League leader in home runs and RBI, says Boston's fall from the American League playoff race should not disqualify him from the race for the AL's Most Valuable Player award.

But Ortiz told reporters after the Red Sox's 9-3 win over the Royals on Sunday that he thinks that's what's going to happen.

"I'll tell you one thing," Ortiz said. "If I get 50 home runs and 10 more RBI [which would give him 137], that's going to be a round number that no one else in the American League will have."

"But they'll vote for a position player, use that as an excuse. They're talking about [Derek] Jeter a lot, right? He's done a great job, he's having a great season, but Jeter is not a 40-homer hitter or an RBI guy. It doesn't matter how much you've done for your ball club, the bottom line is, the guy who hits 40 home runs and knocks in 100, that's the guy you know helped your team win games.

"Don't get me wrong -- he's a great player, having a great season, but he's got a lot of guys in that lineup," Ortiz continued. "Top to bottom, you've got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be."

Ortiz said if he had a vote, he might cast it for Jermaine Dye or Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox, or Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins.

"All depends on who makes the playoffs," he said. "Dye is having an unbelievable season, an incredible year. Konerko, too.

"Morneau, he's having a great season, but in Minnesota, there's no publicity. I bet you nobody knows who he is."

Ortiz also noted that Alex Rodriguez won the MVP in 2003, despite the fact his Texas Rangers finished last in the AL West. That season, A-Rod hit .298 with 47 home runs and 118 RBI.

"I'm right there," he said, "but I'm not going to win it. They give it to [Rodriguez] one year, even though his team was in last place, so now they can't play that BS anymore, just because your team didn't make it. They gave it to Alex that year because of his numbers. But they always have a reason to vote for whatever, so that's why I don't worry about it."

I hate the Sox but have always liked Ortiz...but this really does seem a little out of character for someone who is seemingly the most selfless player out there.

I do like the fact that he gave a shoutout to Morneau and the other candidates, though, saying he'd vote for them if he could.

But he really laced into Jeter's case. Not saying he doesn't have a point or doesn't deserve to be MVP, but this just doesn't seem like Big Papi to me. Maybe the frustration of falling out of contention has gotten to him a little?

Jermaine Dye gets my vote.

I bet he has incentive clauses in his contract for winning the MVP.

He is a little frustrated. From interviews I have seen, he is not having as much fun as he did with the '04 group. And it's not because of the championship. The comradery just isn't the same.


You go from being in the limelight, to having to take a back seat like now. It is not the easiest thing to deal with, for a highly competitve athlete like him.

In Theo we trust, better fix it for '07. I think deep down, Mr. Octizzle knows he doesn't deserve the MVP. He's just pissed. Tough year.

While we're on the subject of the MVP race, I'll paste this post from Buster Olney's blog...pretty compelling argument for Johan Santana. What he's doing is pretty fucking remarkable.

Twins with Santana: Priceless
posted: Saturday, September 9, 2006

Position players hate the suggestion that pitchers should even be considered for the Most Valuable Player Award. If you bring up the idea in their presence, they grimace the way kids do when you put lima beans on their plate.

They have their own award. Must've heard that response a million times in discussing pitchers-for-MVP with position players.

But here's the thing: Pitchers are eligible for the award, they've won the award in the past, and this year, there are incredibly compelling reasons to consider a pitcher for the AL MVP Award. (The NL competition is over, by the way; just give the award to the amazing Ryan Howard right now.)

The Minnesota Twins are 81-59, the wildcard entrant if the playoffs started today. They are 22 games over .500.

Johan Santana has made 30 starts this year, and in those games, the Twins are 25-5. He's 17-5 himself, and Minnesota has won every game in which Santana got a no-decision; if he hasn't won, he's given them a chance to win.

Let's review. When Santana starts, the Twins are 20 games over .500. When anybody else starts, they are 56-54, basically a .500 team.

When Santana starts, the Twins are as unbeatable as the '27 Yankees. When anybody else starts, they are a non-playoff team.

The Twins are 3-1 when he has started against the White Sox, 3-1 when he has started against Detroit. His record in the second half of the season is 8-0; the Twins are 11-0 in his starts since the All-Star break. Francisco Liriano went down and since then, Santana has hoisted the rotation onto his shoulders. He's got four starts left, in all likelihood, and it's conceivable that the Twins will have a perfect record in the games he starts in the second half.

Without Santana pitching as well as he has, the Twins aren't even part of the playoff conversation.

If the Twins don't make the playoffs, I wouldn't vote for Santana; there are good candidates -- no slam-dunk candidates -- with other teams. Jermaine Dye with the White Sox, the Yankees' Derek Jeter, Travis Hafner and David Ortiz. Justin Morneau has had an incredible season, getting a huge hit in the Twins' high-pressure victory last night. You can make a good case for Joe Mauer.

But is there any player who has had a greater impact on his team's won-loss record than Johan Santana?

Don't think so.

Even as a Yanks fan, I always respected Ortiz, the guy is a beast at the plate...but he's whining like a little bitch to me.

"Don't get me wrong -- he's a great player, having a great season, but he's got a lot of guys in that lineup," Ortiz continued. "Top to bottom, you've got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be."

Nice to throw your teammates under the bridge, did Big Papi forget he hits ahead of the best RBI machine in the last 10 years.

SkinsRaj28 said:

While we're on the subject of the MVP race, I'll paste this post from Buster Olney's blog...pretty compelling argument for Johan Santana. What he's doing is pretty fucking remarkable.

Click to expand...

He seems so underpaid. Really, the guy deserves A-Rod money.

No pitcher who plays 35 days out of the game year A-Rod money. In fact no player in the game deserves A-Rod money that includes A-Rod.

Word Funk...I agree with you though, dmmd...pitchers simply can't make as much as a top position player.

On an unrelated note, how many people wrote off the Twins as soon as Liriano went down? How can one NOT root for these guys?

dmmd98 said:

No pitcher who plays 35 days out of the game year A-Rod money. In fact no player in the game deserves A-Rod money that includes A-Rod.

Click to expand...

I can appreciate that. But A-Rod does not carry team like Santana!

The money structure of MLB is a joke. But that is another debate for another time.

To me, there has been a marked difference in the character of David Ortiz as the season has progressed. I agree with another post above, it is becoming glaringly obvious to him that he isn't having as much fun as he did a few years ago. I mean, if I am a solid baseball player coming into my prime, and then ponder the idea that the best team I am going to be on in my career was 2 years ago, I may be getting a little bitter too and turning to other things to vent this frustration, i.e. mvp award. Still, he is a good guy and good for baseball.

Great article about Santana, do you realize how freaking incredible this guy is in the SECOND half of the season, every year?! Unbelievable.

SkinsRaj28 said:

On an unrelated note, how many people wrote off the Twins as soon as Liriano went down? How can one NOT root for these guys?

Click to expand...

That's what I'm T'in a B skins, that's what I'm T'in a B

How many rings does Santana have? Paying him 25 million is insane. No pitcher should make over 15 million a season with the current market. Santana is the best pitcher in the game but paying that much money for a guy who doesn't play everyday is questionable at best. Besides anyday now his arm can blow up and you are struck with a bill of goods.