Ortiz a Shoo-In for MVP

[yankeessuck013]

Ortiz in a league of his own

 

Red Sox teammates say Big Papi is shoo-in for MVP

 

By Ian Browne l MLB.com

 

David Ortiz is hitting .297 with 31 homers and 107 RBIs this season.*(Tony Dejak/AP)

 

ANAHEIM -- For those who sit in the Red Sox clubhouse, all they need to do to cast an unofficial vote for the American League's Most Valuable Player is to look in the direction of the bear of a man who typically chills on the couch in the pregame hours, getting his relaxation while he can before unleashing his plan of attack for the night.

 

Kevin Millar doesn't have an MVP vote. That honor goes to select voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Asked who his MVP was a few days ago, Millar merely pointed his finger toward a lounging David Ortiz.

 

"David Ortiz. What makes it neat is not that he's a good player or hits home runs; this guy is a tremendous person, which makes him fun to root for," said Millar. "This guy is an unbelievable human being. He's fun, he has a heart of gold. And he's unbelievable in the batter's box. So that makes it so much more gratifying. You root for this guy. He's an all-around good guy and the most dangerous left-hander in the big leagues right now. Who's better?"

 

When Barry Bonds was healthy, there would be one possible answer. But right now? When you factor in his propensity to come through in the clutch with his sheer ability to mash right-handers and left-handers alike from the spring and summer and into the fall, it's hard to find any left-handed hitter in the same league.

 

He's already led the Red Sox to a World Series championship. He has become a man of the people with a nickname to fit the bill (Big Papi) in the process. The only thing, it seems, that Ortiz hasn't done is win the MVP award.

 

Ortiz, who is hitting .297 with 31 homers and 107 RBIs, thinks he could find a spot on his mantle for an MVP trophy; perhaps he could put it next to the ALCS MVP he won last year.

 

"It would be great. I've been close the past couple of years," Ortiz said.

 

Indeed. He was fifth in the voting in 2003, then moved to fourth last year. Early prognosticators have Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield among this year's top candidates. In Boston, they say, "Why not Ortiz?"

 

"It's special when you play with MVPs, the best players in the league," said Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, who is having quite a year himself. "Teams know this guy is a wrecking force. Teams know their focus has got to be on him. The one guy you don't want to beat you is Ortiz."

 

That, sometimes, is not a realistic hope. B.J. Ryan, the overpowering lefty from the Orioles, didn't want Ortiz to beat him on June 2. But there was Ortiz, turning around a 3-2 heater for a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that instantly turned a 4-3 deficit into a 6-4 win. For some players, that would be a hit to stand above all others. For Ortiz, it was simply the fifth walkoff home run he's hit in a Boston uniform.

 

Last week in Detroit, the Red Sox were two outs away from suffering their second loss in a row to the Tigers. But Ortiz took matters into his own bat, blasting Fernando Rodney's heater over the wall in right for a dramatic equalizer. Then, in the 10th, he pummeled a three-run shot to put an exclamation point on the 10-7 win.

 

Because Ortiz is a DH and can't contribute with his glove, his impact on the Red Sox is profound.

 

"Every day I just get ready to do something, especially at the right time," said Ortiz. "Like I say, it's something, if you can provide it that way, that's the toughest part of this game, to hit. Anybody can go out there and make a play, but not everybody can come and hit a homer to tie a game or win a game or get a big hit in a big situation. That's the toughest part of this game."

 

Even if Ortiz -- who ranks third in the American League in slugging percentage and fourth in on-base percentage -- makes it look unfairly easy at times.

 

Since signing with the Red Sox as a low-risk, high-reward free agent in January, 2003 (the reward has long since hit the ceiling), Ortiz has gone from a platoon player to an icon. Once former manager Grady Little deemed that Ortiz was an everyday player, all he did was carry the Red Sox on his back in the second half of the 2003 season.

 

Ortiz came back in 2004 even better, helped by his enhanced ability to hammer the inside pitch, which was once his biggest weakness. It added up to a .301 batting average, 47 doubles, 41 homers and 139 RBIs. And that was just the regular season.

 

The gregarious slugger turned himself into a legend in the postseason, lifting the Red Sox to a Division Series sweep of the Angels by hammering a walkoff blaster over the Monster in the 10th inning in Game 3.

 

Then, with the obituaries of the 2004 Red Sox all but written, Ortiz rose from the ashes to deliver a game-ending homer against the Yankees in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the ALCS, and then a 14th-inning finish (a two-out blooper that fell in) the very next day. And for good measure, he hammered a two-run shot in the first inning of Game 7 in Yankee Stadium and a three-run bullet down the right-field line in his first at-bat of the World Series.

 

Big Papi had reached the peak of popularity. Everywhere he went last winter, someone wanted to shake his hand or just thank him for his accomplishments.

 

Still, he was motivated to crank his game up yet another notch, and that's what he's done this season by fixing the one remaining weakness as a hitter. The one thing Ortiz never was before this season was patient. He was the first to admit that he wasn't as disciplined as his partner in mashing, Ramirez. So here he is, entering play on Monday, leading the American League with 75 walks, the same number he had all of last season.

 

"We try so hard to stay on him about staying in the zone. We don't want him to go out of the zone," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "And he is so diligent about watching pitches. He's a DH. He has time to go watch video. When that ball is an inch or two off the plate, he knows it's an inch or two off the plate. That's how professional he is in his approach."

 

While his home run hacks have already been the stuff of legend, Ortiz will do anything to win. Take Sunday afternoon, for example, when he surveyed the latest shift against him and dropped a bunt single down the third base line in the top of the eighth inning. A couple of pitches later, Ramirez hit one into the cheap seats and the Red Sox were on their way to a 5-1 victory.

 

Ortiz hadn't bunted since his days in a Dominican Rookie League. But the idea struck him and he went with it. Like nearly everything else he has touched since arriving in Boston, Ortiz's bunt turned to gold.

 

"I've been here three years, you seen me bunt before?" said Ortiz. "When you see those 0-for-3's, 0-for-8, 0-for-12, you might see one of those once in a while."

 

The bunt came at a time Ortiz had gone just 1-for-15 in a four-game series against the Angels. Nobody wants him to make bunting a habit, but it was an example of the way he constantly finds new ways to foil the opponent.

 

"It seems like he improves at-bat to at-bat," Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler said of Ortiz. "He's done some special things. What makes him extra special is that the more pressure the situation, the more he shows up. He's tremendous in the clutch."

 

And as long as Ortiz occupies that No. 3 hole for the Red Sox, you can't discount the chances that Boston will make another run into late October.

 

"If we don't have Ortiz, we might not be in this situation," said Damon. "All the game-winning hits, all the come-from-behind wins, it's pretty special. A-Rod deserves to be in the top five, there's no doubt about it. Manny is probably second. Sheffield is right up there. Those guys do remarkable things. Vladimir is going to be up there. But David is definitely No. 1."

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050822&content_id=1179755&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

[elsrbueno]

As good as Ortiz is at the plate, I'd have a hard time giving the MVP to a guy who doesn't play the field. He's a terrifying hitter, but part of that reason is because all he has to do is focus on hitting.

 

I would be surprised if he won the MVP award, just because DH's don't usually get taken seriously by the voters.

[yankeessuck013]

Ortiz is without a doubt one of the best if not the best hitter in the game. He's definetely the best lefty hhitter in the game. Think about it, with Bonds hurt, it's not even close...With Bonds out of the picture, the closest left-hander to Papi is Junior Griffey, Hideki Matsui, or Adam Dunn, and those guys can't even tie Ortiz' shoe-laces. Not to mention, he's the premier clutch hitter in the league right now. Isn't it kind of amazing how far he has come in his tenure with the sox?

[Sox Fan on Cape]

No arguement here, Ortiz is a great hitter. But I think most of the voters look at " a complete " meaning defense and offense. My guess is Manny would get more votes.

[yankeessuck013]

does anyone think that ortiz and manny split votes? I heard someone mention that last year.

[ARod2212]

Check out my user name for your AL MVP.

[yankeessuck013]

not buying it, his defense wasn't good at all at the beginning of the year.

 

Vlad's been on a tear lately. If yankee's dont make the playoffs I don't think a-fraud will get it.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

does anyone think that ortiz and manny split votes? I heard someone mention that last year.

What do mean by split ? I you mean both being so good that they take votes from each other, yes. If you mean do the voters vote by team, yes. Otherwise, I'm not sure of the question ??

[yankeessuck013]

you mean both being so good that they take votes from each other, yes.

 

yeah thats what i meant.

[ARod2212]

not buying it, his defense wasn't good at all at the beginning of the year.

 

Vlad's been on a tear lately. If yankee's dont make the playoffs I don't think a-fraud will get it.

Well his defense has been spectacular lately, and is near the top in all the big offensive categories.

 

4th in average, 2nd in OBP, 1st in SLG, 1st in OPS, 1st in HR, 3rd in RBI, 4th in Runs Scored

 

yeah I'll take Rodriguez.

[yankeessuck013]

of course you will your a yankmees fan....bias....just like I would take manny or ortiz.

[ARod2212]

of course you will your a yankmees fan....bias....just like I would take manny or ortiz.

And the stats I just provided, what they're just bias too? A-Rod hasn't made an error since the beginning of June, and played solid to spectacular defense at third since. Manny plays average leftfield at best, and Ortiz doesn't bring much defense to the table, does he?

 

I fail to see how there is even an argument that Rodriguez should win it.

[yankeessuck013]

a-rod does not get those clutch hits, he gets homeruns when the score is 6-0 or something. Think whatever yuo want, its not gunna change my mind.

 

I suppose you think mariano should win the cy young too.

 

manny leads the league in OF assists too.

[riverside sluggers]

Manny plays average leftfield at best

 

yes that is true "yankeessuck" Manny has 12 this season

[Sizzlin22]

I actually agree with A-Rod here, A-Rod has silently had a superb season. Ortiz is a great pick but I don't think he will get it.

[yankeessuck013]

doesn't being an MVP mean being a good sport too

 

Rangers third base coach Steve Smith, who was Alex Rodriguez' infield coach in Seattle and Texas, raised an issue about A-Rod taking out Rangers shortstop Michael Young Thursday night on a play at second base in the sixth inning.

 

Rodriguez went into second with a hard slide and caught Young's ankle with his hand. Young committed a throwing error trying to turn a double play. The Yankees scored twice in the frame on the way to a 9-8 victory.

 

"It's the way he did it," Smith said of A-Rod. "Guys use their arms to take out guys all the time, but this was a swipe at [Young]. I would rather see a hard slide than that."

 

A-Rod didn't have much to say about the play except that he thought it was a legal move.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

And the stats I just provided, what they're just bias too? A-Rod hasn't made an error since the beginning of June, and played solid to spectacular defense at third since. Manny plays average leftfield at best, and Ortiz doesn't bring much defense to the table, does he?

 

I fail to see how there is even an argument that Rodriguez should win it.

Yes A-Rod has some great stats. But, he carries baggage. First, he had a rather dismal year ( for A-Rod standards ) and was deemed a failure ( understand adjustments and all ), second he got off to a bad start this year, third he's a Yankee ( last time a Yakee won an MVP, especially without being an overhelming favorite ), and finally, MVP's are usually given to a player that, not only has great stats, but carried at team to playoffs or better. That will be a problem.

[ARod2212]

I don't think he's the most important player on this team by a long shot. I'd much rather have Matsui or Sheffield up in a big spot. However, sportswriters look at stats and A-Rod has got them.

 

Bad start or whatever, Rodriguez is on pace for 47 homers and 132 RBIs, leads the league in OPS and has played very good defense. More than what could be said about the two candidates from Boston.

 

You are going to tell me Ramirez has stats without baggage? An MVP shouldn't be trying to bail on his team in the middle of a pennant race.

 

And the playoff argument is moot, because the Yanks will be playing more than 2 games in October.

[riverside sluggers]

Rodriguez is on pace for 47 homers and 132 RBIs, leads the league in OPS and has played very good defense. More than what could be said about the two candidates from Boston.

 

um yeah Manny is headed for 45+ Homeruns and 135-150 RBIs, while Ortiz is headed for 40-45 Homeruns with 130+ RBIs

[ARod2212]

Defense?

[riverside sluggers]

Manny has had 12 outfield assists, leads the leagues in that area

[stocker323]

Defense?

Manny does lead the league in OF assists so even if he is an average fielder, that has to account for something. It also is unfair to penalize a DH for not playing the field, someone has to play the position in the AL and his offense more than accounts for him not playing defense. Everyone knows that when voting for MVPs defense is rarely considered unless you are extraordinatily on either end of the spectrum which neither Ortiz or Manny are.

[riverside sluggers]

Manny has a fielding percentage of .976, Arod has .969--Manny has made 5 errors, Arod has made 10

[ARod2212]

Manny has had 12 outfield assists, leads the leagues in that area

Playing in Fenway, where there is 32 feet to cover as a leftfielder, he's bound to throw a few guys out! Outfield assists is an overrated stat. Vlad doesn't get many outfield assists anymore, because people don't run on him. People take the extra base Manny whenever possible, so he gets more opportunties to throw guys out. He's done the job by throwing out 12 baserunners, but let's not put him in the defensive category of Vlad and Ichiro.

 

Honestly now, Rodriguez has all the tools and Manny hits. If we're talking a complete player, Rodriguez is it. And a complete player should win MVP over someone who just hits when the stats are comparable.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

And up until like last week or the week before manny had only 1 error and his FPCT was like .994. If i'd for an MVP, i'd go with Manny.

[ARod2212]

Manny has a fielding percentage of .976, Arod has .969--Manny has made 5 errors, Arod has made 10

Rodriguez plays 3rd base, Manny plays leftfield. If you are honestly making that argument you need to play baseball and tell me which position is more apt to make errors.

[ARod2212]

It also is unfair to penalize a DH for not playing the field, someone has to play the position in the AL and his offense more than accounts for him not playing defense. Everyone knows that when voting for MVPs defense is rarely considered unless you are extraordinatily on either end of the spectrum which neither Ortiz or Manny are.

Would you prefer someone who can hit and field or just hit? Ortiz can't play defense at all, and Rodriguez plays a damn good third base. Since June he hasn't made an error, and has made countless 'Web Gems' robbing doubles down the line.

 

There is more value in Rodriguez than there is in Ortiz.

[riverside sluggers]

go look at how Ortiz played defense during the world series and the interleague games, he played some solid D out there and he only gets to play a few games at 1st base each season--Ortiz is more clutch than arod ever is

[ARod2212]

go look at how Ortiz played defense during the world series and the interleague games, he played some solid D out there and he only gets to play a few games at 1st base each season--Ortiz is more clutch than arod ever is

dontcha think Ortiz only plays a few games at first for a reason?

 

Ok and let's talk about clutch for a moment. I have been on A-Rod's back all year for not getting big hits, but in the overall scheme of things when looking at an entire year of baseball and deciphering the MVP, a homer in the 2nd inning is just as good as in the 8th inning. Clutch takes a backseat to homeruns, RBIs and OPS when picking the MVP. I'll put defense over clutch when picking an MVP. Clutch is too arbitrary and intangible for me to put stock into using it as criteria for MVP.

 

But again, I'd rather have Matsui, Sheffield and probably Jeter and Sierra up in a big spot before Rodriguez.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Here is a weird idea i just came up with.

 

Ok manny has 33 home runs, and for each home run he gets one run for himself as an RBI, so he has 87 runs and 111 RBI. watch this.

 

78 of his RBI's were not himself being driven in by his own home run. 54 of his runs scored was not him hitting a home run.

 

Arod has scored 89 runs, driven in 100 and hit 36 homers.

 

64 of A-rods rbis were not himself hitting a home run and accounting for his own RBI. 53 of his runs were not him hitting a home run and scoring.

 

So that tells me that Manny has driven in more runners then A-rod has, if they hit no home runs.

 

David ortiz: 91 runs scored, 31 home runs, 107 rbi.

 

Ortiz has driven in 76 rbis, and scored 60.

 

 

So based on by crazy equation ORtiz has been the most producing out of those guys. I'd do vl;ad guerrero but my brain hurts from coming up with that crap.

 

 

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