sean mcnally wrote:

Bold prediction – neither Teixeira nor Jeter will win the award.
Just looking at it electorally – you have to believe there are two blocs of voters – those predisposed to vote for a Yankee and those predisposed to vote for the best non-Yankee available, think of the last group as the anti-East Coast Bias crowd.
What is likely to happen is that Jeter and Teixeira will split the “Yankee vote,” while Mauer will carry the “anybody but” vote and win the award with a plurality, if not majority.

Sean, call me a bloody cynic BUT that pro-Mauer vote will overwhelm anyone who votes for Teix or St Derek. There seems to be such an anti-NY bias among those who pick MVP, that Mauer will get MVP by a clear margin( a decent sized majority). He clearly deserves the award and barring any unseen circumstances , Joe” Miracle Man” Mauer will be MVP……

sean mcnally wrote:

Generally when someone declares they are making a bold prediction…. they probably aren’t.

Touché.

@ MJ:
MJ wrote:

Agree completely…although (no offense) I wouldn’t exactly call that a bold prediction

Generally when someone declares they are making a bold prediction…. they probably aren’t.

sean mcnally wrote:

Bold prediction – neither Teixeira nor Jeter will win the award.
Just looking at it electorally – you have to believe there are two blocs of voters – those predisposed to vote for a Yankee and those predisposed to vote for the best non-Yankee available, think of the last group as the anti-East Coast Bias crowd.
What is likely to happen is that Jeter and Teixeira will split the “Yankee vote,” while Mauer will carry the “anybody but” vote and win the award with a plurality, if not majority.

Agree completely…although (no offense) I wouldn’t exactly call that a bold prediction

Bold prediction – neither Teixeira nor Jeter will win the award.

Just looking at it electorally – you have to believe there are two blocs of voters – those predisposed to vote for a Yankee and those predisposed to vote for the best non-Yankee available, think of the last group as the anti-East Coast Bias crowd.

What is likely to happen is that Jeter and Teixeira will split the “Yankee vote,” while Mauer will carry the “anybody but” vote and win the award with a plurality, if not majority.

Corey wrote:

in a post that I had intended to make, but didn’t because I couldn’t figure out how to make a poll (i didn’t spend all that much time trying to figure it out to be honest) while you were gone, I had found an article on SI that said that theres only been 2 seasons ever in the history of major league baseball where a shortstop that was Jeter’s age or older hit .330 or above. Both seasons were turned in by hall of famer Honus Wagner during the year of 1909 and 1911. The record by Wagner was in 1909 when he hit .339. To me, this isn’t just an mvp season…this is an all time season.
My poll, had it been easy to implement, would have been pretty much what this post is getting at: Jeter for MVP? Yay or Nay. Me? He gets the nod from me, so far, this year. We’ll see how this last month shapes up.

I totally agree with this statement and also feel Jeter is worthy of the MVP vote, but there are two things that are working against Jeter.

1 – Mauer is having an equally historic year for a catcher.

2 – Even historically great numbers for a SS are just really good numbers for a 1B/3B/Corner outfielder, and a lot of voters aren’t smart enough to take position into account.
2 -

BTW, my rant was about if Jeter was worthy, which I (obviously) think he is worthy. But I agree with Evan, Mauer is having a great year and he’s very much deserving.

Dustin Pedroia won the MVP when Morneau and Kevin Youkalis produced more runs, and they were 2nd and 3rd in the MVP voting, respectively.

If that little f*ckhead can win, then DJ deserves to win even more, just like he deserved to win in 1999 and 2006. It’s like Al Pacino winning the Oscar for a movie that was nowhere near as great as Dog Day Afternoon or The Godfather.

I have never cared who won the MVP award. If the Yankees win, then I am satisfied and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest if the writers pick a player on an also-ran team. If the Yankees lose, it would not mollify me to see a Yankee win the MVP.

My feeling on this has not changed. If Mauer continues to hit and play at the same level he is now, and the Twins stay in the Central race down to the last 5-10 days of the season, then he’s the MVP.

If he fades, or the Twins fade, then he’s not. Whether it’s then Jeter, Tex, Morales, or someone else…well, I guess I’d pick Jeter in that case.

Not that I’m not rooting for him; not that I don’t very much want to see Jeter win an MVP. Jeter’s had a brilliant season; a great season, a Hall of Fame level season. Mauer’s having an historic one, so far, and keeping a mediocre team in a pennant race they otherwise have no business being in.

So, it’s Mauer, unless he fades, or the Twins fade.