Ortiz not villain for comments on Jeter
09/16/2006 6:31 PM ET
Ortiz not villain for comments on Jeter
Papi's statement ill-advised, not controversial or offensive
NEW YORK -- More than anything else, the David Ortiz/Derek Jeter "controversy" must have been the result of a slow news day in the American League East.
What did Ortiz actually say about Jeter that was so offensive? Ortiz said that sluggers, or at the very least, hitters with big RBI totals, typically win the Most Valuable Player Award over players such as Jeter.
There is a chance that if Ortiz is not playing for the Boston Red Sox and Jeter is not playing for the New York Yankees, these comments would come and go without measurable controversy. But with the Red Sox and the Yankees about to play once again when the story broke, these comments were predictably interpreted in some portions of the New York media as inflammatory, insulting, degrading, demeaning, etc.
That was all in the eye of the beholder. In the context of this rivalry, hype is always within arm's reach. But objectively, what David Ortiz said about the award was true.
Over the last 10 years, in the two leagues, only one MVP winner was not a slugger, or at the very least a player with major RBI totals. That was Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, the year in which he burst unto the American baseball scene with a display of his marvelous all-around ability. He was a justifiable winner, but he was alone in being a non-slugger MVP over the last decade. From Ken Griffey Jr. to Alex Rodriguez, from Barry Bonds to Albert Pujols, every other MVP winner was a big bopper.
We can argue about whether the voters, the baseball writers, are correct in their approach. We can argue that intangibles, rather than statistics, should receive more consideration in the process. But argument or not, the statistical nature of the MVP winners has become somewhat predictable.
If you voted for a 10-year American League MVP over this same period, you could make a clear and compelling case for Derek Jeter being that man. His level of play, his leadership, his example have made him not only the captain, but the current focal point of this franchise, the indispensable Yankee.
But raw numbers probably never can do justice to Derek Jeter's actual value. Even in his best seasons, there was always somebody whose statistics were more of the eye-popping nature, and that somebody was the eventual MVP winner.
Maybe this will be Derek Jeter's year. His play helped hold his team together when it was struck by injuries to key players. He is in the hunt to win a batting championship. In any case, the MVP race is probably not going to come down to what David Ortiz said about Derek Jeter.
The mistake Ortiz made here was saying anything about one of the other viable MVP candidates. That can be construed as campaigning, and that never plays well with the voters. If you're asked a question about the other candidates in an MVP race, the only winning answer is something along the lines of "I'm thrilled just to be mentioned in the same breath as these great players."
Ortiz did later clarify his remarks about Jeter, saying, "Come on, dude. That guy is one of my favorite players. You never talk [negatively] about Derek Jeter, bro. It's wrong. That guy plays his [rear end] off."
To his credit, Yankees manager Joe Torre attempted to diminish the controversy, two days in a row.
"I think that was blown out of proportion," Torre said on Saturday. "The David Ortiz I know is a guy who is respectful of not only his teammates but his opponents. Sometimes people say something and they mean something else. I'm not saying that's the case here, but I wouldn't overdo what has been written."
Torre said much the same thing on Saturday, suggesting that Ortiz should be judged on who he has been in general during his career, rather than on the basis of an isolated statement.
The stature of Derek Jeter among Yankees fans is such that any hint of criticism in his direction will infuriate a portion of the population. That is understandable, but in this case, what David Ortiz said was not fundamentally critical. It simply called forth a fact that was unfriendly to Jeter's chances of winning the 2006 American League MVP.
David Ortiz would have been better off saying nothing about Derek Jeter's MVP candidacy. But you've got to go a long way to make Ortiz into the ultimate villain for making these remarks. Some people were able to make this journey, which probably indicates that, in the absence of a red-hot AL East race, actual baseball news on the New York/Boston rivalry front was in short supply.
Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
© 2001-2006 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.
Ortiz not villain for comments on Jeter
Papi's statement ill-advised, not controversial or offensive
NEW YORK -- More than anything else, the David Ortiz/Derek Jeter "controversy" must have been the result of a slow news day in the American League East.
What did Ortiz actually say about Jeter that was so offensive? Ortiz said that sluggers, or at the very least, hitters with big RBI totals, typically win the Most Valuable Player Award over players such as Jeter.
There is a chance that if Ortiz is not playing for the Boston Red Sox and Jeter is not playing for the New York Yankees, these comments would come and go without measurable controversy. But with the Red Sox and the Yankees about to play once again when the story broke, these comments were predictably interpreted in some portions of the New York media as inflammatory, insulting, degrading, demeaning, etc.
That was all in the eye of the beholder. In the context of this rivalry, hype is always within arm's reach. But objectively, what David Ortiz said about the award was true.
Over the last 10 years, in the two leagues, only one MVP winner was not a slugger, or at the very least a player with major RBI totals. That was Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, the year in which he burst unto the American baseball scene with a display of his marvelous all-around ability. He was a justifiable winner, but he was alone in being a non-slugger MVP over the last decade. From Ken Griffey Jr. to Alex Rodriguez, from Barry Bonds to Albert Pujols, every other MVP winner was a big bopper.
We can argue about whether the voters, the baseball writers, are correct in their approach. We can argue that intangibles, rather than statistics, should receive more consideration in the process. But argument or not, the statistical nature of the MVP winners has become somewhat predictable.
If you voted for a 10-year American League MVP over this same period, you could make a clear and compelling case for Derek Jeter being that man. His level of play, his leadership, his example have made him not only the captain, but the current focal point of this franchise, the indispensable Yankee.
But raw numbers probably never can do justice to Derek Jeter's actual value. Even in his best seasons, there was always somebody whose statistics were more of the eye-popping nature, and that somebody was the eventual MVP winner.
Maybe this will be Derek Jeter's year. His play helped hold his team together when it was struck by injuries to key players. He is in the hunt to win a batting championship. In any case, the MVP race is probably not going to come down to what David Ortiz said about Derek Jeter.
The mistake Ortiz made here was saying anything about one of the other viable MVP candidates. That can be construed as campaigning, and that never plays well with the voters. If you're asked a question about the other candidates in an MVP race, the only winning answer is something along the lines of "I'm thrilled just to be mentioned in the same breath as these great players."
Ortiz did later clarify his remarks about Jeter, saying, "Come on, dude. That guy is one of my favorite players. You never talk [negatively] about Derek Jeter, bro. It's wrong. That guy plays his [rear end] off."
To his credit, Yankees manager Joe Torre attempted to diminish the controversy, two days in a row.
"I think that was blown out of proportion," Torre said on Saturday. "The David Ortiz I know is a guy who is respectful of not only his teammates but his opponents. Sometimes people say something and they mean something else. I'm not saying that's the case here, but I wouldn't overdo what has been written."
Torre said much the same thing on Saturday, suggesting that Ortiz should be judged on who he has been in general during his career, rather than on the basis of an isolated statement.
The stature of Derek Jeter among Yankees fans is such that any hint of criticism in his direction will infuriate a portion of the population. That is understandable, but in this case, what David Ortiz said was not fundamentally critical. It simply called forth a fact that was unfriendly to Jeter's chances of winning the 2006 American League MVP.
David Ortiz would have been better off saying nothing about Derek Jeter's MVP candidacy. But you've got to go a long way to make Ortiz into the ultimate villain for making these remarks. Some people were able to make this journey, which probably indicates that, in the absence of a red-hot AL East race, actual baseball news on the New York/Boston rivalry front was in short supply.
Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
© 2001-2006 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.
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