Statement from Derek Jeter, New York Yankees shortstop, regarding 2006 MVP announcement
11/21/2006 6:05 PM ET
Statement from Derek Jeter, New York Yankees shortstop, regarding 2006 MVP announcement
"While I know that voting for these awards is primarily based on differing opinions and statistical debates, it's also part of what makes baseball such a great sport.
"Having said that, I'm flattered and honored to have been considered for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. I want to congratulate Justin Morneau on this well-deserved honor. He is a special player, and I suspect this won't be the last time you will hear his name mentioned when awards are being passed out.
"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus. There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."
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Jeter runner-up in AL MVP Award voting
11/21/2006 6:24 PM ET
Jeter runner-up in AL MVP Award voting
Yankees shortstop finishes 14 points behind Twins' Morneau
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter has been picking up his share of hardware this offseason, but he missed out on the crown jewel of awards on Tuesday, as Justin Morneau captured the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Jeter finished with 306 points to Morneau's 320, receiving 12 first-place votes to Morneau's 15. Jeter also earned 14 second-place votes, a fourth-place vote and a sixth-place vote.
"To really appreciate the kind of work he does, you have to see him on a regular basis," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We've had players who have come over from different organizations, and after a month or so, they've come to me and said, 'I always knew he was a good player, but I never realized how good he was.'"
Morneau received eight second-place votes, three third-place votes and two fourth-place votes. The only other players listed on all 28 ballots were Boston's David Ortiz, who finished third, and Chicago's Jermaine Dye, who finished fifth. Oakland's Frank Thomas, who came in fourth, was named on 26.
Jeter, a seven-time All-Star, ranked second in the American League with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored, fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases. Jeter also drove in 97 runs out of the No. 2 spot in New York's lineup.
"When he knocks in a run, it's different than when a home run hitter does it," Torre said. "A home run hitter can get himself two or three quick RBIs, where Derek, for the most part, is knocking them in one at a time."
Jeter came through when his team needed him to this season, batting .381 with runners in scoring position. That ranked second among all American League players with at least 100 such at-bats, trailing only Texas' Michael Young, who hit .412. Mauer hit .360 with RISP, while Dye hit .351, Morneau .323 and Ortiz .288.
"It was the closest call of any MVP race in recent memory, but to me, the deciding factor was Jeter's average with runners in scoring position," said Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record, who listed Jeter first on his ballot. "He showed a unique ability to handle pressure."
Jeter also topped Morneau, Ortiz and Dye in hits, runs, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage and stolen bases.
"While I know that voting for these awards is primarily based on differing opinions and statistical debates, it's also part of what makes baseball such a great sport," Jeter said in a statement released by the Yankees.
"Having said that, I'm flattered and honored to have been considered for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. I want to congratulate Justin Morneau on this well-deserved honor. He is a special player, and I suspect this won't be the last time you will hear his name mentioned when awards are being passed out.
"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus. There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."
The fact that the Yankees essentially wrapped up the AL East in August with their five-game sweep of the Red Sox may have hurt Jeter. Morneau and the Twins fought until the final weekend of the season to win the AL Central, which apparently swayed some voters.
"I thought both had great years, in different ways," said the Newark Star-Ledger's Ed Price, who listed Jeter second on his ballot. "I voted Morneau first because his team was in a closer race, and I thought the way he played when the Twins got hot and got back in the race made him more instrumental to his team's finish."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jeter became just the fifth player in the past 75 seasons to hit .340 or higher, drive in at least 90 runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. The others were Larry Walker (1997), Ellis Burks (1996), Willie Mays (1958) and Jackie Robinson (1949).
"To play at that kind of high level all year, it's very difficult to do," Torre said. "He means so much to our team."
Jeter, who was named the MVP of the 2000 World Series and All-Star Game, would have been the third player to win those two awards in addition to a league MVP award. Brooks Robinson (1964 AL MVP, 1966 All-Star MVP and 1970 WS MVP) and Frank Robinson (1961 NL MVP, 1966 AL MVP, 1966 WS MVP, 1971 All-Star MVP) are the others.
Since the end of the season, Jeter has picked up several awards, including the AL Hank Aaron Award, the Silver Slugger and his third consecutive Gold Glove.
The second-place finish is the best of Jeter's career. He came in third in 1998, behind Juan Gonzalez and Nomar Garciaparra. Jeter also finished sixth in 1999, but hadn't placed higher than 10th since then.
This is the fifth straight season in which a Yankee has finished in the top three of the MVP vote. In 2002, Alfonso Soriano finished third behind Miguel Tejada and Alex Rodriguez. The next year, Jorge Posada came in third, finishing behind A-Rod and Carlos Delgado. In 2004, Gary Sheffield placed second behind Vladimir Guerrero, while A-Rod captured the award as a Yankee in 2005.
Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle won three MVPs apiece, while Roger Maris won two. Other Yankees winners were Lou Gehrig, Joe Gordon, Spud Chandler, Phil Rizzuto, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly and Rodriguez.
Mark Feinsand is a reporter 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.
Morneau Edges Jeter to Win AL MVP Award
Nov 21, 4:10 PM EST
Morneau Edges Jeter to Win AL MVP Award
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Justin Morneau won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, edging Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees after a season in which his 34 homers and 130 RBIs helped the Minnesota Twins capture their division.
Morneau received 15 first-place votes, eight seconds, three thirds and two fourths for 320 points in voting by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Jeter got 12 firsts, 14 seconds, one fourth and one sixth for 306 points.
"Last night even I was saying I don't expect to get it. I might have given myself maybe a 50-50 chance," Morneau said. "I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment if I didn't get it."
Three Twins finished among the top seven in the MVP voting. Joe Mauer won the AL batting title this year and Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana won the AL Cy Young last week.
"That says a lot," Morneau said. "I'd love to play my whole career here. We have a great young team."
Boston's David Ortiz was third with 193 points, followed by Oakland's Frank Thomas (174), Chicago's Jermaine Dye (156), Mauer (116). Santana got 114 points, receiving the other first-place vote.
It was the 16th-closest MVP race since the current format began in 1938, and the 10th closest in the AL.
Morneau hit .321 in helping the Twins win the AL Central for the fourth time in five years. Jeter batted .344 with 14 homers and 97 RBIs, finishing three points behind Mauer, who became the first catcher to win an AL batting title.
Morneau became the second Canadian-born player to win an MVP following Colorado's Larry Walker in 1997. He is the third Canadian-born athlete to win an MVP in a major pro league this year, following Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton.
Walker telephoned Morneau as the first baseman was arriving at the Metrodome.
"He just wanted to call and say, `Congrats," Morneau said. "He said he thought he was more excited than I was. He said, `Just wait, it's going to be crazy.'"
Walker, a coach for Canada, autographed a bat for Morneau at the World Baseball Classic in March.
"To Justin, make Canada proud," Walker wrote.
"I thought that was pretty cool," Morneau said.
Morneau is the fourth Minnesota player to win following Zoilo Versalles (1965), Harmon Killebrew (1969) and Rod Carew (1977).
Earning just $385,000 in his third season as a regular, Morneau proved a bargain. Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, voted NL MVP on Monday, made $355,000.
Ortiz earned a $100,000 bonus for finishing third in the voting. Thomas, who left the Athletics last week to sign with Toronto, received a $100,000 bonus for placing fourth. Dye got $60,000 for fifth.
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TROPHY LIFE
TROPHY LIFE
JETER COVETS FIRST MVP AWARD
By GEORGE KING November 20, 2006 -- The man who has almost everything could have it all by tomorrow, when the American League Most Valuable Player is announced.
What more could a baseball player want than Derek Jeter has? How about four World Series rings? Add AL Rookie of the Year honors (1996), the All-Star Game MVP (2000), World Series MVP (2000) and the past three AL Gold Gloves at short.
Not enough? Try making $19 million a year, having two wonderful parents and dating the hottest women in the galaxy.
An MVP award is the only trinket missing from Jeter's universe, and friends say while winning a fifth World Series ring is atop Jeter's wish list, he is taking the MVP race seriously.
"He competes in everything, and this is no different," an acquaintance said of Jeter, who has never led the league in hitting, homers or RBIs, but whose brilliance isn't tethered to the sexier statistics that have suffocated baseball.
Will he win it? Can he make it two Yankees in a row - and a major league high 20 overall - after Alex Rodriguez copped the 2005 award with a close victory over Boston's David Ortiz?
Since the Baseball Writers' Association of America - with two voters from each AL city - encourages its members to not divulge their ballots, we are left to informal polls to shape how the voting will turn out. Those surveys indicate this year's race could be closer than last season's, when Rodriguez won his second MVP award by a scant 24 points over Ortiz. For many, the deciding factor a year ago was that Rodriguez helped the Yankees win games with his glove in addition to his potent bat, while Ortiz, a DH, didn't play defense.
Will that same argument hold up this season, since Ortiz is the only DH among the top five candidates? In addition to Jeter, a pair of Twins teammates - catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau - figure to garner support, along with White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye.
Will the Red Sox's late-season fade hurt Ortiz, with Boston out of the playoffs and finishing third in the AL East? Even though the Yankees and Twins were first-round outs in the AL playoffs, ballots were cast before the ALDS began.
Ortiz's numbers certainly make a strong argument, because without him, the Red Sox wouldn't have been in the AL East race as long as they were. His league-leading 54 homers were 10 better than Dye's. His 137 RBIs were tops, seven more than Morneau and 17 ahead of Dye.
Jeter (.343) doesn't have the batting title Mauer (.347) copped. Nor Jeter is in the top 10 in homers or RBIs. His 214 hits tied for third and are more than any other MVP candidate. The 118 runs he scored were second to Cleveland's Grady Sizemore's 134 and three ahead of Ortiz. Jeter's .417 on-base percentage was fourth, 12 points behind Mauer.
One very important department where Jeter did better than the others was batting average with runners in scoring position; Jeter batted .381 while Mauer was at .360, Dye .351, Morneau .323 and Ortiz .288.
One area that shouldn't be ignored is anti-Yankee and anti-New York bias. If you don't think they exist, look no further than the NL Manager of the Year Award, won by former Florida manager Joe Girardi over Mets manager Willie Randolph.
george.king@nypost.com
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Jeter, Cano nab Silver Slugger Awards
11/10/2006 4:35 PM ET
Jeter, Cano nab Silver Slugger Awards
Middle infielders recognized for their hitting excellence in '06
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter's romp through postseason awards continued on Friday, as the Yankees' shortstop earned the first Silver Slugger Award of his career.
Jeter had some company on this one, though, as Robinson Cano picked up a Silver Slugger of his own as the American League's top hitting second baseman.
Jeter, who is a front-runner for the AL Most Valuable Player Award, has also picked up the AL Hank Aaron Award and his third consecutive Gold Glove this offseason.
Jeter ranked second in the American League with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored, fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases. Jeter also hit 14 home runs and drove in 97 runs out of the No. 2 spot in New York's lineup.
"The consistency that I noticed, beyond his statistics, is the fact that he comes here with the same intensity every day," Yankees manager Joe Torre said in September.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jeter became just the fifth player in the past 75 seasons to hit .340 or higher, drive in at least 90 runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. The others were Larry Walker (1997), Ellis Burks (1996), Willie Mays (1958) and Jackie Robinson (1949).
"I think sometimes people lose sight when they talk about baseball players, that hitting home runs makes them great, and if you don't hit home runs, then you're not," Jeter said in September. "Home runs get all the highlights -- you see them on 'SportsCenter' and all that. But there's more to the game than just home runs."
Cano followed up his impressive rookie season of 2005 with an even better year in 2006. Cano, who turned 24 on Oct. 22, hit .342 for the year, finishing third in the AL bating race behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer and Jeter. Cano hit 15 home runs and drove in 78 runs, despite missing six weeks with a hamstring injury.
Other Silver Slugger winners in the AL were Mauer and Justin Morneau of Minnesota, Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye of Chicago, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz of Boston and Vladimir Guerrero of Los Angeles.
Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award winners were determined by a vote of Major League Baseball coaches and managers. The voters selected the players they felt were the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National League in 2006.
Selections were based on a combination of offensive statistics including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, as well as the coaches' and managers' general impressions of a player's overall offensive value. Managers and coaches were not allowed to vote for players on their own team.
The Silver Slugger Award will be presented to each player by a representative of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., makers of Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, in a ceremony early in the 2006 season.
The trophy is three feet tall and bears the engraved name of the winner and his Silver Slugger teammates in his respective league. The Silver Slugger Award was instituted by H&B in 1980 as a natural extension of the Silver Bat Award which is, as its name indicates, a silver-plated bat presented by Louisville Slugger to the batting champions in the AL and NL.
Mark Feinsand is a reporter 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.
Yanks memories up for auction
11/06/2006 3:00 PM ET
Yanks memories up for auction
Online event features something special for everyone
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
Derek Jeter just won another Gold Glove to go along with the Hank Aaron Award he received as the best offensive player in the American League this past season. His phenomenal all-around season began while wearing a No. 2 road jersey for the Yankees in their opening series of 2006 vs. Oakland at McAfee Coliseum, and now it can be yours.
It is just one of the many fabulous game-used Yankee items that are now up for bidding at the MLB.com Auction, courtesy of Yankees-Steiner Collectibles. There is memorabilia for everyone, commemorating not only the 2006 regular season and postseason but also years past.
"This auction is particularly fun for fans because they are able to get their hands on some of the more unique items that come from the Yankees clubhouse," said Sean Mahoney, executive vice president of Yankees-Steiner. "Items like the actual chairs and locker nameplates [from the clubhouse] can be found in this auction. Also, there are many great items that were used during the 2006 season. And although the season ended in a somewhat disappointing manner, there were still some great moments and stories to come out of it. Derek's best season in pinstripes, Chien-Ming Wang's emergence as a true ace, and Melky Cabrera's unforgettable catch are just some of these, and they can all be remembered in one way or another by participating in this auction."
Here are some of the highlights:
More opening week game-worn jerseys. Along with the Jeter jersey, you can bid on items worn in that same Oakland series by Bernie Williams and Gary Sheffield.
"Dios te Bendiga." That's what is inscribed under the bill of a hat Mariano Rivera wore during a Yankees game this season. It's already a major piece of memorabilia, because it was used in a game by a future Hall of Famer. But the inscription, which translates to "God bless you," makes it even more special.
Cabrera's clubhouse chair. OK, it went something like this in the summer of 2006: A rookie outfielder scaled the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium to the amazement of teammate Johnny Damon and everyone else, providing arguably The Highlight of the regular season, and then sat in front of his locker in this chair as reporters mobbed him to get his thoughts and learn more about a new pinstriped phenom. Now you can have the chair, because he's getting a new one.
Take Hideki Matsui's pants. There is a good possibility that these pants will be too long on you, but do you really care? The Yankees' outfielder wore these pants during a game in 2004. Everyone has jerseys -- but who has pants to complete a full uni?
More pants to dance. Even cooler: Bid on a pair of Yankees road pants worn in 1988 by Rickey Henderson, who signed and inscribed them with "S.B. King." It doesn't look like he slid headfirst into second with these, but they're still classic.
ALDS Game 2 game-used Ball. If a Tigers fan finds this article, it's possible that he or she will be more likely to bid on it than a Yankees fan. But either way, it's a great artifact from the last game played in 2006 at The House That Ruth Built. It was used on Oct. 5, when Detroit rallied from a Johnny Damon three-run homer to escape New York with a 4-3 victory that would propel the Tigers to the pennant.
Sweet 17. Bid on a stunning 16x20 framed photo of Jeter, signed by the shortstop as well as these guys: Darryl Strawberry, Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage, Phil Linz, Joe Torre, Graig Nettles, Jim Leyritz, Luis Sojo, Sparky Lyle, Yogi Berra, Joe Pepitone, Don Larsen, Bucky Dent, Clete Boyer and Chris Chambliss.
Save the Stub Packages. This is one of a few examples in the auction that show how fans can have their game tickets framed with Yankee Stadium dirt, replica lineup card, descriptive nameplate of the game, and, in this case, an actual base used in the game. It's a lot better than stuffing your ticket stub into some drawer.
Game-used bases. On Aug. 8, 2004, Williams hit a grand slam in the first inning and touched 'em all -- including this dirty base, which he later signed right on top. There's a third base from a 2005 game against the Red Sox that featured homers by Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez.
Here's your opportunity to uncover a gem at the MLB.com Auction, where a Yankees memorabilia seeker can find a little of everything.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor 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.
Jeter wins third straight Gold Glove
Jeter wins third straight Gold Glove
11/02/2006 5:00 PM ET
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter added another piece of hardware to his trophy case on Thursday, capturing his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
"The Gold Glove Award means a great deal to me," Jeter said in a statement. "Fielding doesn't get many headlines, but it's a big part of the game of baseball. I take great pride in my defense, and to be recognized with a Gold Glove for three straight seasons is a great honor that I will always cherish."
Jeter also won this year's Hank Aaron Award in the American League and is a front-runner for the league's Most Valuable Player Award.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was "elated" upon hearing of Jeter's gold glove, according to the owner's spokesman, Howard Rubenstein.
"I'm very proud of Derek," Steinbrenner said through Rubenstein. "I hope he wins the MVP; he should. He's a great Yankee and a great leader."
Jeter's .975 fielding percentage ranked fourth in the AL, while his 15 errors were third fewest behind to Texas' Michael Young and Chicago's Juan Uribe (14 each) among all AL shortstops who played in at least 130 games. Young (.981), Cleveland's Jhonny Peralta (.977) and Uribe (.977) were the only shortstops with a better fielding percentage.
In 2004, Jeter became the first Yankees shortstop to win the award, giving the Bombers a Gold Glover at every position in their history.
The Yankees now have had 20 players win a total of 57 Gold Glove Awards, led by Don Mattingly's nine at first base.
The other winners in the AL were Detroit's Kenny Rogers and Ivan Rodriguez, Texas' Mark Teixeira, Kansas City's Mark Grudzielanek, Oakland's Eric Chavez, Toronto's Vernon Wells, Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Minnesota's Torii Hunter.
Rawlings established the Gold Glove Award to recognize the best fielders at each position. Managers and coaches of each team vote for the best defensive players in their league, excluding their own team.
The first Rawlings Gold Gloves were awarded to one player at each position across both leagues in 1957. Since 1958, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award has been presented annually to a lineup of nine players for both the American and National Leagues.
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.
Howard, Jeter win Hank Aaron Award
10/25/2006 9:40 PM ET
Howard, Jeter win Hank Aaron Award
Players honored for their big offensive contributions of 2006
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Howard of the Phillies and Derek Jeter of the Yankees were honored with the Hank Aaron Award presented by CENTURY 21 in a ceremony before Wednesday's Game 4 of the World Series at Busch Stadium, the result of more than a quarter-million votes cast by fans at MLB.com in a unique tribute to all-around offensive performance.
Howard led the Major Leagues with 58 home runs and 149 RBIs, far exceeding Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt's Phillies record of 48 long balls in a single season. It was a stunning power display in only Howard's first full season, and a further display came when he won the Home Run Derby before the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.
"It was a lot of fun. I think first off, with Century 21, we might need to work out some kind of deal here," Howard said amid laughter, referring to the fact that the company also sponsored the Home Run Derby. "Maybe something about hosting the World Series, maybe you can win an MVP or something like that. I want to say thank you to ... everyone who made the vote, to Hank Aaron. It's been a pleasure this season. It was a blast -- hopefully many more to come."
Fans broke tradition with their vote for Jeter. In his best individual season since 1999, the Yankees captain batted .343 in falling just short of the American League batting title won by Minnesota's Joe Mauer. Jeter stole a career-high 34 bases, hit 14 homers, had 214 hits, scored 118 runs, drove in 97 more and provided an important offensive consistency to a team that wound up with its ninth consecutive American League East title.
"I sort of feel out of place," Jeter said to the amusement of all attendees. "With Hank Aaron, the first thing that comes to mind is home runs. Ryan Howard the same thing. So when people said what award I was going to win, I stuck my chest out, and I said, 'You know, the Hank Aaron Award. What do you think?'"
When asked later by reporters if he would be surprised should the AL MVP Award go his way as well instead of to expected competitor David Ortiz of the rival Red Sox, Jeter said, "I'm surprised I'm here right now."
There were two phases of fan balloting at MLB.com toward the end of the regular season. In the first phase, fans voted on a ballot that included one representative from each of the 30 clubs, as chosen by Major League Baseball. The fans' vote decided which six players in each league would move on to the final vote. Fans then were asked to choose one player per league from those six.
Since 1999, the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Ruth's all-time home run record, Major League Baseball has recognized the best offensive performer from each league with this award. Andruw Jones of the Braves and Ortiz won the awards last year. Past recipients include Barry Bonds (three times), Alex Rodriguez (three times), Manny Ramirez (twice), Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa and Carlos Delgado.
As is now customary before the fourth game of a World Series, commissioner Bud Selig and baseball's all-time home run king sat at the head table with the two winners. Selig first discussed the importance of the award and the legacy of its namesake. The commissioner announced the two winners with their season details, and Aaron gave his thoughts to each winner about the magnitude of what they have done and an occasional lesson on the importance of their roles as award-winners.
"Hank Aaron and I have had a very special relationship which goes back to 1958," Selig said. "We just replayed some highlights from the 1957 season, and Hank hit a home run, for the benefit of the Milwaukee Braves. Obviously he broke the most cherished record in American sports, but he's also, more importantly, he's one of the nicest human beings that I've ever known. ... So this award has great meaning. Hank's contribution to the sport is legendary. And the thing you always notice about him, he always carries himself with great dignity and class through controversies, through a lot of things. He's just the person I remember 50 years ago."
Howard received 33 percent (25,349 votes) of all National League fan votes on a ballot that included Pujols of the Cardinals, David Wright of the Mets, Alfonso Soriano of the Nationals, Nomar Garciaparra of the Dodgers and Lance Berkman of the Astros.
Following up a 2005 NL Rookie of the Year campaign, Howard -- who attended high school in St. Louis and still has a home here -- provided one highlight after another at the plate and helped the Phillies contend for the Wild Card until the final weekend of the regular season. One of those highlights occurred on Aug. 31 in Washington, where Howard's blast to center field was his 49th homer of the year, passing the record Schmidt established in 1980.
"This is a tremendous night for me, because I think about when I first broke into baseball many, many years ago, and seeing how you have decided to carry that torch a little bit further, not only as a ballplayer, but as a complete player," Aaron said, first addressing Howard. "Like the commissioner said, I think most of us have to realize that we owe much more than just hitting home runs on the field, we owe a lot to our kids, we owe a lot to our fellow man, and you do have a tremendous duty to continue to do your job as far as baseball on and off the field."
Jeter received 37 percent (29,275 votes) of the AL votes on a ballot that included Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, Travis Hafner of the Indians, Paul Konerko of the White Sox and Justin Morneau of the Twins.
"If you look to my right, Derek Jeter, to me, has demonstrated that he is not only a man that the Yankees can depend on winning a championship year in and year out, but he has carried this a little bit further because he has done so many great things off the field," Aaron continued.
He turned to Jeter and said, "I have never heard a bad thing about you, other than from some pitcher that said you hit a 3-and-0 pitch out of the ballpark with the bases loaded.
"Seriously, I think this award means much more than just presenting an award to two great players. I think that you, more than anybody, have realized that what you do on the field means little of nothing to what you do off the field. And you have carried yourself that way."
On the field, Jeter's 14 homers obviously were a drop in the bucket when compared to those of the other five sluggers, but that's not what fans focused on. This also was about baserunning, a key figure in an increased number of Yankees hit-and-run attempts, and hitting the ball the other way through an open hole at second base.
"The season was fun, huh?" Jeter said to Howard during his acceptance speech. Then Jeter said in deference to the all-time home run king beside him, "What can you say about Mr. Aaron? In '99, we had the All-Star Game in Boston, and that was the first time I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Aaron. And the thing that stuck out with me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'I was looking for you.'"
Jeter then turned to Aaron and said: "I don't know if you remember the story. He wanted to say hello. 'You were looking for me?'
"What he stands for, like the Commissioner said, not only on the field but away from the field, how he carries himself, he's second to none. This award, I thank everyone that voted for me."
When this award was introduced in 1999, it marked the first time a major award had been introduced by Major League Baseball in more than 25 years. It now has become standard operating procedure during the Fall Classic, always a moving scene to see the man who slugged 755 long balls imparting his thoughts and sharing the spotlight with today's offensive superstars. It's become a great tradition, and MLB.com users were the key players in deciding which Major Leaguers were invited to the table.
"I haven't had the privilege to know Ryan as well as I've known Derek," Selig said, "but what Hank said I'm sure is true about Ryan -- Derek Jeter is the kind of player, frankly, that makes you proud to be the commissioner of baseball."
Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Jeter: No tension lingers in Yankee clubhouse
Updated: Oct. 26, 2006, 2:49 AM ET
Jeter: No tension lingers in Yankee clubhouse
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS -- Derek Jeter expects Alex Rodriguez to remain with the Yankees next season, saying there was no need to discuss A-Rod's dismal performance during New York's first-round loss to the Detroit Tigers.
Back from his first European vacation, the Yankees' captain wouldn't say whether he lobbied for owner George Steinbrenner to bring manager Joe Torre back for a 12th season. Torre dropped Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order in the fourth and final game against Detroit -- the lowest A-Rod has hit in 10 years.
"I don't have anything to do with that. So I don't see why I would have to meet with him," Jeter said Wednesday. "From what I understand, I haven't heard that there's any air that needs to be cleared between them. I'm not speaking on his behalf or Mr. T's behalf, but it's not anything that I've heard."
Rodriguez hit .071 (1-for-14) against Detroit and is 4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his last 12 postseason games dating to 2004. His relationship with some teammates appeared to be strained at times during the season. Jason Giambi was quoted in Sports Illustrated as telling Torre: "It's time to stop coddling him."
"Do I expect him to be back? Yeah, why wouldn't I expect him to be back?" Jeter said about A-Rod after receiving the Hank Aaron Award at the World Series. "You never sit around trying to figure out with our organization, but Alex has what? -- a few more years left on his deal -- so, yeah, I would expect him to be back."
After deducting the money it receives from Texas, New York owes Rodriguez $66.6 million over the final four years of his record $252 million, 10-year contract. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman repeatedly has said he has no intention of trading the two-time AL MVP.
Jeter said he's spoken with Rodriguez -- briefly -- since the Yankees were eliminated.
"You support him. Everyone supports all your teammate at all times," said Jeter, wearing a blue pinstriped suit. "I don't really know if there's anything else I can do."
Jeter doesn't sense any tension in the Yankees' clubhouse, where the constant focus is on winning the World Series -- which New York has not done since 2000.
"Everyone tries to assume what's going on in the clubhouse," he said, "what people think they know and what they think people are doing. They have no idea. But no, I don't see any tension."
Jeter was surprised at how fast Torre's job status became an issue after the team's elimination.
"You don't have to lobby on behalf of Mr. T. Everyone knows what he can do," Jeter said. "If I would ever have any conversations with anyone, I'd keep it between me and who I'm speaking with."
Torre is entering the final season of his contract and says he isn't sure whether he wants to manage beyond 2007. Jeter's first full season was 1996, Torre's first year with the Yankees, and the two are close.
"New York, it doesn't make a difference if you have a contract or not," Jeter said. "There's expectations every season. So I don't think just because it's his last year on his deal that the focus can be any more on him. It's always on us to win."
Even though the Yankees (97-65) matched the crosstown New York Mets for the best regular-season record in baseball this year, Jeter doesn't take much satisfaction from the season. On Tuesday, Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado said he thought the Mets were the NL's best team.
"They don't give a trophy saying: 'Well, you know, you thought you had the best team, so you win,'" Jeter said. "It doesn't make a difference what you think about your team. The bottom line is who performs."
While Jeter heard about the controversy over what was on Kenny Rogers' hand in Game 2 of the World Series, he said there was no discussion of any foreign substance during Rogers' playoff start against the Yankees.
"I don't think that really had anything to do with it," Jeter said. "Bottom line, you can take a pine tar rag and put it behind the mound if you want, you've still got to throw the ball over the plate."
Rogers, who hasn't allowed a run in the postseason, appeared to have a mark -- although lighter -- on his hand during his start against New York.
When told about the pictures, Jeter smiled.
"So you just send Detroit home and we can come play tomorrow, right?" he joked.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
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