The Voters Speak

The two pro-Magglio Ordonez MVP voters - both members of the Detroit press, gave their reasons for voting for Mags instead of A-Rod.

First Tom Gage:

That voter was Jim Hawkins of the Oakland Press, who clearly saw the same season I did, and the same reasons to vote for Ordonez as I did. His vote was as much validation for mine as my vote was for his, because it meant Ordonez made the identical impression on us both.

It was such a strong impression that I couldn't dismiss it by simply saying, "Gee, I better vote for A-Rod because everyone else is."

I don't blame anybody else for not voting for Magglio, though. They didn't see him play every day. They went by the stat sheet -- as I've had to do with most MVP votes.

But I believed in the vote for Ordonez when I cast it. And now, several wondering-why phone calls later, I still believe in it.

I did it because I thought Ordonez was more valuable to his team than A-Rod was to his, but also for specific statistical reasons: such as the wide disparity between Ordonez's batting average (.363-.314) and more so because Ordonez hit .429 with runners in scoring position compared to .333 by A-Rod.

To me, that was the separating proof of value right there. The Tigers were able to depend on Ordonez with runners in scoring position far more than the Yankees were able to depend on A-Rod. Yes, Rodriguez had all those home runs, the glamour stat. Plus he had 17 more RBIs than Ordonez, but only 17.

Read the rest here.

Then there is Jim Hawkins of the Oakland Press, which is in Pontiac, Michigan, not norther California.

I certainly don't apologize for my vote. I saw all but a handful of Ordonez's 157 games this season. And, night after night after night, I witnessed a player having an MVP season.

I didn't have to depend on what I read in the paper or saw on the TV highlight shows. I saw Ordonez put on an MVP performance with my own two eyes.

Don't get me wrong: Rodriguez had a great year, too. I have no quarrel with those writers who placed A-Rod at the top of their 10-man ballots. He deserved it every bit as much as Ordonez.

What I do find disturbing, however, is the fact that four of my baseball writing colleagues didn't even see fit to place Ordonez second, voting for either Vladimir Guerrero (3) or David Ortiz (1) ahead of Magglio. What league were they watching? (the same could be said for you Jim)

But for me, the clincher - and this is huge - was the fact that Ordonez batted .429 with runners in scoring position, while Rodriguez hit .333 in such potentially game-winning situations.

Read the rest here.