A-Rod wins 2nd MVP award in three years

BY SAM BORDEN

NEW YORK - He always will be linked with the Red Sox, be it for the trade that wasn't or the slap play or the time he went shopping in Boston and pulled a kid away from oncoming traffic.

Alex Rodriguez cannot escape his rivals, and so it was fitting that he should beat the ultimate Boston slugger to earn his first MVP award as a New York Yankee - and second in three years - edging out David Ortiz in balloting announced Monday.

The vote was close, with Rodriguez garnering 16 of 28 first-place votes while Ortiz received 11. Vladimir Guerrero, last year's winner, was a distant third with one first-place vote.

As proud as he was of the honor, however, there still was a tinge of wistfulness in Rodriguez's voice when he spoke about Ortiz. A-Rod may have edged the Red Sox DH in this balloting, but he is still envious.

"I would certainly trade his World Series championship for this MVP trophy," A-Rod said on a conference call. "That's the only reason I play baseball. It's what I'm consumed with right now."

That, of course, is not enough for those who believe the championship-less Rodriguez must prove his worth in October to ever be considered a Yankee legend. A-Rod knows it, too, which is why he admits he will always be frustrated by his poor showing in the Yanks' first-round loss to the Angels last month.

Of course, voting for this award was completed before the playoffs began, so his .133 average in five games with Anaheim didn't count (nor did Ortiz's .333 average with one home run against the White Sox). Two members of the Baseball Writers Association of America in each AL city ranked players from 1-10 based on regular-season results, with points assigned to each place.

A-Rod, Ortiz and Guerrero were the only players to get first-place votes, but Manny Ramirez finished fourth while Gary Sheffield, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter placed eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively.

The presence of those three teammates seemed to be the biggest argument against A-Rod - specifically, that he may not have even been the MVP of his own team - with Ortiz supporters also pointing to Big Papi's penchant for clutch hitting; he had 34 RBI this season that put his team ahead, most in the AL.

Rodriguez was certainly better in clutch situations than he was in 2004 - he improved to .290 with runners in scoring position from .248 - but it was likely his glove that gave him the ultimate edge over Ortiz.

Simply put, A-Rod played well in the field while Ortiz barely played there at all.

"I think being on the field every day is a strong requirement, and doing it on both sides," said A-Rod, who won the award as the Rangers' shortstop in 2003 before switching to third base after being traded to the Yankees. "I think it's someone that goes out and helps the team day in and day out. How many runs is this guy saving a year?"

Still, the MVP is typically honored for an outstanding offensive campaign and Rodriguez unquestionably produced one. He set a record for home runs by a Yankee righthanded hitter (48), led the Yankees with a .321 average and drove in 130 runs. He became the first Bomber since Don Mattingly in 1985 to be named MVP and, in perhaps the best indication of how success is measured in New York, still figures to hear his share of boos at the Stadium next season.

"We could win three World Series, with me it's never going to be over," Rodriguez said. "My benchmark is so high, whatever I do it's never going to be enough and I understand that. Maybe when I retire is when all the critics and all that stuff is going to end."

Until then, he's still got plenty of support. George Steinbrenner released a statement in which he proclaimed, "This is an A-Rod day in New York," and added, "A-Rod demonstrates the talent, hard work, and dedication of a true winner. On behalf of our devoted New York Yankee fans, I look forward to great things for many years from A-Rod as a Yankee."

Joe Torre said, "He's getting more comfortable here in New York. Alex helped us win so many games, both offensively and defensively, and he continues to improve."

source: NY Daily News