Why one writer didn't vote for A-Rod for MVP

Catching up with a column by the Tigers beat writer for one of The Trentonian's sister newspapers in Michigan. Jim Hawkins was one of only two voters this year not to choose Alex Rodriguez for American League MVP.

An unapologetic vote for Ordonez as the AL MVP
By JIM HAWKINS
The Oakland Press
I voted for Magglio Ordonez for American League MVP. However, as I expected, the combination of Alex Rodriguez's high New York profile, the fact that the Yankees reached the postseason while Ordonez's Tigers did not and the fact that A-Rod had the more spectacular season (54 home runs, 156 RBI) while Magglio was more consistent, were simply too much to overcome.
When the results were announced Monday, Ordonez, who put together, arguably, the best offensive season by any player in Tigers' history, received just two first-place MVP votes - from the two Detroit writers on the election panel - while A-Rod, who enjoyed a season reminiscent of Babe Ruth, won in a landslide with the other 26 firstplace votes.
Ordonez also received 22 second-place votes and four thirdplace votes.
Ordonez's second-place finish was the best by any Tiger in the MVP voting since Cecil Fielder was runnerup to Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991. It marked the 11th time since 1934 that a Tiger has been the runnerup in the voting. Tigers players have won the award eight times, most recently by Willie Hernandez in 1984.
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?
I began covering the Tigers on a daily basis in 1970, and this was unquestionably the best season I have ever seen any Tiger have.
And remember, the award is called "Most Valuable Player" - not "Player of the Year."
Where would the Tigers have finished without Magglio's league-leading .363 average or his 28 home runs or his 139 RBI or his remarkable 54 doubles?
Not as high as the New York Yankees would have finished without A-Rod, I can assure you. Because Rodriguez was surrounded by a much stronger supporting cast.
Adding together Ordonez's 139 RBI and the 117 runs that he scored, and subtracting his 28 home runs (otherwise, under this formula, HRs would be counted twice), we find Magglio produced 25.7 percent of the 887 runs the Tigers scored in 2007.
Making the same calculations for Rodriguez, A-Rod accounted for 25.3 percent of the Yankees' 968 runs this year.
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.
Ordonez's .363 average was the best by any Tiger since Charlie Gehringer in 1937.
In fact, that .363 figure was the second highest by a righthanded hitter in the American League since Joe DiMaggio batted a jolting .381 in 1939. Since then, only Nomar Garciaparra (.372 in 2000) has outhit Magglio right-handed.
Ordonez's 54 doubles were the most Detroit has seen since George Kell delivered 56 twobaggers in 1950.
Ordonez outhit Rodriguez (.363 to .314) and finished second behind A-Rod in RBI (156 to 139). Ordonez's 139 RBI were the most by a Tiger since Rocky Colavito drove in 140 runs in 1961.
In addition, Ordonez was second in the AL in hits (216), on-base percentage (.434), and total bases (354). Contact Jim Hawkins by email at jim.hawkins@oakpress.com