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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

TORONTO SUNTuesday, November 22, 2011

VERLANDER ADDS MVP

TORONTO - The wait for the American League Most Valuable Player balloting is over but the debate will, no doubt, continue to rage.

In the most wide-open MVP election in memory, Detroit Tiger pitcher Justin Verlander won the award Monday over runnerup Jacoby Ellsbury of Boston and third-place finisher Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays.

No fewer than six players received at least one first-place vote and one player, Michael Young, of Texas received votes ranging from 1-through-10 and was left off five ballots. Bautista’s rankings ranged from 1-through-9 and he was named on all 28 ballots.

Verlander’s victory makes him a lightning rod for the ongoing argument that only position players should be eligible for the league’s most prestigious award.

“I think that a starting pitcher has to do something special to be as valuable, or moreso, than a position player,” Verlander said. “Obviously, having the chance to play in 160-some games in the case of (position players), they can have a huge impact every day. “(As a pitcher) you have to have a great impact almost every time out to supersede (position players). It happens on rare occasions, and I guess this year was one of those years.”

There is no question Verlander had great impact. In addition to winning the starting pitchers’ Triple Crown (lowest ERA, most wins, most strikeouts) he worked a league-high 251 innings. The Tigers won 25 of the 34 games he started. During one stretch, the Tigers won a dozen Verlander starts in a row. Sixteen of his wins came in games following a Detroit loss.

Importantly, Verlander combination of excellence and durability allowed him to pitch at least six innings in each of his 34 starts. In 25 of his starts, he pitched at least seven innings and he tossed eight or more innings 14 times. He averaged about 71/3 innings per start, leaving just five outs, on average,

for his bullpen. All other Tigers starters averaged less than six innings per start.With Verlander pitching deep into games, Tigers manager Jim Leyland was able to empty his bullpen on days before his ace pitched, knowing they would be fresh the day after as well.

Verlander is the 12th pitcher in the 82-year history of the award but the first since Dennis Eckersley in 1992. Strangely enough, including Verlander, the past four Tigers to win MVP honours (Hal Newhouser in 1944 and 1945, Denny McLain in 1968 and Willie Hernandez in 1984) are all pitchers.

Bautista is respectful of the process but wonders if pitchers shouldn’t be considered for the award.

“In a perfect world,” he said, from his home in the Dominican Republic, “there should be two separate awards. When it’s not really defined, it can be interpreted any way people want, but it’s not really my place to be suggesting changes.”

The fact that the Jays were not in contention may have influenced some voters in addition to the fact that Bautista’s production dropped off in the second half. His first-half numbers (.354 BA, 28 HR, .506 OBP, .749 SLG, 1.255 OPS) were spectacular but in the second half, not so much (.248 BA, 15 HR, .381 OBP, .460 SLG and .841 OPS).

In his defence, Bautista was playing through a couple of nagging injuries (neck, ankle) but he refuses to accept those excuses.

“I went away from my game plan, chasing pitches out of the strike zone,” he said. “I probably should have remained more patient but it gets difficult to remain consistent over a long season. I just wasn’t disciplined enough to lay off the bad pitches.”

MVP Voting Instructions:

There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means. It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the Most Valuable Player in each league to his team. The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.

The rules of the voting remain the same as they were written on the first ballot in 1931:


1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defence.

2. Number of games played.

3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.

4. Former winners are eligible.

5. Members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.

You are also urged to give serious consideration to all your selections, from 1 to 10. A 10th-place vote can influence the outcome of an election. You must fill in all 10 places on your ballot. Only regular-season performances are to be taken into consideration.

Keep in mind that all players are eligible for MVP, including pitchers and designated hitters.

Fidlin's Ballot

1. Justin Verlander

2. Jose Bautista

3. Curtis Granderson

4. Miguel Cabrera

5. Jacoby Ellsbury

6. Robinson Cano

7. Adrian Gonzalez

8. Evan Longoria

9. Adrian Beltre

10. Mark Teixeira

MARINERS' HALMAN STABBED TO DEATH

QMI Agency

ROTTERDAM - Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death Monday in Rotterdam and his brother has been arrested.

"A 24-year-old died this morning in a stabbing and we have arrested the 22-year-old brother of the victim," a Rotterdam police spokesman said.

Dutch-born Halman was signed as a free agent by Seattle in 2004 and appeared in 44 games the past two seasons with the Mariners. He was expected to contend for the starting job in left field next season.

"Greg was a part of our organization since he was 16, and we saw him grow into a passionate young man and talented baseball player," the Mariners said in a statement from chairman Howard Lincoln, president Chuck Armstrong and general manager Jack Zduriencik.

"He had an infectious smile that would greet you in the clubhouse, and he was a tremendous teammate. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Greg's family."

Commissioner Bud Selig said Halman's death "amid such tragic circumstances, is painful for all of us throughout the game."

Halman's biggest impact may have been in Europe, Michael Weiner of the MLB Players Association said.

"Greg was passionate about the game of baseball and generously gave of himself to share his passion with others in an attempt to help grow the sport's popularity across Europe. He will be sorely missed," Weiner said.

Halman helped the Netherlands win the 2007 European Baseball Championship, played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and participated in coaching clinics with youngsters in Europe as recently this month.

Halman hit 33 home runs for Class AAA Tacoma (Wash.) in 2010.


"A lot of us older guys got to know him real well because he was one of those younger guys who was eager to listen and eager to learn," Mariners infielder Adam Kennedy, now a free agent, told the Seattle Times.

"He seemed happy all the time and was just a fun guy to be around. This is just devastating news."

PIRATES GET A SHORTSTOP

Shortstop Clint Barmes will be reunited with his former manager, Clint Hurdle, after signing a two-year, $10.5-million contract to join the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent.

Barmes spent last season with Houston, hitting .244 in 123 games, after being drafted by Colorado and playing for the Rockies from 2003 to 2010. Hurdle was the Rockies manager for most of those seasons.

Barmes is a .252 career hitter with a high of .290 in 2008.

He replaces Ronny Cedeno, whose $3 million option for 2012 was not picked up, and fills a position that has been a headache for the Pirates for years.

MLB TO TEST FOR HGH

MLB and the players association are expected to announce a new labour deal Tuesday.

Multiple reports say commissioner Bud Selig and union head Michael Weiner will announce a five-year collective bargaining agreement, which will include blood testing for human growth hormone.

OWNER CALLS RIPPERS LAUNCH A SUCCESS

Patrick Maloney

LONDON, ON - Caught in a rundown between unhappy politicians and outraged community members, the London Rippers inched closer Monday to changing their contentious logo.

With some city councillors pushing to tear up their lease to play at Labatt Park -- it includes clauses

relating to "tone and substance" of signs -- team officials indicated the symbol that's reminiscent of Jack the Ripper could be out.

"We're open to it and listening to all sides," said Alison Stier, a vice-president with the Frontier League squad. "The logo has been the main concern (from critics)."

Council ultimately voted not to send a lease-related warning to the team, voting instead, 7-6, to refer the matter to staff as the talks with Rippers ownership continue.The team name likely won't be changing. Stier also made it clear a new logo isn't guaranteed -- and she was unapologetic about those offended.

"We couldn't have asked for a (better) marketing campaign. . . . We knew it would stir controversy. Never did we think it would be like this."

The name and logo were unveiled last week, immediately sparking a backlash from anti-violence activists who see a clear reference to Jack the Ripper, a 19th-century serial killer.

Owner David Martin recently signed a one-year lease to play in 2012 at Labatt Park, a ballfield owned the city -- hence the involvement of city council.

Though Mayor Joe Fontana had said he wouldn't force a name change, some councillors were mulling ripping up the lease Monday night.

Ross Fair, city hall's executive director of community services and administration, told councillors there are good-taste clauses in the team's lease, specifically "numerous references to tone and substance of signage" at the park.

While some on council, like Harold Usher, downplayed the controversy, others, such as Joe Swan and Paul Hubert, are loudly critical of the name and logo.

Council went behind closed doors late Monday to get legal advice on their options relating to the Rippers' Labatt Park lease. While Coun. Joni Baechler wanted to issue a warning to comply with the lease details, council voted 7-6 to leave it with staff.


Supporting that move were Dale Henderson, Paul Van Meerbergen, Denise Brown, Harold Usher, Sandy White, Bill Armstrong and Bud Polhill. (Judy Bryant and Joe Fontana were absent.)

Almost exactly as councillors first raised the issue Monday, the team issued a statement saying they'd "work together" with city hall to "address concerns in reference to the team logo."

The name-and-logo controversy has sparked international media attention, with major news organizations across Canada and the U.S. weighing in.

The controversy thrilled Martin, the team's owner.

"It was one of the most successful launches in minor baseball history," he told The Free Press last week.

TORONTO STARTuesday, November 22, 2011

VERLANDER RARE BREED OF WORKHORSE STARTER WORTHY OF

MVP

Richard Griffin

Some baseball position players like the Jays’ Jose Bautista may not agree that there are any pitchers worthy of recognition for the MVP award, but there are certain starters that should be included in any conversation and that includes the Tigers’ ace, Justin Verlander. On Monday, BBWAA voters agreed as Verlander bucked recent trends, becoming the first starting pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1986 and the first pitcher of any kind since Dennis Eckersley in 1992 to earn Most Valuable Player.

Verlander, winner of the AL Cy Young and the 2011 pitching Triple Crown, was rewarded with a first-place nod on less than half the votes cast, just 13 of the 28 by a panel of the league’s writers, two from each member city, but with a high total of six different players getting first-place votes, the most since 2003, it was spread out enough for the Detroit ace to take this year’s MVP. He deserved it.

“Not even in my wildest dreams had I thought of this,” Verlander said via conference call after the win was announced. “My dream was always to win the Cy Young Award and the World Series. There hadn’t been a pitcher win since Roger Clemens in 1986. It was for position players.

“It wasn’t until my name started coming up in conversation during the season that I even thought of it. It helped being on a winning team. It’s special because growing up one of my idols was Roger Clemens and he was the last starter to win. It meant a lot to me.”

That brings us back to the discussion of what should be necessary for a starting pitcher to be involved in the discussion. First of all, he must be a workhorse that has influence on the team not only in his own starts, but the day before and after. When manager Jim Leyland sees a Verlander start coming up, he knows he can use his bullpen multiple innings the games before and after because odds are Verlander pitches seven-plus every time he toes the rubber. That’s a three-game impact every five days.

As for the argument that a starting pitcher only works 33-35 games while a position player is on the field 150-plus games per year, consider that over the course of a busy season, a top to middle of the order hitter will record around 700 plate appearances, but that in 2011, Verlander faced 965 batters in his 34 starts. In addition, he recorded 24 wins, with the Tigers going 25-9 in his starts. How many position players given 4-6 plate appearances per game will directly impact 25 wins for their team?

The pitching Triple Crown is not an easy feat and is significant. Verlander led the league in wins, going 24-5, in ERA at 2.40 and in strikeouts with 250. Even dyed-in-the-wool sabermetricians will be impressed with the fact he also led the AL in WHIP and WAR, tied with Bautista at 8.5.

Voting was all over the map. The 28 writers showed wildly different interpretations of the criteria and guidelines. Is MVP for the best player or the most important to a winning team? Is it only for position players or should pitchers be considered? How can three players be ranked Top 10 on a team that didn’t even make the playoffs — Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia?


Players have their own opinions. While Verlander opined, “It’s not called the most valuable position player award,” Bautista countered, “It’s not called the most valuable player on a contending team award.” So, do the voting criteria need tightening? Is it currently too open to interpretation?

It is loose. Consider that this year six different players received first-place votes — Verlander, Ellsbury, Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Miguel Cabrera and Michael Young — the most of any season since 2003. Consider that while Verlander was left off of one ballot completely, Yankees setup man David Robertson was rewarded with one 10th-place vote by someone. What!

Consider that the Rangers’ best hitter on the way to the World Series for the second straight time, Young received at least one vote in each of 1-10 and that only four players, Ellsbury, Bautista, Granderson and Cabrera, were included on all 28 ballots. Personally, I like the diversity of voting.

Listen, if the BBWAA wanted to make the voting rules more specific for their MVP awards, to exclude pitchers and lend more weight to the best player rather than a winning team, you might as well just run the final stats through a computer, spit out the results and, voila, meet your MVP.

But, thankfully, that’s not the way it is and for the next week, for the rest of the off-season and beyond that, fans of certain players will be talking about the highway robbery of the 2011 MVP voting as they do to this day in Boston about Pedro Martinez losing out in 1999 to Rangers catcher Pudge Rodriguez because he was left off two MVP ballots completely. It’s a great water-cooler process.

As for Bautista, he came out of nowhere and finished fourth in 2010 and third in 2011. That’s pretty good. If he stays injury free next season and if the Jays acquire the players to protect him in the batting order and to contend, he will have more chances to be honoured.

In the meantime, the 2011 season for Bautista, leading the majors in homers, a Silver Slugger for outfielders, the leading vote-getter among everyone at the All-Star Game and the Henry Aaron Award as the AL’s best offensive player is a damned good year.

The fact is the Jays were 81-81 and until Toronto becomes a contender, its best players will continue to be also-rans in the MVP.

TIGERS' VERLANDER NAMED AL MVP, BAUTISTA THIRD

Detroit's Justin Verlander has become the first starting pitcher in a quarter-century to win a Most Valuable Player award, adding it to his Cy Young Award last week.

Verlander earned the American League MVP honour Monday, receiving 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Boston centre-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second with 242 points, followed by Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista with 231 points.

"Thanks everyone for their good wishes for the MVP, maybe next year!!" tweeted Bautista, who received five first-place votes, one more than Ellsbury, after the award was announced.

"Even though I didn't win the MVP I have something better nobody can't take from me, that's the love and support from my fans!You guys rock!"

Verlander went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts to take the AL pitching triple crown.

He is the first pitcher to win MVP since Oakland's Dennis Eckerlsley in 1992 and the first starter since Boston's Roger Clemens in 1986.

MARINERS’ GREG HALMAN STABBED TO DEATH; BROTHER HELD

AP

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS—Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death early Monday, police said, cutting short the life and career of one of the few Dutchmen to make it into Major League Baseball.


His club and baseball officials hailed the 24-year-old Halman as a young man with a passion for the game and for instilling it in youngsters.

Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln, president Chuck Armstrong and general manager Jack Zduriencik paid tribute to Halman on behalf of the club.

“Greg was a part of our organization since he was 16 and we saw him grow into a passionate young man and talented baseball player,” they said in a statement. “He had an infectious smile that would greet you in the clubhouse, and he was a tremendous teammate. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Greg’s family.”

Rotterdam Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels said police were called to a home in the port city in the early hours of the morning and found Halman bleeding from a stab wound.The officers and ambulance paramedics were unable to resuscitate Halman.

Wessels said the officers arrested Halman’s 22-year-old brother. She declined to give his name, in line with Dutch privacy rules.

“He is under arrest and right now he is being questioned,” Wessels said in a telephone interview. “It will take some time to figure out what exactly happened.”

No charges have been filed in the case.

Halman hit .230 in 35 games and made starts at all three outfield positions for the Mariners in 2011 before being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.

“The loss of a talented 24-year-old young man like Greg, amid such tragic circumstances, is painful for all of us throughout the game,” commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to the entire Mariners organization and to all those whose lives were touched by Greg.”

Because he played professionally in the United States, Halman was not part of the Netherlands team that won the Baseball World Cup in Panama last month. The Dutch beat Cuba 2-1 in the final to become the first European team to win the title.

Born in the city of Haarlem, Halman began his playing career in the Dutch Pro League. He was part of the gold medal-winning Dutch squad at the 2007 European Championship and played for the Netherlands at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Former major leaguer Robert Eenhoorn, the technical director of the Dutch baseball association, said he was devastated by the news.

“The only thing I can say right now is we are deeply shocked,” said Eenhoorn, who played for the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels in the 1990s. “All our thoughts are with his family and how they are going to have to deal with this tremendous loss.”

Halman was in Europe earlier this month as part of the European Big League Tour, an initiative organized by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rick Van den Hurk in which major league stars gave clinics to children. Van den Hurk is also Dutch.Michael Weiner, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, also paid tribute to the slain player.

“Greg was passionate about the game of baseball and generously gave of himself to share his passion with others in an attempt to help grow the sport’s popularity across Europe,” Weiner said. “He will be sorely missed.”

International Baseball Federation president Riccardo Fraccari said Halman’s death was terrible news for the sport.

“It’s really sad and it’s really terrible the way it happened,” Fraccari said. “We mourn for him and respect his family’s sorrow.”

Massimo Fochi, the vice-president of the Italian baseball federation, said he met Halman less than two weeks ago at a European Big League Tour event in Parma.

“He was a great guy and the most appreciated by the kids,” Fochi said. “His passing away is really painful.”


NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP

Cathal Kelly

The final major baseball award winner, National League MVP, will be announced Tuesday. Here’s a quick look at the contenders:

A portion of the same logic that cost Jose Bautista his MVP — that he didn’t play on a contender — is going to kill Dodger Matt Kemp’s chances.

Kemp was the most dangerous offensive threat in the National League (.324/.399/.586). But he won’t win because the Dodgers were sullenly mediocre. And also perhaps because he dated Rihanna. We sportswriters are just men. Envious, grasping men — like Napoleon but without any power or charisma.

That puts the onus on two other outfielders: Brewer Ryan Braun and Diamondback Justin Upton.

Upton was the best player on the most surprising team in baseball (right up until the Red Sox blew it). He was the only bona fide offensive star in Arizona. Never underestimate the allure of the man who stands out from his teammates, especially when the team’s successful.

Braun was partially concealed by a talented squad, but he was Upton’s better in every category. Compare the lines:

Braun (.332/.397/.597) vs. Upton (.289/.369/.529).

Braun hit more home runs. He can play the infield. He’s the MVP.

One other thing to mind is whether Albert Pujols’ so-so season gets him named to the MVP top 10 for the 11th straight year. My guess: without a doubt.

GLOBE & MAILTuesday, November 22, 2011

BAUTISTA DOESN'T THINK PITCHERS SHOULD QUALIFY

John Chidley-Hill, AP

Jose Bautista doesn't think starting pitchers should qualify for MVP awards.

The Toronto Blue Jays slugger spoke out after Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander took the American League MVP award on Monday ahead of Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Bautista.

“There's nothing in the criteria that says a pitcher cannot receive the award,” said Bautista on a conference call. “But at the same time, there's a couple of items that should eliminate a pitcher from receiving the award from the get go.”

In particular, Bautista was critical of the amount of time starting pitchers play compared to fielders who are in the lineup on a daily basis.

“When one of the first items in the criteria for the MVP award states that the player should be on the field for the most amount of games for their own particular team and knowing that us position players have to be out there 150 plus times over ... I don't know, 30, 32, 33 times that a pitcher has to go out there, in my eyes that's pretty much an elimination right there,” said Bautista.

Verlander received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ellsbury came second with four firsts and 242 points, followed by Bautista with five firsts and 231 points.

“It doesn't make a difference to me if Verlander of Ellsbury wins,” said Bautista. “The bottom line is that I wasn't chosen but, at the same time, I know that he (Verlander) had a great season and I feel excited for him, that he was able to get the award. Congratulations to him.


Added Bautista: “I'm not knocking on Verlander or the year that he had.”

Verlander is the first starting pitcher to win an MVP in 27 years. He was given the Cy Young Award as the league's best pitcher on Nov. 15 after winning 24 games in 34 starts with a 2.40 earned-run average and 250 strikeouts.

He also threw a no-hitter in Toronto on May 7.

Bautista wasn't alone in his criticism of a pitcher winning the MVP.

Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio did not have Verlander on his ballot. Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal voted Verlander eighth.

Ingraham thinks pitchers should not be eligible for MVP awards.

“I'd wrestled with this for a long time. If I was ever going to vote for pitcher for MVP, it would be him this year,” said Ingraham, who was one of Bautista's first-place votes. “He hasn't appeared in 79 per cent of their games, any starting pitcher really doesn't appear in 79 per cent of his team's games in a year.”

Ingraham compared baseball's MVP to other sports to underscore his point.

“Would you vote for an NFL quarterback for MVP if he only appeared in three of his team's 16 games, which would be 21 per cent? So that's part of it,” Ingraham said to The Associated Press. “Another part of it is I think they're apples and oranges. The guys that are in there every day, there's a grind to a season that a starting pitcher doesn't, I don't think, experience the way the everyday position players do playing 150, 160 games.”

Other pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year were Brooklyn's Don Newcombe (1956), Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax (1963), St. Louis' Bob Gibson and Detroit's Denny McLain (1968), Oakland's Vida Blue (1971) , Milwaukee's Rollie Fingers (1981) and Detroit's Willie Hernandez (1984).

Bautista won the AL's Hank Aaron Award as the league's best offensive player and a Silver Slugger as

the best hitter at his position. He finished 2011 with a .302 batting average, 43 home runs and 103 RBIs.

The 31-year-old Jays slugger was the only player who earned a vote that was not on a team in the playoff picture in October.

“I don't see how only guys that are on playoff-bound teams should be considered for the award,” said Bautista. “The name of the award is ‘MVP' not ‘MVP for playoff' teams, but, that's just the way I look at it.”

Despite his obvious disappointment, Bautista tried to keep the MVP snub in perspective.

“I play the game to win on a daily basis and hopefully accumulate enough Ws at the end of the year to get into the playoffs and win the World Series,” said Bautista. “I don't put on a uniform that says ‘Blue Jays' on the front on a daily basis to garner personal accolades, that's not what I'm about.

“Even though they're nice — it's nice to be recognized by the league and by the writers — it's not what I go out on the field every day for.”

JUSTIN VERLANDER WINS AL MVP

RONALD BLUM, AP

Justin Verlander figured time had run out on his chance to become the first starting pitcher in a quarter-century to be voted Most Valuable Player.

Last Tuesday, he found out about 12:40 p.m. that he was a unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award. It was closing in on 1 p.m. Monday, and he still hadn't gotten word on the MVP. “I had told myself that it wasn't going to happen,” he said. “I figured somebody else got the call.”

Not to worry, there was just a slight delay because Verlander didn't give the Baseball Writers' Association of America his telephone number, forcing the BBWAA to relay the news through Brian Britten, the Detroit Tigers' director of media relations.


Britten telephoned Verlander at 12:56 p.m., about one hour before the announcement.

“It was just a weight off my shoulders,” Verlander said, “and pure elation, really.”

After winning the AL's pitching triple crown by going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, Verlander received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points. He became the first pitcher voted MVP since Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Boston's Roger Clemens in 1986.

“Obviously pitchers are not just written off all of a sudden because they're pitchers,” Verlander said.

Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second with four firsts and 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista with five firsts and 231 points, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson with 215 and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera with 193.

Recent history has been against pitchers. Since Eckersley's win, only once had a pitcher finished as high as second.

In 1999, Boston's Pedro Martinez was 13 points behind Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez after going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts. Martinez had eight first-place votes to seven for Rodriguez, but La Velle Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and George King of the New York Post left Martinez off their ballots.

“Not even in my wildest dreams had I thought of this,” Verlander said during a conference call from his home in Virginia. “I want to say this is a dream come true. I can't say that because my dream had already had come true ... to win a Cy Young. And the next dream is to win a World Series. This wasn't even on my radar until the talk started. And then all of a sudden it was a this-could-actually-happen type of thing.”

Verlander had the most wins in the major leagues since Oakland's Bob Welch went 27-6 in 1990. Verlander pitched his second career no-hitter at Toronto on May 7. His season reopened debate over whether pitchers can be MVPs.

“I think that a starting pitcher has to do something special to be as valuable or more so than a position player,” Verlander said. “Obviously, having the chance to play in 160-some games in the case of Miguel, they can obviously have a huge impact every day. That's why, I've talked about on my day, on a pitcher's day, the impact we have is tremendous on that game. So you have to have a great impact almost every time out to supersede (position players) and it happens on rare occasions, and I guess this year was one of those years.”

Verlander, the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers' Don Newcombe as the only players to win all three major awards in their careers.

“I think this set a precedent,” Verlander said. “I'm happy that the voters acknowledged that, that we do have a major impact in this game and we can be extremely valuable to our team and its success.”

Verlander appeared on only 27 ballots and was omitted by Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio, who voted Bautista first. Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal voted Verlander eighth.

Ingraham doesn't think pitchers should be eligible.

“I'd wrestled with this for a long time. If I was ever going to vote for pitcher for MVP, it would be him this year,” Ingraham said. “He hasn't appeared in 79 percent of their games, any starting pitcher really doesn't appear in 79 percent of his team's games in a year.

“Would you vote for an NFL quarterback for MVP if he only appeared in three of his team's 16 games, which would be 21 percent? So that's part of it. Another part of it is I think they're apples and oranges. The guys that are in there every day, there's a grind to a season that a starting pitcher doesn't, I don't think, experience the way the everyday position players do playing 150, 160 games.”

Other pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year are Newcombe (1956), Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax (1963), St. Louis' Bob Gibson and Detroit's Denny McLain (1968), Oakland's Vida Blue (1971), Milwaukee's Rollie Fingers (1981) and Detroit's Willie Hernandez (1984).


Since Mickey Cochrane (1934), Hank Greenberg (1935, 1940) and Charley Gehringer (1937), all Tigers voted MVP have been pitchers, with Verlander joining Hal Newhouser (1944 and 1945), McLain and Hernandez.

“He deserved it,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “He should have won it, but I didn't know how voters would respond because the talk of some people not wanting to vote for a pitcher.”

NOTES: While Verlander earned a $500,000 bonus for winning the Cy Young, he didn't have an MVP bonus provision. Tampa's Evan Longoria receives $25,000 for finishing 10th. ... The NL MVP winner will be announced Tuesday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp the favorite and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder also receiving attention.

MLB POISED TO UNVEIL NEW LABOUR CONTRACT

AP

Major League Baseball and its players' association have called a Tuesday news conference to announce a new labour contract.

The sides were working Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding on the five-year deal, which replaces one set to expire Dec. 11.

The agreement, which will be drafted into a formal contract, includes blood testing for human growth hormone, a rise in the minimum salary to US$480,000 and luxury taxes on both amateur draft signings and international free agents coming to the major leagues. It modifies the luxury tax on high payrolls and changes compensation for clubs losing major league free agents.

The inclusion of HGH testing was first reported in the Daily News on Friday night.

BOBBY VALENTINE GOES AFTER BOSTON MANAGER JOB

JIMMY GOLEN, AP

The Boston Red Sox said they were looking for a different voice in the clubhouse when they let Terry Francona walk after the worst September collapse in major league history.

Enter Bobby Valentine.

Known for his confrontational style that rubbed some of his players the wrong way and for feuding with his bosses with the New York Mets, his last big league managing gig, Valentine formally interviewed for the Boston job on Monday when he met with general manager Ben Cherington and other members of the Red Sox brain trust.

“They have one of the best teams in baseball, one of the best organizations in baseball, one of the greatest venues in baseball, with a winning tradition over the last 10 years,” he said. “Other than that there's really no reason why I want to be here.”

The Red Sox had originally interviewed Gene Lamont, Torey Lovullo, Dale Sveum, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Pete Mackanin. Sveum has been hired to manage the Chicago Cubs by former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein; Mackanin had been told he was no longer in the running, and Alomar got the same news on Monday.

Working against Alomar wasn't a lack of managerial experience as much as the fact that none of his coaching experience had been in a dugout. He had worked as a bullpen catcher with the Mets and first base coach with the Cleveland Indians.

“We just felt like that is an important step for him,” Cherington said. “I told him how highly I think of him and I think he's going to be a really good big league manager one day, but he wasn't going to be the choice for us in 2012.”

Although Cherington had maintained that he did not expect to expand the field, he met with Valentine in Hartford earlier this month, just before the former Mets and Rangers skipper appeared on a panel with Red Sox president Larry Lucchino. Valentine has also met with Red Sox ownership, Cherington said; Lamont is scheduled to meet with the owners this week.


“This was always going to be a choice that I'm going to make with ownership,” said Cherington, who was promoted when Epstein left for the Cubs. “We've known since the start of this that this was too important a decision to rush.”

The Red Sox led the AL East for much of the summer, but they went 7-20 in September to blow a nine-game lead in the AL wild-card race and finish one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Out went Francona, who was known as a players' manager, a move that was followed by reports that pitchers were drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games instead of cheering their teammates on from the bench.

Asked for his philosophy of discipline, Valentine said he learned from his time in Japan that players appreciate having rules that are enforced because it helps them stay in line.

“Discipline is not 30 whacks with a whip these days,” Valentine said. “But I think everyone likes discipline. I think everyone likes structure. Everyone likes to be acknowledged when they do things properly. Discipline and rules and things like that — it's just about right and wrong.”

The 61-year-old Valentine is the most experienced candidate to interview so far.

He managed the Texas Rangers (1985-92) and New York Mets (1996-02), finishing up his two major league stints 45 games above .500, and also managed in Japan from 2004-09, winning the Japan Series in ‘05 with the Chiba Lotte Marines.

But some of that was experience he would prefer to forget.

With the Mets, he was embroiled in a public personality clash with general manager Steve Phillips that played out almost daily with dueling pregame press gaggles. He was fired after finishing fifth in 2002 — the first time he failed to top .500 in six full seasons in New York, and just two years after making his only appearance in the World Series.

“I hope I'll change for the better, because I never won a world championship,” he said. “I've had bad

experiences that I hope I've learned from, and I've had good experiences that I hope I learned from.”

Cherington said Valentine, who has been working as an analyst for ESPN, needed to show that he had changed.

“He's had really good experiences. He's been to the top,” Cherington said. “And he's had other experiences that haven't gone as well. But no one who's managed in the big leagues ... has had all good experiences. That's how the game works.

“Tito (Francona) hadn't had all good experiences before he got to Boston. He worked out really well,” Cherington said.

Valentine said he talked to two of his mentors, New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello and longtime Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.

“They'd disown me if I didn't give this my best shot,” Valentine said.

And, if he gets the job: “I would feel like it is Christmas.”

“It's really kind of cool that I'm sitting here,” he said.

BLUE JAYS.COMTuesday, November 22, 2011

BAUTISTA BELTS WAY TO THIRD IN AL MVP VOTE

Slugger finishes behind Tigers' Verlander, Red Sox's Ellsbury

By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com

TORONTO -- Jose Bautista's impressive 2011 campaign resulted in a third-place finish in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award, which was announced Monday afternoon. Bautista received five first-place votes, seven second-place votes and four third-place votes en route to 231 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.


Tigers ace Justin Verlander earned top honours, receiving 13 first-place votes and a total of 280 points. Boston centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury finished second with four first-place votes and a total of 242 points.

Bautista on Hank Aaron Award"I don't put on a uniform that says Blue Jays on the front on a daily basis to garner personal accolades," Bautista said in a conference call on Monday night. "That's not what I'm about, even though they're nice, even though it's nice to recognized by the league and the writers, it's not what I go out on the field every day for.

"What I try to do is help my team win as many games as possible, and I felt like I did that this year."

Bautista followed his breakout campaign of 2010 with an arguably even better performance this year. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .302 with 103 RBIs while posting a Major League-leading 43 home runs and 132 walks.

The 31-year-old also led the AL in slugging percentage (.608) and OPS (1.056) in 149 games. He's the first player since Mark McGwire (1996-99) to lead the Majors in homers for consecutive seasons, and his 132 free passes were the most since Barry Bonds also drew 132 in 2007.

Bautista wasn't successful in his pursuit of the AL MVP Award, but he can take solace in some other offseason hardware. Bautista recently won the Hank Aaron Award, given in recognition of the top offensive player in each league. He also picked up a Silver Slugger Award.

Along the way, Bautista set the record for most All-Star votes by fans with 7,454,753, which surpassed the previous high mark of 6,069,688, set by Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994. That doesn't change the final result for the MVP, but Bautista knows there has been no shortage of recognition for his accomplishments.

"It was somewhat disappointing," Bautista said of finishing third. "I really felt like I did the best I could and I gave it my all. I left it all out there on the field, I go out there with that mentality on a daily basis.

"I want to play hard because I want to win, and I think by doing that I gave my team a chance. I know my fans certainly wanted me to win, and there's a reason why I got 7.5 million votes. A lot of people are paying attention and a lot of people are liking what I'm doing, and I'm always appreciative of their support."

Bautista spent the early stages of his career mired in obscurity. He played for four different organizations in the Major Leagues before being dealt to Toronto from Pittsburgh partway through the 2008 season.

One year later, Bautista began to find some comfort in his new surroundings and overhauled his mechanics at the plate with the help of then-Toronto manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Dwayne Murphy. The change resulted in 10 home runs during the final month of the season, and set the stage for his historic 2010.

Bautista hit a franchise-record 54 homers and finished among the league leaders in most offensive categories. He ranked third in the AL in RBIs (124), slugging percentage (.617) and OPS (.995). He also led the league with 92 extra-base hits and ranked second in walks (100).

His 41-homer improvement over 2009 set a Major League record for the largest single-season increase in history. The previous mark had been set by former Braves second baseman Davey Johnson, who raised his total by 38 when he went from five in 1972 to 43 in '73.

That success continued in 2011, but it wasn't enough to garner more overall points than Verlander. Detroit's right-hander became the first starting pitcher in 25 years to be named MVP, and only the second player in the history of BBWAA voting to win the MVP, Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year during his career.

Bautista was quick to praise Verlander, but he also felt there should be a separation between starting pitchers and hitters when it comes to this type of recognition.

"In a perfect world, in my eyes, it should be two separate awards," Bautista said. "There is nothing in the criteria that says a pitcher cannot win the award


-- but at the same time there are a couple of items that should eliminate a pitcher from receiving an award from the get-go.

"I'm not knocking on Verlander, or the year that he had, but when one of the first items in the criteria for the MVP Award states the player should be on the field for the most amount of games for their particular team. ... In my eyes that's pretty much an elimination right there. But I'm not the one that votes so I can't really control what other people feel or think."

Bautista will now set his sights on next season. He spent the past six weeks allowing his body to fully recover from the long grind. His nagging neck and ankle injuries have fully healed and the preparation for 2012 is well underway with the goal of reaching the postseason and maintaining his strong performance at the plate.

"The last two years I felt like I've really had good years and I appreciate everybody that has been considering me for these awards," Bautista said. "To receive votes, it's something that I'm very honoured. It's just a little disappointing for the fans that I didn't get to win."

SPORTSNET.CATuesday, November 22, 2011

CONVENIENT COVER

Shi Davidi

TORONTO – The challenge in selecting this past season’s Most Valuable Player in the American League was that there was little consensus to be found in an exercise that demands consensus.

Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander performed brilliantly during a dominating 2011 and his victory, with 13 first-place votes and 280 points overall, is a deserved one. But that he became the first pitcher to win the honour since closer Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starter since Roger Clemens in 1986 is, in part, because no one or two position players separated themselves enough from the rest of the field to give him a good run.

Compelling cases can be made for Toronto Blue Jays right-fielder Jose Bautista (five first-place votes, third overall), centre-fielders Jaocby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox (four first-place votes, second overall) and Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees (three first-place votes, fourth overall), and Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (two first-place votes, fifth overall), but not enough to crystallize opinion around any one of them.

Michael Young of the Texas Rangers received the last of the 28 first-place votes, underlining just how split the electorate really was.

The six players to earn a top-ranking was the most in either league’s MVP race since 2008, when five different AL players got some first-place love. It mattered little that year, as Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia picked up 16 of 28 votes and was the runaway winner.

A better comparison is the 2003 AL vote, when first-place ballots were cast for 10 different players, led by winner Alex Rodriguez’s six. Five each went to runner-up Carlos Delgado, then of the Blue Jays, and Jorge Posada of Yankees, who ended up third.

The primary difference between then and now is that year there was no one for fence-sitting voters to rally around, while this time Verlander provided the electorate with an appealing option.

For better or worse, the MVP often comes down to the best player on a playoff bound team, and Verlander’s dominance best fit that criteria. It’s a vote that’s easy to defend, because take away his wins, his innings, and the resulting benefit to rest of the pitching staff from the Tigers and the AL Central quite likely plays out much differently.

The case is nowhere near as cut and dry with any of the other candidates.

Bautista led the league in home runs (43), slugging (.608), OPS (1.056) and walks (132), but the knock on him is that he didn’t do it in a pennant race.

Ellsbury posted fine all-around numbers – .321 average with 32 homers, 105 RBIs, 119 runs, and 39 stolen bases – but his team was part of a historic September collapse. Granderson’s team won the AL


East, but his stat line – .262 average with 41 homers, 119 RBIs and 136 runs – is in some ways inferior and since he played in a more potent lineup, giving him the nod over Ellsbury isn’t a slam dunk.

Cabrera, meanwhile, batted an impressive .344 with 30 homers, 105 RBIs, and 48 doubles and was the most important offensive piece in the Tigers’ mostly solid but unspectacular lineup. Still, he was overshadowed by Verlander, even though some argue his everyday contributions were probably more important.

And in that is the crux of the debate.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s criteria for MVP, unchanged since 1931, is open to interpretation, leaving beauty very much in the eye of the beholder.

Each voter is instructed to make his decision based on the following:

1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offence and defence.

2. Number of games played.

3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.

4. Former winners are eligible.

5. Members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.

You are also urged to give serious consideration to all your selections, from 1 to 10. A 10th-place vote can influence the outcome of an election. You must fill in all 10 places on your ballot. Only regular-season performances are to be taken into consideration.

Keep in mind that all players are eligible for MVP, including pitchers and designated hitters.

Numbers one and three in particular can be judged quite differently from person to person, making the decision very difficult in years when the field gets bunched up like this season.

By virtue of how much better Verlander was than any other pitcher in the AL, he gave voters facing a very difficult choice between similar candidates another direction to go in.

Many of them took it, and that’s why the flame-throwing right-hander’s trophy case is now a little bit fuller.

American League MVP voting breakdown

Player 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th points

Justin Verlander 13 3 3 4 1 2 - 1 - - 280

Jacoby Ellsbury 4 13 4 1 4 1 - - - 1 242

Jose Bautista 5 7 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 - 231

Curtis Granderson 3 4 4 8 6 1 2 - - - 215

Miguel Cabrera 2 - 9 5 5 2 4 - 1 - 193

Robinson Cano - - 2 2 3 6 4 5 1 1 112

Adrian Gonzalez - - 1 1 2 6 8 3 3 1 105

Michael Young 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 7 4 2 96

No offence Justin, but...

Mike Cormack

Jose Bautista doesn't believe Justin Verlander should have been eligible for the American League MVP award.


There, he said it.

A few hours after finishing third in the MVP balloting behind the Detroit Tigers ace and Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, the Toronto Blue Jays slugger said he counts himself among those who feel pitchers don't play often enough to merit consideration for the award.

"You know what, in a perfect world, in my eye it should be two separate awards," Bautista said Monday via conference call from his home in the Domincan Republic. "There's nothing in the (MVP) criteria that says the pitcher cannot receive the MVP award, but at the same time, there are a couple of items that should eliminate a pitcher from receiving the award from the get-go.

"I'm not knocking on Verlander or the year that he had, but when one of the first items in the criteria in the MVP award states that the player should be on the field for the most amount of games for their own particular team and knowing that us position players have to be out there 150-plus times over 30-32, 33 (for a starter), in my eyes, that's pretty much an elimination right there."

It's an opinion shared by many, including some voters-- as evidenced by the fact Verlander earned an 8th place vote on one ballot and was left entirely off another.

Indeed, the second criteria listed for MVP voters to consider when filling out their ballot is a rather straight forward: "Number of games played."

Bautista -- who sounded disappointed but not bitter during the call -- finished with five first-place votes, second most to Verlander's 13.

"It doesn't make a difference to me if Verlander or Ellsbury wins because the bottom line is I wasn't chosen," he added. "I know (Verlander) had a great season and I feel excited for him that he was able to get the award so congratulations to him."

Meanwhile, here's a sampling of what else we heard from Bautista on Monday

He's not sure whether not playing for a playoff team hurt his chances.

"It's another one of the items in the criteria, but again, it's their interpretation," he said. "When something's not really defined and there's a lot of grey areas, things can go one way or another. I don't see how only guys that are on playoff-bound teams should be considered. The name of the award is MVP, not MVP for playoff teams, but that's just the way I look at it. It's open to interpretation so people can justify whatever they want to I guess."

But he was hoping to win it for his fans.

"I know my fans certainly wanted me to win and there's a reason why I got 7.5 million (all-star) votes," he said. "Because of the fans, and the fans of the Blue Jays, the fans that I have in Toronto and all of Canada, it's kind of like why I wanted to win it more. That's why it was a little disappointing and not really for any other reason.

"It was somewhat disappointing. I really felt like I did the best I could. I gave it my all. I left it all out there on the field.

The respect of his peers is important to him.

"They're all great awards and it's great to be recognized," he said. "Players Choice (award) is important as well. People don't talk much about that. Players Choice is more special because the players vote on their peers. I think that's pretty important when your peers recognize what you do and give you the recognition."

He lost 15 pounds during the last season.

"I let my body recover for about six weeks, now I'm getting back into the gym and slowly getting into the weight room trying to build up some of that strength and get some of the weight back I lost through the year," he said. "Because of the neck injury I couldn't work out for most of the year and I lost 15 pounds, so I'm trying to get it back up."

Bad habits, and not his ankle injury, were behind his second-half struggles.

"It affected me a little bit and then running into the wall, there were a couple of little lingering things," he explained. "I don't make those excuses and didn't


do it last year when I had the hernia. It was nothing that prevented me from finishing as strong as I could. The only reason my second half wasn't as strong as my first was because I went away from my game plan and tried to chase pitches out the zone because at times it did become a bit frustrating because I kept getting walked."

And although he doesn't expect to be perfect, he's still going to try.

"I tried to make things happen in certain situations at times when I probably should have remained a bit more patient and maybe even taken a couple more walks," he said. "The only thing that I lacked in the second half was the consistency and being patient. I'm going to keep working on that. I don't expect to be perfect the whole year."

He has mastered the art of the team-first cliché.

"It's not what I put on the uniform to do," Bautista said when asked if he was disappointed not to win MVP. "I would rather win more games and win championships than win personal awards."

He thinks Alex Anthopoulos is a man with an off-season plan.

"Alex is a great baseball mind. He really knows what he wants to do," said Bautista. "I'm sure he's got 30 or 40 different scenarios probably written up on a board somewhere that he would like to get done and he's probably got them ranked in order of preference."

And he feels the Jays are on the right path, even if it's a slow one.

"He's doing it the right way," he explained. "And when you do it that way, it certainly takes more time than just going out there and signing free agents. Just because you spend the money and open the wallet, doesn't mean you're trying. He's got the right idea and he's certainly trying to get some things done.

Just don't ask him to share any details.

"On the specifics, I absolutely don't have a clue," said Bautista. "And even if I did, I probably wouldn't throw it out there."

He needs a better TV package.

"I don't get MLB Network or whatever channel the award was announced on," he said. "My family was checking on the internet."

TSN.CATuesday, November 22, 2011

BLUE JAYS' BAUTISTA DISAPPOINTED IN AL MVP OUTCOME

TORONTO -- Jose Bautista doesn't think starting pitchers should qualify for MVP awards.

The Toronto Blue Jays slugger spoke out after Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander took the American League MVP award on Monday ahead of Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Bautista.

"There's nothing in the criteria that says a pitcher cannot receive the award," said Bautista on a conference call. "But at the same time, there's a couple of items that should eliminate a pitcher from receiving the award from the get go."

In particular, Bautista was critical of the amount of time starting pitchers play compared to fielders who are in the lineup on a daily basis.

"When one of the first items in the criteria for the MVP award states that the player should be on the field for the most amount of games for their own particular team and knowing that us position players have to be out there 150 plus times over ... I don't know, 30, 32, 33 times that a pitcher has to go out there, in my eyes that's pretty much an elimination right there," said Bautista.Verlander received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ellsbury came second with four firsts and 242 points, followed by Bautista with five firsts and 231 points.


"It doesn't make a difference to me if Verlander of Ellsbury wins," said Bautista. "The bottom line is that I wasn't chosen but, at the same time, I know that he (Verlander) had a great season and I feel excited for him, that he was able to get the award. Congratulations to him.

Added Bautista: "I'm not knocking on Verlander or the year that he had."

Verlander is the first starting pitcher to win an MVP in 27 years. He was given the Cy Young Award as the league's best pitcher on Nov. 15 after winning 24 games in 34 starts with a 2.40 earned-run average and 250 strikeouts.

He also threw a no-hitter in Toronto on May 7.

Bautista wasn't alone in his criticism of a pitcher winning the MVP.

Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio did not have Verlander on his ballot. Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal voted Verlander eighth.

Ingraham thinks pitchers should not be eligible for MVP awards.

"I'd wrestled with this for a long time. If I was ever going to vote for pitcher for MVP, it would be him this year," said Ingraham, who was one of Bautista's first-place votes. "He hasn't appeared in 79 per cent of their games, any starting pitcher really doesn't appear in 79 per cent of his team's games in a year."

Ingraham compared baseball's MVP to other sports to underscore his point.

"Would you vote for an NFL quarterback for MVP if he only appeared in three of his team's 16 games, which would be 21 per cent? So that's part of it," Ingraham said to The Associated Press. "Another part of it is I think they're apples and oranges. The guys that are in there every day, there's a grind to a season that a starting pitcher doesn't, I don't think, experience the way the everyday position players do playing 150, 160 games."

Other pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year were Brooklyn's Don Newcombe (1956), Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax (1963), St. Louis' Bob Gibson

and Detroit's Denny McLain (1968), Oakland's Vida Blue (1971) , Milwaukee's Rollie Fingers (1981) and Detroit's Willie Hernandez (1984).

Bautista won the AL's Hank Aaron Award as the league's best offensive player and a Silver Slugger as the best hitter at his position. He finished 2011 with a .302 batting average, 43 home runs and 103 RBIs.

The 31-year-old Jays slugger was the only player who earned a vote that was not on a team in the playoff picture in October.

"I don't see how only guys that are on playoff-bound teams should be considered for the award," said Bautista. "The name of the award is 'MVP' not 'MVP for playoff' teams, but, that's just the way I look at it."

Despite his obvious disappointment, Bautista tried to keep the MVP snub in perspective.

"I play the game to win on a daily basis and hopefully accumulate enough Ws at the end of the year to get into the playoffs and win the World Series," said Bautista. "I don't put on a uniform that says 'Blue Jays' on the front on a daily basis to garner personal accolades, that's not what I'm about.

"Even though they're nice -- it's nice to be recognized by the league and by the writers -- it's not what I go out on the field every day for."

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