Earth continues to spin

Obviously this is Alex Rodriguez's fault -- I'm not sure how, but it must be, he's such a poor teammate, a 24-plus-1 guy, and so anti-clutch.  He should be traded as soon as humanly possible.

Dropping the sarcasm for a moment: I actually did think Jeter deserved the MVP this year.  It pains me to have to type that, because I think his "Captain Intangibles" reputation covers some serious holes in his game (like the fact that he's one of the worst-fielding regular shortstops ever), and because I personally, completely irrationally, just hate the guy, and because I never want the Yankees to win anything ever again for the rest of time.  But he had an unbelievably good year at the plate.  It's not an open-and-shut case who should get the award, and Morneau is not a horrible choice, but I thought Jetes actually deserved it this time around.

I realize that some of what follows has been said before, but I think that it is worth repeating.  

Like many others, I think that talk of a  player's "intangibles" is often a needless distraction.  Nevertheless, I would like to present the following  polemic with Jeter supporters on their own terms.  It does not necessarily pertain to Jeter as an MVP candidate for 2006, but is instead meant as a comment upon him as a player.

Jeter fans often  claim that although Jeter  lacks the gaudy  offensive stats of other star hitters and the range (and footwork) of other shortstops, that he is nevertheless one of the most valauble players in the sport year after year because he is a "leader", a "team player," and a "clutch player."  I would like to take a moment to cast doubt upon all three of these assertions.

1. Jeter as great leader: I have always thought that this argument stank of circularity.  Jeter supporters admit that he is a not the typical vocal clubhouse leader, but they contend that he leads by example with his great play.  So their argument runs as follows:  Jeter is a great player because he is a leader, and he is a leader because he is a great player.

If he were truly a leader, he would have come to A-Rod's defense when the fans and media turned against him.  Words of support from the team's most respected player (with the Yankee fans and media) would have gone a long way.

2. Jeter as "great teamate": If Jeter were truly a "great teamate" who cared only about winning, he would have moved over to third base after the A-Rod trade and allowed the superior defensive shortstop to field the position.  

Ask Chad Curtis about Jeter as a teamate.  Curtis was brave enough to call Jeter out for not backing up his teamates during a Yankee brawl with the Mariners.  Jeter was seen standing to the side chatting and giggling with A-Rod (who was a Mariner at the time) while a fight was taking place.  

3. Jeter is a "clutch player":  Jeter's performance in the postseason has been what you would expect given his performance during the regular season.  Regular season OPS: .851.  Postseason OPS: .863. Compare these numbers to someone who truly is a clutch performer, Mariano Rivera.  Regular season ERA: 2.29, Postseason ERA .80.          

Jeter certainly has had his share of postseason heriocs, but that is to be expected given how many play off games he has played. He has also played some awful post season games (also to be expected).  See Game 6 2003 WS and his atrocious defense during the entire 2002 division series.