Who's the Best, Most Outstanding, Coolest, Most Awesome, Most Valuable Player?

"First, the disclaimer: I am not an MVP voter, so what you read here is not official, merely an opinion."

I can sleep easier tonight.


"In my definition, the MVP award is not meant to go to the best, or most outstanding, player, but rather to that player most responsible for the success of his team. ... Remember, it's Most VALUABLE Player."

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Very common sentiment, though I disagree fundamentally with the criteria. Because I believe Pepe's logic collapses upon itself.

Emil Brown was more valuable for the success of his team -- however limited that team's success was -- than Jeter has been for the success of his team. Percentage-wise, anyway.

Playoff teams are typically good because they have lots of good players. Where would the Yankees be without Jeter? In the playoffs, probably.

Where would the Indians be without Travis Hafner? Mabye last place. Doesn't matter to Phil Pepe, but it probably matters to the fans in Cleveland and Kansas City.


But what is really baffling to me is this: While the term "valuable" may be vague, I don't think the terms "best" or "most outstanding" or any less vague.

Is Pepe claiming Jeter is the MOST VALUABLE player, but Jeter is not the BEST player or the MOST OUTSTANDING player? I think all of those terms are pretty much synonyms and now you're grading a player based on the effectiveness of his teammates. Miguel Cabrera doesn't pitch, you know what I'm sayin'?


There seems to be a fairly common idea that a separate "player of the year" award or "best player" award would solve this problem.

The stat junkies could satisfy their craving by giving a "player of the year" award to David Ortiz, while the baseball poets can still reward fielding, baserunning, leadership, and all the other qualities that sluggers presumably lack, by giving an MVP to a different player from a winning team.

Can you imagine?

If "most valuable" is vague and ambiguous, how about "player of the year"? What could be more vague than "player of the year"?

My personal "player of the year" is Coco Crisp because his name is funny.