Why Ortiz Won’t Win the MVP in 2006

Someday David Ortiz may win the MVP, but it won’t happen this year. While statistics and a winning team are extremely important to a candidate’s chances of winning the award, the media has the ability to sway the vote one way or the other.

If you analyze the national baseball media, the Sox have an amazing amount of reporters who root for the team. The only other team that receives the same amount of coverage is the Yankees.

Think about it – Gammons, Simmons and Sean McAdams cover the Sox regularly on ESPN.com. SI and ESPN Magazine usually has a player on the cover once during the season. Other baseball beat reporters sometime cover team issues as well.

Last year, when Ortiz should have won the MVP, the pro-Boston beat reporters were actively speaking up that he should win. This year? Reporters are looking at Jeter or Justin Morneau.

This posting may not have offered a strong story angle, but I thought it was an interesting glimpse into baseball’s media.