Joe Christensen said no to Jeter for 2006 MVP because he's on 'team of rich guys getting it done,' later says is demeaning to suggest he'd be biased

• BBWAA Follies

Tues., Sept. 19, 2006, Baseball Beat with Charley Steiner on XM 175, Charley talks with Minneapolis Star-Tribune writer, Joe Christensen about the upcoming AL MVP Awards.

• Two members of the Twins are in the running and some have mentioned Derek Jeter as a possibility.

Along the conversation, Charley says to him, "Well, I offer you Derek Jeter," and gives a few reasons why.

• But, Christensen says,

• No to Jeter, because he's on a "team of rich guys getting it done."

Christensen offers a 2nd reason not to vote for Jeter:

• He says to Charley,

"Well, they have Mariano Rivera like you said."

• Christensen a minute ago was ready to put Rivera on a back burner, turns around and uses the guy's presence on the team
• as a reason not to vote for Jeter.

• ---------------------------

9 weeks later Christensen claims he's a completely unbiased baseball awards voter and for you to suggest otherwise is "demeaning" to him and a "fallacy." 2006 AL MVP votes have been tallied and Derek Jeter came in #2, Morneau #1.

• 11/23/2006, "Writer's Block? Bias, Stats May Have Hurt Jeter," NY Daily News, John Harper

"Is the MVP vote proof of a backlash to what they dismiss as New York hype? In general, baseball writers deserve more credit than that."...

• Mr. Harper selects Joe Christensen as an example of an awards voter who deserves credit for being honest, free of bias, and in this case, one whose vote would not be influenced by the perception that Jeter mainly gets attention because of the high profile team he plays on. Harper says Christensen finds it "demeaning" and a "fallacy" for anyone to suggest baseball writers would be biased:

"Joe Christensen, who covers the Twins for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and voted for winner Justin Morneau over Jeter, offers a more reasonable take on the subject. He admits that talk of Jeter being overrated is practically a fact of life in the Midwest,

• yet says it's demeaning

• to think that baseball writers can't see past such talk.

"I'd be lying to say there's not an anti-Jeter sentiment in the Midwest," Christenson said yesterday. "It's there.

• But the fallacy here is that the writers would allow

• that type of feeling

among fans get in the way of their voting for the MVP.""

• -----------------

Later in the same article Harper seems to back track, says in fact Jeter may have been hurt because he played in a 'star studded lineup' (which Christensen did say 9 weeks earlier is the reason he wouldn't vote for Jeter, but now says it's "demeaning" to suggest he would allow prejudice against a big market team to affect his vote). Harper mentions Jeter picked up the slack when "Matsui, Sheffield and Cano were out with injuries" and Arod was without a big hit for an extended period.

• Christensen acknowledges the injuries but says there was still 'a ton of talent on that team.'

Harper: "What also hurts Jeter may not be a New York backlash as much as

• the perception the Yankees can't lose with their star-studded lineup....

"You know he's valuable," Christensen said of Jeter, "but even with the injuries the Yankees had,

• there was still a ton of talent on that team."" (2/3 down page)

So not "demeaning" or a "fallacy" after all.

• "In baseball, the press is traditionally seen as the guardians of the game."...Tim Marchman

Baseball award voters are "ethically grounded."

• Other people would either not know enough or would be "too closely tied to teams" to cast an ethical vote. (per Kurkjian, 1/13/06)

-------------------------

• 9/4/11, "Sunday Insider: Verlander makes pitch for MVP," Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

"Curtis Granderson is having a great season for the Yankees, but he's surrounded by talent."...(near end of article). article via BTF

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