And The AL MVP Goes To...

Sorry Big Papi, you lose. At least according to those that voted over at ESPN.com. ESPN has a poll up on their MLB page questioning who should be the AL MVP. Here are the 5 choices and the % of the vote they received after 200,000 votes were cast:

1. Derek Jeter 39%
2. Joe Mauer 12%
3. Justin Morneau 16%
4. David Ortiz 24%
5. Johan Santana 9%

It's to no surprise that the American public sees Jeter as the MVP. But here is where the results get interesting. They also have the results broken down by state. David Ortiz is the top vote-getter in 4 states: Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. For those of you not up on your geography, those 4 states make up what is commonly known as New England. It looks like everyone in the upper northeast cast their votes amongst party lines. I can't say I'm shocked. This just furthers my point that most Red Sox fans can never look at things with an open mind. If you've ever visited a Sox blog or talked to a Sox fan, you know what I'm talking about. Not all of them are this way now. But the vast majority of Sox fans/bloggers think that they and the Red Sox are the high and mighty, and they can do and say no wrong. They fail to look at anything within MLB through any other set of eyes other than those that wear "red-colored glasses." The results of this poll is just another thing that supports that belief. I'm sure a lot of people will retort that Yankee fans are the same way, and I agree, most of us are. Myself at times included. But I like to think I can take off the "pinstriped glasses." I've read a lot of Yankee blogs that demonstrate that they can also. Sox blogs, not so much.
Now Ortiz wasn't the only one to win the states in his "home area." Justin Morneau was far and away winning in Minnesota. He was also leading in the Dakotas, and in Iowa, all of which border Minnesota. Jeter winning in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. No surprises there. Another thing that didn't surprise me, but may surprise some, is that Derek Jeter was the leading vote-getter in every other state. Based on that, I think it's safe to assume that the majority of baseball fans see Jeter as the MVP, not just we Yankee fans. I'm interested to hear Sox fans explain that one, as they appear to be the ones that disagree. Well to be fair, so do Twins fans.
But in the end it's not the public that decides. It's the Baseball Writers that have the ultimate say. We'll find out in a few short days as the winner will be announced on Tuesday. Something tells me Jeter will be adding another piece of hardware to his collection. As if Jessica Biel isn't enough.
J