No MVP for Captain Intangibles; Yankee Fans Cry Foul

Are the Yankee fans' favorite football teams doing that badly that they have to keep bellyaching over the MVP award going to Justin Morneau? Your guy A-Rod won last year. Do the Yankees have to win the MVP every year, the same way they buy the AL East pennant every year?

And on a $200 million team, you have to really stand out to win the MVP. The Yanks still had Damon, Posada, and Giambi putting up excellent numbers this year. So let's say Jeter was injured. The Yanks still had enough to beat the Devil Rays and Orioles. And the way the Red Sox nosedived, they had enough to beat them, too.

And besides, as I've mentioned earlier, the key to the Yankees' 2006 was getting Bobby Abreu. After they traded for him, they got hot, the Red Sox fell apart, and the Yanks had an easy trip to the top of the division.

And I know that Morneau also had a pretty good supporting cast, with Mauer and Johan Santana. But take Morneau out of that lineup, and there's a big difference. Aside from Mauer, nobody really scares you. Torii Hunter and Michael Cuddyer did pretty well, but again, you have to factor Morneau's presence in the lineup. If he gets on base, they get pitched to differently. Maybe Mauer's average would've been lower without Morneau behind him.

I guess when you can't buy a series win in October, you have to harp on the MVP voting.

Sheff and Wright: Gone!

The Yanks have done some housecleaning over the past few days, trading away Sheffield and Jaret Wright.

I don't know much about the guys they got in return (although Chris Britton will probably work 95 games this year, knowing Joe Snorre), but I've got to give New York credit for getting rid of those clowns.

Both Sheffield and Wright were disappointments. Sheff never came through in a big spot in October, and Wright's lousy performance was overshadowed by the utter disaster named Carl Pavano.

Knowing the Yankees, though, I don't see this as a shift in approach, or as an attempt to infuse the organization with some youth. This just gives the Yanks a chance to sign more big-name players.