Mike Celizic

The American League MVP race was so laden with candidates this year, it created a kind of perfect voting storm that should have deposited the hardware in the arms of Derek Jeter for the first time in his 11-year career.

The Twins' Justin Morneau won it Tuesday, and he has a decent argument, too. So did Johan Santana, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas, Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz. Even though I don’t agree, I won’t argue. Jeter was not head and shoulders ahead of everyone else; many of the arguments for him are of the subtle variety that don’t always sway voters.

It was close, with Morneau earning 15 first-place votes, and Jeter 12. You knew it would be tight.

But before you strain your vocal chords in defense of your own man, go back and re-read the list of candidates above and try to rank them in order, one through 10. Then ask a dozen friends to do it and compare results.

So that's why I would have given the award to Jeter, the one candidate who has been touted for the award all season long.

Consider it more of a lifetime achievement award, an excellent season giving voters a chance to recognize 11 seasons of great play. He’s been one of the best all-around players in the game for a long time and one of the game’s premier leaders.

Jeter has his critics, and they’re driven by more than just Yankeephobia. The game’s stat wonks say Jeter, who won his third Gold Glove this season, has the worst range factor of any shortstop in the league. If he doesn’t make a lot of errors, it’s because he doesn’t get to that many balls, they say. His perceived ability to deliver in the clutch also wilts in the statistical light, they say.

MLB AWARDS AL, NL Rookies of Year: Ramirez, Verlander NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks AL, NL Managers of Year: Leyland, Girardi AL Cy Young: Johan Santana, Twins NL MVP: Ryan Howard, Phillies AL MVP: Justin Morneau, Twins

But people who watch him every day – including those who’ve made the game their lives for 30 or 40 years – know that Jeter simply gets things done. He moves runners over, gets on base, steals and runs the bases as well as anyone, can lay down a sacrifice, hit the other way and, when he puts his mind to it, drive it out of the park. Hitting second, he still drove in 97 runs while scoring 118. By one measure – adding runs and RBIs and subtracting home runs (You can’t get two points if you drive yourself in) – he actually produced more runs than anyone in the American League.

He also carried the Yankees when Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui were injured earlier in the season and Robinson Cano followed them. In previous years, the Yankees had multiple MVP contenders, but not this season. Every player on the team – well, maybe not A-Rod – gave Jeter credit for keeping everything together. So did the writers who watched him every day.

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Baseball Digest concluded that his contributions led to more Yankee victories than did the contributions of any of the other top candidates. By the same math, Cuddyer, who is mentioned by most as at best the third candidate on the Twins, was actually more valuable to that team than either batting champion Mauer or power hitter Morneau.

And when it comes to value, you can't top Jeter. He has been the team’s leader from the very beginning of his career. He may not have a ton of home runs, but he’s got value.

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