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Turn Back the Clock: Alex Rodriguez Wins American League MVP
The Mariners may not have the most storied history, but former players and prospects have been wont to take off in other uniforms across the MLB. Remember Randy Johnson? He won his World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jason Varitek? He was traded to the Red Sox and became a decade-long captain and World Series champ.
Then, there are guys like Alex Rodriguez. A young stud shortstop with the Mariners who left for a big contract in Texas with the Rangers, Rodriguez won 2 MVPs over a 3 season span. One of those MVPs was announced and awarded on this day back in 2005. He played in all 162 games for the New York Yankees, hitting .321/421/.610, 48 home runs and 130 RBI with 124 runs scored.
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- Forgotten Mariners Friday: Outfielder James Jones
- What If… The Mariners Didn’t Trade Michael Pineda?
There was great debate in the MVP race that season between Alex Rodriguez and designated hitter David Ortiz. Ortiz, a one-time Mariners prospect, batted .300/.397/.604 with 47 home runs and league-leading 148 RBI. This debate brought the DH question to the fore: whether the DH was a complete enough position to warrant a Most Valuable Player award.
A battle between former Mariners was impressive, as both Rodriguez and Ortiz were worthy of the MVP based on their stellar offensive numbers.
A-Rod, of course, has had a checkered history with performance enhancing drugs since leaving the Mariners. His lies, deceit, and abrasiveness have jaded so many former and current fans. He has become the staple of the PED-era, epitomizing the cheating that plagued the MLB for more than a decade.
Ortiz, on the other hand, has been the hero of Boston and never been seriously connected to PEDs or cheating. He’s the one who proclaimed “this is our f*&$ing city” after the Boston Marathon bombing.
There’s no greater divide than the one between Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz in the MLB. Both have great offensive numbers throughout their careers, but since Alex’s last MVP in 2007, he’s struggled to avoid the negative limelight.
Not all Mariners have gone on to succeed outside the Pacific Northwest, but the 2005 MVP race, which ended on this day in 2005, sheds a little bit of light on the recently turbulent past of Major League Baseball.