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(More customer reviews)I have to admit that I was really surprised when Alex Rodriguez won his second American League Most Valuable Player award last year. The contest came down to Rodriguez and David Ortiz, and the argument centered on A-Rod playing third base while Ortiz was a DH. Ortiz scored 119 runs, had 40 doubles and 47 home runs, drove in 148 runs, batted .300 and had a .604 slugging average. Rodriguez scored 124 runs, had 29 doubles and 48 home runs, drove in 130 runs, batted .321 and had a .610 slugging average. He also stole 21 bases and had a .971 fielding average at third base. A-Rod had also won the MVP award two years earlier with the Texas Rangers, but what I thought would count against him was that Rodriguez was now a New York Yankee, because New York Yankees do not win MVP awards.
At the start of the 1960s the New York Yankees won the American League pennant five times in a row, and the first four years their players won the MVP award (Roger Maris twice, then Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard). Since then they have won eleven more pennants and only in 1976 did a Yankee, Thurman Munson, win the MVP. Don Mattingly was MVP in 1985, but the Yankees did not win the pennant. When the current Yankee dynasty started in 1996 with a surprising come from behind win over the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, Derek Jeter was named Rookie of the Year. While winning five more pennants since then the only major award anybody received was Roger Clemens, who won the 2001 Cy Young Award. So I really thought Ortiz would win the MVP award for 2005. Color me surprised.
McFarlane Toys had put out its 3rd Edition Alex Rodriguez figure last year in Series 11, showing A-Rod at bat in Yankee pin-stripes. But since he was MVP (and since New York Yankees figures tend to be popular given there seems to be one in virtually every series), they rushed out another one. Now, this figure, showing Rodriguez backhanding a ball again wearing the Yankees pin-stripe home uniform, is a slight modification of the 2dn edition Rodriguez figure of him as a Texas Ranger. Obviously, the uniform is different and so is what part of the uniform is dirty this time around, but you will also notice that the sweatshirt is longer and if you really pay attention you will see that the right hand is slightly different as well (and he has sun glasses on his cap now). True, the pose is still one more likely to be made playing shortstop than third base, but that would be quibbling.
The other comment is that it is interesting that the front peg for A-Rod's left foot is metal, while the back peg for his right foot is black, and for good measure the one suspending the ball in the air is clear. Also include in McFarlane's Sports Picks fourteenth series of Major League Baseball action figures are Mark Mulder of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jeff Kent as a Los Angeles Dodger, Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies, Aramis Rameriez of the Chicago Cubs, and a second figure for Jason Varitek, the captain of the Boston Red Sox. Series 15 comes out in June and will have Derrek Lee of the Cubs, Richie Sexson of the Seattle Mariners, Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins, Miguel Cabrera of the Florida Marlins, Carlos Delgado as a new New York Met, Chad Cordero as the first Washington National to get a figure, and the second figure of Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves (That is right: a series without a Yankee; you have to wait for Series 16 for Gary Sheffield).
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MLB Series 14 Alex Rodriguez, NY Yankees, White Pinstriped Uniform
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