Like a virgin

Star Tribune baseball writer Jim Souhan has reportedly earned the wrath of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for declining to vote for Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui as rookie of the year. The New York Daily News reports “George puts rap on writers’ bloc.” Souhan himself expresses pardonable pride in Steinbrenner’s reaction: “Steinbrenner ire affirms writer’s vote.”
I don’t care much about the issue, but Souhan’s rationale is compelling: “He seemed like a pro. He seemed like a good guy. But a rookie? Sure, kind of like that political pinch hitter, Walter Mondale. The crux of the arguments I’ve seen against my decision is that Matsui is considered a rookie by Major League Baseball, so I was compelled to consider him one. I’m sorry. You can tell me Madonna is like a virgin, that the Metrodome is a baseball stadium, that computers are built by extremely intelligent people, but I’m entitled to employ common sense.”
The one baseball issue I do care about is baseball’s lack of recognition for the almost unbelievable defensive play by Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, made all the more remarkable by the fact that he played with pain in his left wrist all year. For the second year in a row, however, Mientkiewicz was passed over for the gold glove award in favor of Seattle first baseman John Olerud. Click here here for the Star Tribune story on this year’s gold glove travesty.