Ripken May Lack MVP Numbers, but He Possesses the Intangibles

The first three rules of the Most Valuable Player voting haven’t changed since they were written in 1931: “1. actual value of a player to his team, that is strength of offense and defense; 2. number of games played; and 3. general character, disposition, loyalty and effort.”

Judging strictly by those standards, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken is a leading contender for the award. In the estimation of some, most notably USA Today, he’s the top contender. In the estimation of others, most notably radio-talk show callers in Baltimore, his candidacy is a fraud.

Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the New York Yankees provided the perfect microcosm of Ripken’s season. He failed in a clutch situation at the plate, taking a called third strike with two on and two out in the eighth inning. But he played a superb game in the field, even though he made his first error in 48 games.

Offensively, Ripken isn’t exactly making an MVP push. He is hitless with one RBI in his last 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position. His September batting average is a dismal .188. During the 11-game homestand that concluded Sunday, he was 4 for 38 (.105).

“I’ve been guilty of trying to do a little more than I’m capable of,” Ripken said after going 0 for 3 Sunday with his seventh walk in four games. “There probably are a lot of guys who are guilty of the same thing. But I’ve been struggling. No doubt about that.”

Ripken has a point, for the Orioles have been shut out five times in their last 23 games. Manager Frank Robinson said, “I don’t think he’s pressing,” but added, “it’s human nature when you’re not doing well; you’re the first one to know it. He might be trying more than he normally would.”

MVP? It’s possible Ripken won’t even win the Most Valuable Oriole award -- where would the club be without rookie reliever Gregg Olson? -- but the USA Today selection was indicative of the growing national sentiment in his favor. The field lacks a dominant candidate, such as Jose Canseco last season. Ripken might be the best compromise choice.

Outside of Baltimore, the voters probably won’t be fazed by Ripken’s .258 batting average -- .253 with runners in scoring position, 1 for 14 with the bases loaded. Instead, they will point to his 21 homers and 90 RBI. They’ll marvel that he has played 1,244 straight games. And they’ll talk about his leadership role with the young Orioles.

Offense and defense. Number of games played. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort. Ripken’s detractors no doubt would argue that the Orioles might have clinched the division by now with a better offensive showing from their superstar. But USA Today claimed the Orioles might be a sub-.500 club without him as their backbone.

Perspective is a wonderful thing, but it’s easy to lose when the Orioles are in the thick of a race and their best offensive player is struggling. Ripken, 29, is appreciated in other cities for qualities that are taken for granted in Baltimore. He isn’t a troubled superstar like Pete Rose, or Wade Boggs, or Darryl Strawberry. He’s a throwback who gives an honest day’s work for his $2 million pay.

He was asked about the chances of winning his second MVP award, and he said, “You don’t try to spend time thinking about it. In winning years, you go one at-bat at a time, one ground ball at a time. You make a contribution to the winning effort. If the team wins, you feel good, satisfied knowing you’ve contributed. But everyone has to contribute for the team to be successful.”

It was a typical Ripken reply, and he shrugged in his usual way when asked about the end of his 47-game streak without an error, the longest of his career. Ripken handled 239 chances during the streak, and the error might have been difficult to accept. It came after he had fielded a tricky hop on a ball hit by Randy Velarde. His throw was in the dirt, and first baseman Randy Milligan failed to make the play.

“It took a very bad hop -- it bounced up, and almost over my head,” said Ripken, who has made only one other throwing error this season. “Not to make any excuses, but it took me out of my rhythm a little. Velarde’s a pretty fast runner. I had to get rid of it pretty quick. I threw a four-finger changeup to first base.”

But Ripken followed that play with a beauty. The next batter, Roberto Kelly, hit a grounder sharply into the hole between short and third. Ripken stabbed the ball on his backhand, then threw a bullet to Tim Hulett at second for a forceout. The play required both excellent anticipation and a strong throw. Ripken may be the only shortstop who can make it.

He entered Sunday’s game on a pace to break the major-league record for fielding percentage by a shortstop (.990) set by Detroit’s Ed Brinkman in 1972. The error might have cost Ripken the record, but this is probably his best defensive season, just as it probably is his worst offensive season. His average with men in scoring position is 35 points below his lifetime mark.

Sunday, he looked at a Lance McCullers fastball to end the Orioles’ threat in the eighth. Ripken fouled off a fastball on the previous pitch, so he guessed McCullers would throw a slider on 2-and-2, especially since he had seen two earlier in the count. “He froze me; he surprised me,” Ripken said. A home run would have won the game. Instead, the Orioles got nothing.

When Ripken won the MVP in 1983, he batted .344 with nine home runs and 30 RBI in a stretch from Aug. 13 to Sept. 25, and the Orioles went 34-10 to win the division title. Ripken finished with a .318 batting average, 27 homers and 102 RBI. He barely edged teammate Eddie Murray (.306, 33 homers, 111 RBI) in the voting.

An MVP gets a hit off Lance McCullers Sunday, but an MVP does other things too. Offense and defense. Number of games played. General character, loyalty, disposition and effort. Ripken isn’t an obvious choice for MVP. But he isn’t a disgraceful one either. Most likely, he falls somewhere in between.