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Winning the Most Valuable Player award would not have validated Derek Jeter's career. His ticket of admission to the Hall of Fame has already been punched. Justin Morneau, on the other hand, still has a long way to go.

Nevertheless, I feel strongly that the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America who voted Morneau the American League MVP made the right choice (with the exception of those two ding-a-lings who placed Jeter fourth and sixth on their ballots).

I believe fervently in the literal definition of the term "Most Valuable." The award was designed to go not to the year's outstanding player, but rather to the one most instrumental in the success of his team (the fact that both Morneau's Twins and Jeter's Yankees failed to get past the first round of the playoffs had no bearing on the vote; ballots had to be submitted before the first pitch of the first playoff game). It is rare that a player's value is so clearly apparent as Morneau's was this season. Just look at the numbers:

On June 7, the Twins were 25-33, 11 ½ games behind the Tigers in the AL Central and Morneau was batting .236 with 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in. From June 8 to the end of the season, Morneau batted .362 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs, and the Twins went 71-33, passed the Tigers and won the division championship. That, to me, is the definition of a Most Valuable Player. How much clearer can it be?

There are those who say that the failure of Jeter to win the award is an anti-New York bias, but that theory is difficult to square with two facts:

• At the annual meeting of the New York Baseball Writers, Jeter qualified for two awards — Player of the Year and Toast of the Town — and was not nominated for either;

• In last year's MVP vote, a New York player, Alex Rodriguez, won out over David Ortiz in a controversial vote that was roundly criticized in some quarters. What that vote told us is that there is more of an anti-DH bias than an anti-New York one.

To say that Jeter deserves extra consideration as MVP because he plays a critical position on defense is a valid point. Jeter not only is the Yankees' shortstop, but an exceptional one, the winner of a Gold Glove this year.

But to say that Morneau did not deserve the award because he is "only" a first baseman is ludicrous. Would those that espouse that position rescind the MVP trophy awarded to Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Ernie Banks, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Joe Torre, Harmon Killebrew, Boog Powell, Dick Allen, Steve Garvey, Keith Hernandez, Rod Carew, Don Mattingly, Mo Vaughn and Jason Giambi?

This should in no way be interpreted as a knock on Jeter, his greatness, his intangibles, his importance to the Yankees' success, or what he achieved this past season and in his career. If voters were presenting a lifetime achievement award, Jeter would win it easily.

In fact, his 2006 numbers probably would have earned him several MVP awards over the last 10 years. But not this year.