It’s not quite Shapely-Curtis. Not nearly Lincoln-Douglas. Fuck, this isn’t even Stockdale-Quayle-Gore. But the usually more endearing-than-oxygen David Ortiz started it, and I’ll be damned if Derek Jeter (above) doesn’t sound like he’s finishing. From the Boston Globe,

Asked about Ortiz’ comments in Baltimore last night, Jeter said, “I don’t have to do it in his lineup . . . I’m not thinking about the MVP right now. We’re thinking about winning the division. No one here is focused on individual awards.” .

Fair ’nuff, not when they won’t let Giambi contend for Comeback Player Of The Year two seasons in a row.

SI.com’s Jon Heyman isn’t alone in finding Ortiz’ campaigning ill-advised. Writes Futility Infielder’s Jay Jaffe,

As cool as the other side of the pillow, Jeter pretty much hangs the otherwise likeable but suddenly, puzzlingly petulant Papi with the rope of his own words while pouring him a frosty glass of Shut the Fuck Up.

Yankee haters love to dwell on the high esteem in which Jeter’s held for the things that don’t show up in the box scores, the intangibles. It’s true Jeter’s raw hitting stats don’t hold a candle to Ortiz’s in this or any year — they’re completely different players, and vive la difference. I’m not even sold on the notion that Jeter deserves the MVP award; if I had to vote today I’d probably cast mine for Johan Santana first.

Over in the NL, the Mets’ Carlos Beltran is two home runs away from breaking Todd Hundley’s club record for most round-trippers in a season. He’s even hit a couple of them at home!