Ever since the first official Most Valuable Player Award was given in 1931, people have been debating the criteria on which it is presented. During in those years, the baseball writers have had a lot of tough decisions to make. Why should this year be any different? With no clear-cut winner, the meaning of "value" really gets thrown around a lot. Is it the player with the best pure stats? Is it only for position players (meaning pitchers and designated hitters get shafted)? Or is it for the player that has the most clutch hits helping his team to win?

If you go with the last definition, and I think you should, Gary Sheffield should be the American League's MVP this year.

When you look at the true value a player brings to a team, there is no player who has contributed as much to his team's winning ways as Sheffield has this season.

George Steinbrenner wanted one guy for right field. Sure, Vladimir Guerrero is much younger, Reggie Sanders would have been cheaper and Bernie Williams is probably losing his ability to play center and might be better of in right. But Steinbrenner wanted Sheffield. Many baseball writers and analysts blasted him for this move. When Sheffield was named in the on-going steroid inquiry, even more whispers were heard. Then came news during spring training that Sheffield was going to miss two or three months because of a torn tendon in his thumb (an injury he had brought over from the Atlanta Braves), but he only missed a couple of practices. When the Yankees started the season dismally, people pointed toward Sheffield's one home run and 12 runs batted in for the month.

Then May came, and since then Sheffield has been not only the Yankees' best player, but by far the most successful in the clutch. He raised his average from .267 to just under .300. As of Sept. 24, he had crushed 36 home runs, knocked in 119 runs, and compiled an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .942. Always a patient hitter at the plate, Sheffield actually has more walks (88) than strikeouts (79). For a power hitter, he is not only consistent, he is disciplined, too.

Delving more into these numbers shows how valuable he has been. Out of his 36 home runs, 13 have been go-ahead home runs. He has hit 28 of them in Yankee wins. Sheffield has hit 19 home runs at home, tying the great Joe DiMaggio for most all-time at Yankee Stadium in a season. In late-inning pressure situations, Sheff (as he is affectionately called) has been a huge asset for the Yankees with a .350 average and five home runs (compared with Manny Ramirez's .294 average and three home runs in similar situations). And in these same late inning pressure situations, he is hitting .448 with runners on base. On the season, with runners in scoring position, Sheffield has hit .327 with 81 RBI.

Whether it should count towards a player's value or not, Sheffield has played injured all season. His arm is in such bad condition he cannot lift up his son, drive his own car or lift his arm to catch a ball in the outfield or check-swing on an at bat. It may be so bad that Sheffield would walk away from the remaining two years on his contract if he could not handle the pain in the off-season. But instead of sitting out and meeting friends for drinks and laughs (Oe la another outfielder I know of), Sheffield defied all expectations by continuing to play. With a thumb and shoulder falling off, it's indisputable how unbelievable this guy has been for the Yankees.

And, lastly, there are those that feel that the lineup around Sheffield should exclude him from being the most valuable player. But to those naysayers, I point to David Ortiz (who is having a better season than any Yankee player) and the rest of the Boston lineup. Although there are a lot of stars on the Yankees roster, every one of the big names (except for Matsui) performed under their career averages.

So how could you give the MVP award to anyone else? Manny has a better and more valuable player on his own team. So it comes down to the Yankees' most feared, most resilient, and, this season, best player: Gary Sheffield. The Yankees have been to the playoffs 10 straight years and have had zero MVP's. This year will be different.