November 17, 200322 yr NEW YORK -- Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez became the second player from a last-place team to win a Most Valuable Player award, beating Carlos Delgado and Jorge Posada in American League voting announced Monday. Rodriguez received 242 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Delgado had 210 points and Posada 194. Showing the split among the writers, 10 players received first-place votes, one short of the record set in the 1947 NL vote and matched in the 1977 AL vote. Rodriguez was picked first on six ballots, the fewest for an MVP winner since the New York Yankees' Yogi Berra in 1951. Delgado and Posada got five firsts each. The only other player on a last-place team to win an MVP was the Chicago Cubs' Andre Dawson in 1987. Rodriguez, second in the voting in 1996 and last year, was the only player picked on every ballot. He hit .298, tied for the major league lead with 47 homers, and led the AL in runs (124) and slugging percentage (.600). He had 118 RBI, second in the AL to Delgado's 145. AL MVP Award Voting Player 1st 2nd 3rd Total A. Rodriguez 6 5 6 242 C. Delgado 5 8 3 210 J. Posada 5 4 4 194 S. Stewart 3 2 2 140 D. Ortiz 4 3 2 130 Rodriguez was in his third season with Texas, which finished last in the AL West at 71-91. He joined the Rangers after the 2000 season when Texas gave him a record $252 million, 10-year contract and has led the league in homers in all three years. Delgado hit .302 with 42 homers for Toronto, while Posada batted .281 for the Yankees with 30 homers and 101 RBI. Shannon Stewart, traded from Toronto to Minnesota during the season, was fourth with three first-place votes and 140 points. Boston's David Ortiz was fifth with four firsts and 130 points. Boston's Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra, Toronto's Vernon Wells, Oakland's Miguel Tejada and the Yankees' Jason Giambi got one first-place vote each. Tejada was last year's MVP. Rodriguez gets a $500,000 bonus added to his $21 million salary, and Stewart gets $25,000 for finishing third. Because he finished 10th, Seattle second baseman Bret Boone gets an automatic $250,000 raise to $8.25 million. congrats.... its shouldnt be your first but congrats nonetheless
November 17, 200322 yr I agree, this guy was soo due to win an MVP. At least he is making the big bucks In addition, pride of south florida! just curious, What other South Floridans have won the MVP?
November 17, 200322 yr Hey, maybe the Marlins can pick him up in addition to Vlad! All we have to do is trade away Sea Bass and some pitchers, cause the Rangers need pitchers how about we give them Redman & Pavano, doesn't matter cause AJ coming back next year. We can pay Alex because he'll be in South Florida and it's his home and he likes it here so we should be able to get him for like 3 million a year or something. 2004 Lineup: Juanpy Tejada (for 2nd base) ARod Vlad PUDGE! Lowell Cabs Conine Rotation: Josh Beckett, D-Train, Petettitte, Brad, AJ I BELEEEEEEEEEIVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
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