samikeyp
11-20-2006, 03:30 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2669508
NEW YORK -- Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday after leading the majors in home runs and RBI, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols for the honor.
Ryan Howard had a magical season for the Phillies and was rewarded Monday with his first NL MVP Award. Howard is the fourth Phillies player to win the award and first since Mike Schmidt in 1986.
• Fun fact: He's the third player to win the MVP award and Home Run Derby in the same season. Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) and Andre Dawson (1987) are the others.
Phillies MVPs, All-time
Ryan Howard 2006
Mike Schmidt 1980, '81, '86
Jim Konstanty 1950
Chuck Klein 1932
Howard received 20 first-place votes and 12 seconds for 388 points in balloting by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Pujols got 12 firsts, 19 seconds and one third for 347 points.
Howard, the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, had 58 homers and 149 RBI while batting .313. He had the most homers in the major leagues since Barry Bonds hit a record 73 in 2001.
He set Phillies records for home runs and RBI, producing the highest totals in those categories in big league history for a second-year player. Twenty-three of Howard's homers put the Phillies ahead and five tied games. The Phillies went 32-18 in games in which he homered.
Pujols, who hit .331 with 49 homers and 137 RBI, defeated Atlanta's Andruw Jones 378-351 in last year's voting after finishing second in 2002 and 2003. Stan Musial and Ted Williams (four times each) are the only players to finish second more often than Pujols, who matched three-time AL MVP Mickey Mantle with three second-place finishes.
2006 NL MVP Voting
Player 1st 2nd 3rd Pts
Ryan Howard, Phillies 20 12 -- 388
Albert Pujols, Cardinals 12 19 1 347
Lance Berkman, Astros -- -- 21 230
Carlos Beltran, Mets -- 1 5 211
Miguel Cabrera, Marlins -- -- 2 170
Alfonso Soriano, Nats -- -- 1 106
Jose Reyes, Mets -- -- 1 98
Chase Utley, Phillies -- -- -- 98
David Wright, Mets -- -- 1 70
Trevor Hoffman, Padres -- -- -- 46
Scoring: 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third and on down to one for 10th.
Others receiving votes: Andruw Jones (29), Carlos Delgado (23), Nomar Garciaparra (18), Rafael Furcal (11), Garrett Atkins (10), Matt Holliday (10), Aramis Ramirez (5), Freddy Sanchez (5), Chris Carpenter (4), Chipper Jones (3), Mike Cameron (2), Jimmy Rollins (2), Bronson Arroyo (1), Jason Bay (1).
Pujols was third in the NL in batting average behind Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez and Florida's Miguel Cabrera, and second to Howard in homers and RBI.
Stan Musial (four times), Ted Williams (four times) are the only players to finish second more often than Pujols, who matched three-time AL MVP Mickey Mantle with three second-place finishes.
Houston's Lance Berkman was third with 230 points, followed by the New York Mets' Carlos Beltran (211), Cabrera (170) and Washington's Alfonso Soriano (106) -- who on Sunday reportedly reached a preliminary agreement on an eight-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth about $136 million.
Pujols gets a $100,000 bonus for finishing second, Berkman $250,000 for placing third and Beltran $200,000 for winding up fourth.
NEW YORK -- Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday after leading the majors in home runs and RBI, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols for the honor.
Ryan Howard had a magical season for the Phillies and was rewarded Monday with his first NL MVP Award. Howard is the fourth Phillies player to win the award and first since Mike Schmidt in 1986.
• Fun fact: He's the third player to win the MVP award and Home Run Derby in the same season. Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) and Andre Dawson (1987) are the others.
Phillies MVPs, All-time
Ryan Howard 2006
Mike Schmidt 1980, '81, '86
Jim Konstanty 1950
Chuck Klein 1932
Howard received 20 first-place votes and 12 seconds for 388 points in balloting by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Pujols got 12 firsts, 19 seconds and one third for 347 points.
Howard, the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, had 58 homers and 149 RBI while batting .313. He had the most homers in the major leagues since Barry Bonds hit a record 73 in 2001.
He set Phillies records for home runs and RBI, producing the highest totals in those categories in big league history for a second-year player. Twenty-three of Howard's homers put the Phillies ahead and five tied games. The Phillies went 32-18 in games in which he homered.
Pujols, who hit .331 with 49 homers and 137 RBI, defeated Atlanta's Andruw Jones 378-351 in last year's voting after finishing second in 2002 and 2003. Stan Musial and Ted Williams (four times each) are the only players to finish second more often than Pujols, who matched three-time AL MVP Mickey Mantle with three second-place finishes.
2006 NL MVP Voting
Player 1st 2nd 3rd Pts
Ryan Howard, Phillies 20 12 -- 388
Albert Pujols, Cardinals 12 19 1 347
Lance Berkman, Astros -- -- 21 230
Carlos Beltran, Mets -- 1 5 211
Miguel Cabrera, Marlins -- -- 2 170
Alfonso Soriano, Nats -- -- 1 106
Jose Reyes, Mets -- -- 1 98
Chase Utley, Phillies -- -- -- 98
David Wright, Mets -- -- 1 70
Trevor Hoffman, Padres -- -- -- 46
Scoring: 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third and on down to one for 10th.
Others receiving votes: Andruw Jones (29), Carlos Delgado (23), Nomar Garciaparra (18), Rafael Furcal (11), Garrett Atkins (10), Matt Holliday (10), Aramis Ramirez (5), Freddy Sanchez (5), Chris Carpenter (4), Chipper Jones (3), Mike Cameron (2), Jimmy Rollins (2), Bronson Arroyo (1), Jason Bay (1).
Pujols was third in the NL in batting average behind Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez and Florida's Miguel Cabrera, and second to Howard in homers and RBI.
Stan Musial (four times), Ted Williams (four times) are the only players to finish second more often than Pujols, who matched three-time AL MVP Mickey Mantle with three second-place finishes.
Houston's Lance Berkman was third with 230 points, followed by the New York Mets' Carlos Beltran (211), Cabrera (170) and Washington's Alfonso Soriano (106) -- who on Sunday reportedly reached a preliminary agreement on an eight-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth about $136 million.
Pujols gets a $100,000 bonus for finishing second, Berkman $250,000 for placing third and Beltran $200,000 for winding up fourth.