2007 winner Alex Rodriguez finished eighth in AL Most Valuable Player voting announced today, behind Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox.
Pedroia got 16 of the 28 first-place votes and easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau.
Pedroia became the first AL second baseman to win the award since Nellie Fox in 1959. Generously listed at 5-foot-9, the Red Sox star was the top AL rookie last year while winning a World Series ring.
“I’m not the biggest guy in the world. I don’t have that many tools,” Pedroia said on a conference call from his home in Arizona. “If you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn’t think I’m a baseball player.”
Rodriguez hit .302 with 35 home runs and 103 RBIs one season after the Yankees third baseman batted .314 with 56 homers and 156 RBIs.
He did not receive a vote higher than fifth place. He also received a sixth-place vote, four seventh-place votes, one for eighth, four for ninth place and seven for 10th.
Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, who won 20 games for the first tiem in his career, was 19th with an eighth-place vote.
Shortstop Derek Jeter, Rodriguez’s preseason pick to win the award, did not receive a vote for the first time since 2002. He was runner-up to Morneau in 2006.
It was a scattered ballot, and Pedroia was even left off one ballot – Morneau and Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis were listed on every one.
Morneau got seven first-place votes and had 257 points. Youkilis and Twins catcher Joe Mauer each got a pair of first-place votes.
Record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels drew the other first-place nod and came in sixth.
Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the AL wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and also stole 20 bases.
Pedroia quickly became a fan favorite at Fenway Park with his meaty swings and gritty approach. This year, in a lineup depleted with injuries to David Ortiz and Mike Lowell and the midseason trade of Manny Ramirez, Pedroia took his hearty hacks at the plate wherever needed – while he usually batted second, he also hit leadoff and cleanup.
Voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award, with first-, second- and third-place votes and total points on a 14-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis:
Player; 1st; 2nd; 3rd; Total
Dustin Pedroia, Boston; 16; 6; 4; 317
Justin Morneau, Minnesota ; 7; 7; 6; 257
Kevin Youkilis, Boston; 2; 4; 4; 201
Joe Mauer, Minnesota ; 2; 8; 1; 188
Carlos Quentin, Chicago; -; 1; 4; 160
Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles; 1; 2; 6; 143
Josh Hamilton, Texas; -; -; 2; 112
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees; -; -; -; 45
Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay; -; -; 1; 44
Grady Sizemore, Cleveland; -; -; -; 42
Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay; -; -; -; 38
Cliff Lee, Cleveland; -; -; -; 24
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit; -; -; -; 17
Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles; -; -; -; 16
Jermaine Dye, Chicago; -; -; -; 14
Aubrey Huff, Baltimore; -; -; -; 12
Milton Bradley, Texas; -; -; -; 9
Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay; -; -; -; 6
Mike Mussina, Yankees; -; -; -; 3
Raul Ibanez, Seattle; -; -; -; 1
Ian Kinsler, Texas; -; -; -; 1
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle; -; -; -; 1
Mark Teixeira, Los Angeles; -; -; -; 1
With AP; Yankees.com