Kent Beats Bonds for NL MVP Award
N E W Y O R K, Nov. 16, 2000 -- San Francisco’s Jeff Kent beat out teammateBarry Bonds to win the National League Most Valuable Player Awardtoday, becoming the first second baseman to win the award in 16years.
Kent received 22 first-place votes, five seconds, four thirdsand one fourth for 392 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’Association of America.
Bonds, a three-time MVP winner, got six first-place votes and279 points to give the NL West-champion Giants the first 1-2 finishfor a team in the NL MVP since Bonds and Bobby Bonilla did it forPittsburgh in 1990.
“There is no doubt I wouldn’t be doing the things I’m doing without him [Bonds],” Kent said. “The way he gets on base gives me opportunities to drive in runs. You can’t really ask for a better guy to hit in front of you than Barry. I complement him as well.I’ve earned the respect of opponents that they now pitch toBarry.”
Mets catcher Mike Piazza was the only other player named on all32 ballots, finishing with three first-place votes and 271 points.
“I’m floored that people across the country recognized theGiants and more specifically recognized me,” Kent said. “I wasgoing against tremendous, quality talent in Barry Bonds, ToddHelton, Jim Edmonds and Mike Piazza. I’m losing my breathmentioning guys like that. To win the award by that margin … ”
Breaks RBIs Record
Kent hit .334 with 33 homers and 125 RBIs this season,solidifying himself as one of the best offensive second basemen inbaseball. His 475 RBIs the last four seasons broke Rogers Hornsby’s 75-year-old record for most at the position over such a span.
“I’m not big on personal achievements,” Kent said late this season. “It’s great to produce, but only if the team is winning. If it isn’t, it really means nothing.”
Chiefly because of the second baseman’s RBI total and knack forclutch hits, manager Dusty Baker said Kent would have gotten hisMVP vote, not Bonds, perhaps swaying voters. Bonds also had praisefor his teammate.
“He’s been doing this ever since he got here,” Bonds said in September. “The numbers he puts up for a second baseman areamazing. They’re great for any player, but to do it at second baseis really something.”
In Good Company
Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs in 1984 was the last second baseman towin the MVP in either league. The only other MVP second basemen areJoe Morgan of Cincinnati (1975-76), Nellie Fox of the White Sox(1959), Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers (1949), Joe Gordon of theYankees (1942), Charley Gehringer of Detroit (1937) and FrankieFrisch of the Cardinals (1931).
“This puts me more in a category along side of guys likethat,” Kent said. “It is truly an honor to be mentioned in thesame breath as those guys. I never try to compare myself withanybody.”
Bonds hit .306 with 49 homers and 106 RBIs. Bonds also scored129 runs and walked 117 times as he almost became the firstfour-time MVP in baseball history. He won the awards in 1990 and1992 in Pittsburgh and in 1993 for San Francisco.
Despite the arduous demands of crouching behind the plate everyday, Piazza is one of the most feared hitters in the league. He hit.324 with 38 homers and 113 RBIs this season, but wore down inSeptember, when he hit .222.
But his work the other five months helped the Mets make thepostseason in consecutive years for the first time in team history.
St. Louis’ Jim Edmonds was fourth (208), followed by Colorado’sTodd Helton (198), Montreal’s Vladimir Guerrero (117), Houston’sJeff Bagwell (102), Atlanta’s Andruw Jones (95), the Cubs’ SammySosa (71) and Los Angeles’ Gary Sheffield (71).
Edmonds, acquired in spring training from Anaheim, batted .295with 42 homers and 109 RBIs. Edmonds also won a Gold Glove for hisplay in center field.
Helton, who flirted with .400, might have had the best year ofany of the hitters, but his statistics were inflated by Coors Fieldand the Rockies finished in fourth place in the NL West.
Helton led the league in batting (.372), RBIs (147), sluggingpercentage (.698), on-base percentage (.463), hits (216), anddoubles (59). Helton also hit 42 homers and scored 138 runs.
Kent received a $100,000 bonus on top of his $6 million salary.Piazza got $75,000 and Helton received $50,000.