Wolverine
11-16-2004, 02:11 PM
In his first year in the AL, Vladimir Guerrero won his first MVP Award. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Vladimir Guerrero pulled ahead of a crowded field to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. The free-swinging right fielder outclassed the others in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving 21 out of a possible 28 first-place votes.
Guerrero led a formidable group of stars that included Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, who finished in second with five first-place votes; World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, in third place with one first-place vote; and David Ortiz, Ramirez's teammate, who also received one vote.
It was the first MVP title for Guerrero and the first by an Angel since Don Baylor won the award in 1979. It was also the ninth straight season the American League MVP has come out of the AL West. Alex Rodriguez, then the shortstop for Texas, won last year.
NL: Barry Bonds, Giants
AL: Vladimir Guerrero, Angels
2004 Voting ¬
NATIONAL 1st Total
B. Bonds 24 407
A. Beltre 6 311
A. Pujols 1 247
S. Rolen 1 226
J. Edmonds - 160
J.D. Drew - 114
L. Berkman - 100
Complete Results | All-Time Results
2004 MLB Awards coverage >
No one can argue with Guerrero's numbers. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .337 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs in 2004. He scored 124 runs and played in 156 games, leading his club in every significant offensive category -- 39 doubles, 206 hits, an on-base percentage of .391 and a .598 slugging percentage.
Guerrero was consistent throughout the year, putting up similar numbers in both the first and second halves of the season, but he may have been at his best down the stretch as the Angels caught the Oakland A's to win the AL West. The club's first divisional crown since 1986 returned them to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
The 28-year-old hit .474 over the regular season's last 10 games, with seven homers and 12 RBIs. He struck out just once over his final 38 at-bats.
It was the first postseason appearance for Guerrero, who spent his first eight seasons in the Major Leagues playing for the Expos. He went 3-for-12 with a homer and six RBIs in the Division Series, in which the Angels were swept by the eventual World Series champion Red Sox.
A five-time All-Star, Guerrero was a key acquisition for the Angels and new owner Arte Moreno last offseason. The move also provided the club with a coup over its regional rival Los Angeles. The Dodgers were close to offering Guerrero a deal, but he signed with the Angels.
Coming over from Montreal, for whom he put up impressive numbers, Guerrero helped carry a club that was without Troy Glaus for two-thirds of the season and also endured injuries to Troy Percival, Bengie Molina, Aaron Sele and Jarrod Washburn.
The big blow came when the Angels lost second baseman Adam Kennedy to a major knee injury late in the season. But through it all was Guerrero, who led the charge down the stretch to return the Angels to the postseason in 2004.
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Vladimir Guerrero pulled ahead of a crowded field to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. The free-swinging right fielder outclassed the others in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving 21 out of a possible 28 first-place votes.
Guerrero led a formidable group of stars that included Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, who finished in second with five first-place votes; World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, in third place with one first-place vote; and David Ortiz, Ramirez's teammate, who also received one vote.
It was the first MVP title for Guerrero and the first by an Angel since Don Baylor won the award in 1979. It was also the ninth straight season the American League MVP has come out of the AL West. Alex Rodriguez, then the shortstop for Texas, won last year.
NL: Barry Bonds, Giants
AL: Vladimir Guerrero, Angels
2004 Voting ¬
NATIONAL 1st Total
B. Bonds 24 407
A. Beltre 6 311
A. Pujols 1 247
S. Rolen 1 226
J. Edmonds - 160
J.D. Drew - 114
L. Berkman - 100
Complete Results | All-Time Results
2004 MLB Awards coverage >
No one can argue with Guerrero's numbers. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .337 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs in 2004. He scored 124 runs and played in 156 games, leading his club in every significant offensive category -- 39 doubles, 206 hits, an on-base percentage of .391 and a .598 slugging percentage.
Guerrero was consistent throughout the year, putting up similar numbers in both the first and second halves of the season, but he may have been at his best down the stretch as the Angels caught the Oakland A's to win the AL West. The club's first divisional crown since 1986 returned them to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
The 28-year-old hit .474 over the regular season's last 10 games, with seven homers and 12 RBIs. He struck out just once over his final 38 at-bats.
It was the first postseason appearance for Guerrero, who spent his first eight seasons in the Major Leagues playing for the Expos. He went 3-for-12 with a homer and six RBIs in the Division Series, in which the Angels were swept by the eventual World Series champion Red Sox.
A five-time All-Star, Guerrero was a key acquisition for the Angels and new owner Arte Moreno last offseason. The move also provided the club with a coup over its regional rival Los Angeles. The Dodgers were close to offering Guerrero a deal, but he signed with the Angels.
Coming over from Montreal, for whom he put up impressive numbers, Guerrero helped carry a club that was without Troy Glaus for two-thirds of the season and also endured injuries to Troy Percival, Bengie Molina, Aaron Sele and Jarrod Washburn.
The big blow came when the Angels lost second baseman Adam Kennedy to a major knee injury late in the season. But through it all was Guerrero, who led the charge down the stretch to return the Angels to the postseason in 2004.
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