NEW YORK — Albert Pujols views MVP voting a little differently these days.
“You have to consider everything. You have to put all the numbers together,” the St. Louis star said Monday after powering past Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard to win the award for the second time.
Pujols won despite the Cardinals finishing in fourth place, the lowest spot for an NL MVP winner since Andre Dawson and his Cubs wound up sixth in 1987. Howard led the majors in home runs and RBIs for the World Series champions.
The result surely will renew a debate that Pujols once raised himself: What qualifies as “most valuable”? In 2006, a month after leading the Cardinals to the World Series crown, Pujols carped when Howard — whose Phillies missed the playoffs — captured the coveted award.
“I see it this way: Someone who doesn’t take his team to the playoffs doesn’t deserve to win the MVP,” Pujols said at that time.
Shortly thereafter, Pujols clarified his remarks and said Howard certainly was worthy of the award.
“I think the writers made the right choice in 2006,” Pujols reiterated Monday. “He did deserve it.” Just as Pujols believed he earned it this year.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said.
Pujols, who also won the award in 2005, hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs while playing with a sore right elbow that required surgery last month. He became the 25th multiple MVP winner in either league.
Affeldt joins Giants bullpen
SAN FRANCISCO — Reliever Jeremy Affeldt became the first of 171 free agents to agree to a contract, striking an $8 million, two-year deal with the Giants.
Affeldt, a part of the Rockies team that won the NL pennant in 2007, pitched for the Reds last season, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in a team-leading 74 appearances. He struck out 80 and walked 25 in 78 1/3 innings.
Footnotes.
Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, a former athlete at Evergreen High School, had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to be ready by the start of spring training.
• The White Sox claimed right- handed reliever Kelvin Jimenez off waivers from the Blue Jays.
The Associated Press
