Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia Wins AL MVP Award

A year after being named American League rookie of the year, Boston’s Dustin Pedroia is the winner of the American League Most Valuable Player award. The Red Sox infielder got 16 of the 28 first-place votes from the baseball writers and easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau.

AP
Published: November 18, 2008

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NEW YORK (AP) - A year after being named American League rookie of the year, Boston’s Dustin Pedroia is the winner of the American League Most Valuable Player award.

The Red Sox infielder got 16 of the 28 first-place votes from the baseball writers and easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau.

Pedroia led the league in hits, runs and doubles, and fell percentage points shy of a batting title. He’s the first AL second baseman to win the award since Chicago’s Nellie Fox in 1959.

Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP, hit .300 with 23 home runs and 129 RBIs in helping the Twins reach a one-game playoff for the AL Central title, which they lost to the White Sox.

Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis and Twins catcher Joe Mauer got two first-place votes each and finished third and fourth, respectively.

L.A.‘s record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez got the remaining first-place vote and finished sixth overall behind White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin.