Texas Slugger Nips Rodriguez Gonzalez Named American League Mvp As Mariners Shortstop Falls Three Points Short

Juan Gonzalez came to spring training promising to be more like the slugger who won consecutive home run titles in 1992 and 1993.

He followed his words with 47 homers despite missing 28 games with injuries and was rewarded Thursday with the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award, beating Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez by just three points and matching the second-closest victory margin in history.

“When you want to do something, you must put your mind to it and do it,” Gonzalez said during a telephone news conference from his home in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. “This year, when I lost 25 games in May, I never put my head down; I was always positive. When I came back, I was ready and I put out some good numbers.”

Gonzalez, who hit .314 with 144 RBIs, had 11 first-place votes and 290 points. Rodriguez, who hit a league-leading .358 with 36 homers and 123 RBIs, had 10 first-place votes and 287 points from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

“All year, people talked about Alex as the No. 1 contender for the MVP award. Right now, I’m surprised myself,” Gonzalez, 27, said. “I never talked about winning MVP because a lot of guys had great numbers.”

It was the closest vote since 1960, when Roger Maris beat New York Yankees teammate Mickey Mantle 225-222. The closest A.L. MVP vote was in 1947, when Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees beat Ted Williams of the Red Sox 202-201.

Gonzalez helped the Rangers into the postseason for the first time, then hit five homers in the playoff series against the New York Yankees - after the deadline for MVP votes.

He called winning the award “a wonderful moment in my life,” saying it was better than his home-run titles.

“You feel like the best man in the world,” he said. “Winning the Western Division, too, because my team had never won. This was the first time.”

After hitting 43 homers in 1992 and 46 the following year, he slumped to 19 in 1994 and 27 in 1995, when he reported to spring training overweight, missed 54 games with back and neck injuries and spent most of the season as the Rangers’ designated hitter.

Last winter, he went on a new conditioning program and he showed up early for spring training. He was moved back to the outfield, playing in right for the first time in his career. Instead of complaining, he embraced the change.

“I feel different, I come early and go home late,” Gonzalez said in March.

Rodriguez, 21, was waiting at home in Miami with family and friends, hoping to hear that he was the winner. Instead, partly because Seattle’s two voters picked Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. first and Gonzalez second, the Texas outfielder joined Jeff Burroughs (1974) as the only Rangers to win the award.

Albert Belle of Cleveland was third with two first-place votes and 228 points, followed by Griffey with four first-place votes and 188 points. Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox, who won the award last year, was fifth with 184 points.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CLOSEST MVP MARGINS Closest finishes in the MVP voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. 0 - 1979 N.L., Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh (216); Keith Hernandez, St. Louis, (216). 1 - 1944 N.L., Marty Marion, St. Louis (190); Bill Nicholson, Chicago (189). 1 - 1947 A.L., Joe DiMaggio, New York (202); Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox (201). 2 - 1934 A.L., Mickey Cochrane, Detroit (67); Charlie Gehringer, Detroit (65). 2 - 1937 N.L., Joe Medwick, St. Louis (70); Gabby Hartnett, Chicago (68). 3 - 1960 A.L., Roger Maris, New York (225); Mickey Mantle, New York (222). 3 - 1996 A.L., Juan Gonzalez, Texas (290); Alex Rodriguez, Seattle, (287). 4 - 1937 A.L., Charlie Gehringer, Detroit (78); Joe DiMaggio, New York (74). 4 - 1961 A.L., Roger Maris, New York Yankees (202); Mickey Mantle, New York (198). 5 - 1955 N.L., Roy Campanella, Brooklyn (226); Duke Snider, Brooklyn (221). Note: 1931 was the first year the MVP was awarded by the BBWAA.