Junior Collects His Mvp Award

With hugs from his father and Rachel Robinson, Ken Griffey Jr. accepted his first American League Most Valuable Player Award on Sunday night.

“I learned so much from my dad,” he told the 75th annual dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

“He taught me everything I know about baseball.”

Ken Griffey Sr. presented his son with the award. Griffey Jr. then turned his attention to the widow of Jackie Robinson.

“I’d like to thank the Robinson family for helping African-American athletes do something that they love,” Griffey Jr., an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, said.

Colorado’s Larry Walker was presented with the N.L. MVP award, Toronto’s Roger Clemens with the A.L. Cy Young Award and Philadelphia’s Scott Rolen with the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award.

N.L. Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez and A.L. Rookie of the Year Nomar Garciaparra - teammates now on the Boston Red Sox - were no-shows.

Also honored were Davey Johnson, voted A.L. Manager of the Year on the day he quit the Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco’s Dusty Baker, the N.L. Manager of the Year.