AP names Maddux its player of the year
NEW YORK - Greg Maddux set another first, becoming the first pitcher selected The Associated Press Baseball Player of the Year.
In results announced Thursday, Maddux received 30 votes in nationwide balloting by sports writers and broadcasters. Cleveland's Albert Belle was second with 24, followed by Boston's Mo Vaughn with five and Seattle's Randy Johnson with three.
Since the award had been instituted in 1988, it had been won each year by position players. But Maddux's amazing season, which earned him an unprecedented fourth consecutive NL Cy Young Award, was too much for the voters to overlook.
"This is a very nice honor, considering all the other players they could have chosen," Maddux said. "I really believe it could have gone to any number of guys. A lot of great players had great years this year."
When he won the Cy Young Award last week, he said it still was hard for him to understand when people compare him with Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton.
"When I heard comparisons about people who pitched in the '50s or '60s or '70s, I can't really relate to it," he said. "I didn't really watch baseball a whole lot back then. I really wasn't the fan that I am now. I just take it as a nice compliment and move on."
Maddux was 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA last season, leading the NL in wins. He became the first major leaguer since Walter Johnson in 1918-19 to have an ERA under 1.80 in consecutive seasons.
He won his sixth straight Gold Glove earlier this week, second-most in the NL behind Gibson's nine. He fell short only in voting for NL MVP, finishing third behind Cincinnati's Barry Larkin and Colorado's Dante Bichette.
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