Miguel Cabrera wins American League Most Valuable Player Award – MLB Update
Detroit Tigers’ third baseman Miguel Cabrera beat out Los Angeles Angels’ rookie Mike Trout in the 2012 American League Most Valuable Player voting.
Voting was conducted by 28 members of Baseball Writers’ Association of America as Cabrera edged Trout, who posted some impressive numbers in his rookie year with the Angels.
The announcement was made live on Major League Baseball Network on Thursday evening. Cabrera was very excited at winning the AL MVP. In an interview with a leading sports website, he said he did not have words to describe his feelings.
"Wow. Wow. I don't believe it," Cabrera said. "I'm very excited. I'm like, I don't have any words to explain like how excited I'm right now. I never expected I'd end up winning because Mike Trout, he (had an) unbelievable season."
Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland added, “I think when you do something that hasn’t been done in 40-some years, with everything (Cabrera) did down the stretch when we needed him the most. I was a little nervous about it, but to be honest with you, I just felt
like if this guy doesn’t get the MVP.”
Cabrera received 362 points as compared to Mike Trout’s 281 points in a weighted voting system. The hard hitting third baseman secured 22 out of 28 first place votes. Trout, on the other hand, managed to get just six first place votes. Cabrera finished second
in each of those six ballots.
Tigers’ hard throwing ace Justin Verlander finished eighth in the voting with two fourth place votes and slugger Prince Fielder came ninth with one fifth place vote and five sixth place votes. Players received 14 points for first place, nine for second and
eight for third, according to the rules set by Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Cabrera had an excellent time on the plate last season as he hit .330 with 44 home-runs and 139 RBI’s. He also became the first player to win the Triple Crown Award since 1967. It will be interesting to see if Cabrera can continue the good work in the next
season to help the Tigers end their World Series drought.
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