Maddux Just Keeps on Winning, Earns AP Player of Year Honor

Greg Maddux added another award Thursday, becoming the first pitcher selected The Associated Press baseball player of the year.

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 was instituted in 1988, it had been won each year by position players. But Maddux’s amazing season, which earned him an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cy Young Award, was too much for the voters to overlook.

Maddux, who spends much of the off-season golfing near his home in Las Vegas, could not be reached by the Braves this week.

Maddux was 19-2 with a 1.63 earned run average last season, leading the National League in wins. He became the first major leaguer since Walter Johnson in 1918-19 to have an ERA less than 1.80 in consecutive seasons.

He won his sixth consecutive Gold Glove earlier this week, second-most in the NL behind Bob Gibson’s nine.

He fell short only in voting for National League MVP, finishing third behind Cincinnati’s Barry Larkin and Colorado’s Dante Bichette.