Baseball: Kent wins NL MVP

Tony Altobelli

HUNTINGTON BEACH - San Francisco Giants’ second baseman Jeff Kent,

a former Edison High standout and son of former Costa Mesa Police

Department’s Al Kent, was named National League’s Most Valuable Player on

Thursday.

Kent received 22 out of possible 30 first-place votes and 392 points.

He edged out teammate Barry Bonds (279) and New York Mets’ catcher Mike

Piazza (271).

Kent became the first second baseman to win the MVP since 1984 when

Ryne Sandberg won the honor for the Chicago Cubs.

Kent hit .334 with 33 home runs and 125 RBIs this year. His 475 RBIs

broke Rogers Hornsby’s 75-year-old record for most at the position over

such a span.

The only other MVP second basemen are Sandberg, Joe Morgan of

Cincinnati (1975-76), Nellie Fox of the White Sox (1959), Jackie Robinson

of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1949), Joe Gordon of the Yankees (1942), Charlie

Gehringer of the Tigers (1937) and Frankie Frisch of the Cardinals

(1931).