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NEW YORK - Albert Pujols started his career with four startling seasons, equal or better than those of many Hall of Famers. Only Barry Bonds always did better - until this year.
Pujols won his first National League MVP award Tuesday, beating Andruw Jones in a close vote that didn't include Bonds, who missed most of the season because of a knee injury.
"A lot of the fans and even the players, they missed Barry," Pujols said of the seven-time MVP, who had won the previous four. "I wished he would have been healthy and played."
Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman, received 18 first-place votes and 14 seconds for 378 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Jones, the Atlanta Braves' centerfielder, got 13 firsts, 17 seconds and two thirds for 351 points.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee got the other first-place vote and was third with 263 points.
"It's awesome when you hear people compare yourself with Barry," Pujols said.
Pujols hit .330 with 41 homers and 117 RBIs. His average was second, five points behind Lee, and he trailed only Jones (51) and Lee (46) in homers. He tied for second in RBIs with 117, 11 behind Jones.
Jones led the major leagues in home runs, batted .263 and won his eighth straight Gold Glove.
"He was the right choice," Jones said. "He had the most solid season average wise, home-run wise and RBI wise."
Pujols, 25, who gets a $200,000 bonus, won the 15th MVP award for the Cardinals, the first since Willie McGee in 1985.
Matsui stays a YankeeNEW YORK - Hideki Matsui and the Yankees agreed to a $52-million, four-year contract that will keep the popular outfielder in New York.
That met a Nov.15 deadline contained in Matsui's first contract. If there was no agreement by then, New York would have to place Matsui on unconditional release waivers, and could not have re-signed him until May 15.
In other news, New York exercised its $1.5-million option on reliever Tanyon Sturtze, 35. The right-hander was 5-3 with a 4.73 ERA and one save in one start and 63 relief appearances.
BLUE JAYS: Pitcher Josh Towers agreed to a $5.2-million, two-year contract. The right-hander was 13-12 with a 3.71 ERA, earning $358,000, last season and was eligible for salary arbitration.
DODGERS: Ned Colletti was hired as general manager. Colletti, 50, has been an assistant GM with the Giants since 1997.
METS: New York declined 2006 options on left-handers Felix Heredia and Kazuhisa Ishii. Heredia, 30, pitched three games before season-ending surgery to repair a blood clot in his left shoulder. Ishii, 32, was 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA.
RED SOX: Atlanta assistant GM Dayton Moore told Boston he's no longer interested in its GM job because he doesn't want to uproot his family.
UMPS REFUSE BACK PAY: Baseball tried to give five umpires more than $1.9-million in back pay, but the umpires instructed their banks to refuse the payments, according to their lawyer. More than six years after a failed mass resignation led to a lawsuit, the umpires and the commissioner's office are still fighting over $718,817 in interest.