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A-Rod win his first American League MVP
award
 November
17, 2003 -- Álex Rodríguez won the American League Most Valuable Player Award for the first time in his career Monday, capping a season in which he led the AL in home runs with 47, runs with 124 and slugging percentage at .600. Only four other players -- Mickey Mantle, Carl
Yastrzemski, Albert Belle and Ken Griffey Jr. -- have led the AL in home runs, runs and slugging percentage in a season.
The Rangers shortstop also finished second in the league this year in RBIs with 118 and was among the leaders in total bases, extra-base hits, walks and on-base percentage.
Rodríguez garnered six first-place votes and a total of 242 points to beat out Toronto's Carlos Delgado, who finished second with 210 points. The Yankees' Jorge
Posada, the Twins' Shannon Stewart and Boston's David Ortiz placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in a race that saw 10 different players earn first-place votes.
Rodríguez became only the second player to win an MVP Award while playing for a last-place team, as Andre Dawson accomplished the feat while with the Cubs in 1987. The last AL shortstop to win the award was Cal
Ripken, Rodríguez's idol, who did it in 1991.
The award is the latest in a series of honors bestowed on Rodríguez this
off-season.
Earlier this month, A-Rod was honored with his second consecutive Gold Glove Award as the best defensive player at his position in the American League as selected by Major League coaches and managers before the conclusion of the regular season. He ended Omar Vizquel's nine-year reign as the AL's top defensive shortstop by winning his first Gold Glove in 2002.
For his offensive efforts, Rodríguez earned his seventh Silver Slugger award and also claimed his third consecutive Hank Aaron Award as the best offensive player in the league. And he was the recipient of both the Oscar Charleston and the Josh Gibson Legacy Awards from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum at the conclusion of the 2003 season.
Last season, Rodríguez finished second in MVP voting to Miguel Tejada with five first-place votes and 254 total points. He finished second to Rangers outfielder Juan Gonzalez by three points in 1996 while with Seattle despite hitting .358 with 215 hits and 54 doubles.
Rodríguez is the third Rangers player since 1996 to win the award. Gonzalez won it in 1996 and 1998, and catcher Ivan
Rodríguez won the award in 1999.
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