Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox was voted American League Most Valuable Player on Tuesday, becoming the first second baseman to win the award in 49 years.

The diminutive Pedroia, who batted .326 and led the league in runs (118), hits (213) and doubles (54), received 16 first-place votes in collecting a total of 317 points from voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (.300, 23 homers and 129 RBI), the 2006 winner, received seven first-place votes and was runner-up with 257 points.

Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis (.312, 29 homers, 115 RBI) got two first-place votes and finished third with 201 points.

Pedroia became only the third player to win MVP honors the year after being Rookie of the Year. The last second baseman to win AL MVP was Nellie Fox of the Chicago White Sox in 1959.

"It's unbelievable," the 25-year-old Pedroia said.

Hard-swinging Pedroia, who also hit 17 homers, said he uses his modest, 1.75-meter stature as motivation.

"I'm not the biggest guy in the world. If I'm walking down the street you obviously wouldn't think that I'm a baseball player.

"I think that's the biggest thing that drives me to be a good player. I've had to deal with that my whole life. I have to overcome everything to prove people wrong. And so far, I've done that."

Besides the MVP and 2007 rookie honors, Pedroia also won a Gold Glove as the league's top fielding second baseman.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who won the AL batting title by two points over Pedroia, was fourth in the voting with 188 points, followed by White Sox star Carlos Quentin, who was leading the AL with 36 home runs when he broke his right wrist in an act of frustration, with 160 points. Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez, who set a major league record with 62 saves, got 143 points.

Texas slugger Josh Hamilton, who made a remarkable recovery from drug addiction to resume his career, was seventh and followed by last year's winner, Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.

The feisty Pedroia, who drove in 83 runs, stole 20 bases and struck out only 52 times in 710 plate appearances, said he would never lose the chip on his shoulder.

"That's just who I am," he said. "I have to try and find a way to have that edge. It makes me a better player and I'll always have it."

He is the fourth second baseman to win the AL MVP award, joining Fox, Joe Gordon (1942) and Charlie Gehringer (1937).

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 20, 2008)