MLB Roundup: Cabrera, McCutchen win MVP honors
Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera found a good way to follow up a Triple Crown season, winning a second consecutive American League Most Valuable Player award Thursday.
The National League MVP went to Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who guided the Pirates to their first postseason berth since 1992.
Cabrera, who finished in the top two in the league in every major offensive category this year, received 23 of 30 first-place votes for the AL honor from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout came in second, receiving five first-place votes. Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis took third with one first-place vote, and Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson got the final first-place vote and finished fourth.
McCutchen captured 28 of 30 first-place votes for the NL award. Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt came in second. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who received the other two first-place votes, took third.
---Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved funding replay expansion and voted Thursday to move ahead with an extensive video system next season that would allow managers to challenge almost every umpire's call except balls and strikes.
The owners plan to approve the exact rules in January after the completion of negotiations with the unions for umpires and players.
Rob Manfred, MLB's chief operating officer, said present and former umpires likely would make the decisions on contested calls after reviewing video in New York.
A manager will be given a maximum of two challenges per game and a successful challenge would not count against his limit. If a manager is out of challenges, umpires likely would be able to call for a review on their own.
---Baseball commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced Thursday that the major league owners have formally approved the designation of Ray Davis as the control owner of the Texas Rangers.
Davis succeeds Nolan Ryan. Ryan, a Hall of Fame pitcher, resigned at the end of October, selling his ownership stake to Davis and Bob Simpson, the team's co-chairmen.
