Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410280055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Thomas, a unanimous winner last year with the Chicago White Sox, received 24 of 28 first-place votes this year. The first baseman was the 11th overall MVP winner to repeat, and the first in the AL since Maris in 1960-61.
A rare combination of power and patience at the plate, Thomas was third in the league in batting at .353, second in home runs with 38 and tied for third in RBI with 101.
``Last year, I got a full-season award. If this was my first award, I would never live it down. But my stats are deserving of a full season,'' he said at the office of Big Hurt Enterprises, his Chicago company that oversees his marketing and charitable work.
Thomas, whose license plates on his black Mercedes read ``LNG BALL,'' led the majors with a .487 on-base percentage and topped the AL with a .729 slugging average. He also scored 106 runs and drew 109 walks, both bests in the majors, while striking out just 61 times.
``If I look at my stats, I would not say I'm not deserving,'' he said.
``Consistency is something I pride myself in,'' he said. ``I'm a very disciplined ballplayer.''
Thomas received four second-place votes and finished with 372 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Ken Griffey Jr., who led the league with 40 home runs and hit .323 for Seattle, got three-place votes and had 233 points. Albert Belle, who had 36 homers, 101 RBI and was second in batting at .357 for Cleveland, was third with 225 points. Indians teammate Kenny Lofton, who hit .349 and stole 60 bases, received the other first-place vote and was fourth with 181 points.
Thomas and Belle were trying to become the first Triple Crown winner in the majors since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Paul O'Neill topped the AL in batting at .359 and Kirby Puckett led with 112 RBI.
The NL MVP will be announced today, the final major award by the BBWAA.
Thomas, 26, was scheduled to make $2.5 million this season. He collected a $100,000 bonus for winning the MVP award.
``I'll take whatever comes,'' he said. ``The strike is tough on everyone.''
Thomas has become the only player to hit .300 with 100 RBI, 20 homers, 100 walks and 100 runs in each of his first four full seasons. He reached those levels this year despite playing only 113 games because of the strike.
Thomas, who made his major-league debut by playing 60 games for the White Sox in 1990, is a career .326 hitter. He has 142 home runs and 484 RBI. He also has never gone more than 10 straight plate appearances in the majors without reaching base, helped by his 525 walks and only 369 strikeouts.
This season, Thomas started 100 games at first base and 12 as the designated hitter. A former tight end at Auburn - he played there a year after Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy - Thomas has worked hard to improve his defense.
Last year, Thomas set a White Sox record with 41 home runs. He batted .317 and had 128 RBI.
Thomas joined Maris, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Jimmie Foxx and Hal Newhouser as repeat AL MVP winners. Barry Bonds, who won in 1992 and 1993, Mike Schmidt, Dale Murphy, Joe Morgan and Ernie Banks have done it in the NL. No one has ever won three in a row; several players, including Bonds, are tied for the most overall MVP awards with three.
by CNB