ST. LOUIS (REUTERS) — San Francisco Giants slugging outfielder Barry Bonds, who posted one of the greatest seasons ever with the bat, was named The Sporting News’ Player of the Year in voting by major league players Tuesday.
Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s 1998 single-season home-run record of 70 by blasting 73, and broke two records held by Babe Ruth, for the highest slugging percentage (.863) and most walks (177) in a single season.
The 37-year-old Bonds received 133 votes to finish ahead of Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs with 57 votes and Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks with 48. All three players starred in the National League.
Bonds, who moved into seventh place on the all-time home-run list with 567, was previously named Player of the Decade for the 1990s by The Sporting News.
It is the second time that Bonds has won the Player of the Year honor, having first captured the award in 1990 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bonds joins Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. as the only players to capture the award twice.
The Pitchers of the Year awards were handed to Roger Clemens of the New York Yankees and Curt Schilling of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Rookies of the Year were Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Rookie Pitchers of the Year were C.C. Sabathia of Cleveland and Roy Oswalt of the Houston Astros.
The sports weekly also named Ruben Sierra of the Texas Rangers and Cardinals pitcher Matt Morris as Comeback Players of the Year.
The Manager of the Year awards, selected by each league’s managers, went to Lou Piniella of the Seattle Mariners and Larry Bowa of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Piniella guided the Mariners to a major league record-tying 116 wins, matching the 95-year-old mark established by the 1906 Cubs.
Piniella garnered eight votes to finish ahead of Art Howe of the Oakland Athletics.
Bowa directed a team that lost 97 games in 2000 to an 86-76 record this past season.
In the vote by National League managers, Bowa finished one vote ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Jim Tracy.