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Rollins Edges Holliday

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The Associated Press

Published: November 21, 2007

NEW YORK - Jimmy Rollins won the National League MVP award in a close race over Matt Holliday on Tuesday, boosted by speed and steady all-around play that drove the Philadelphia Phillies to their first playoff berth in 14 years.

The Gold Glove shortstop received 16 of 32 first-place votes and finished with 353 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Holliday, who led Colorado's surprising charge to the World Series, was the runner-up with 11 first-place votes and 336 points. Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder came in third, with five first-place votes and 284 points.

Rollins batted .296 with 30 homers, 94 RBIs and 41 steals from the leadoff spot, helping Philadelphia rally from a big September deficit to win the NL East. He led the league in runs (139) and triples (20) - and became the second consecutive Phillies player to win the MVP following Ryan Howard last year.

Holliday, the NL Championship Series MVP, hit .340 with 137 RBIs - becoming the third player since 1967 to lead a league in both categories. He also had 36 homers and topped the NL in hits (216), total bases (386) and doubles (50).

ASTROS: Geoff Blum, who helped beat Houston in the 2005 World Series, agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract.

CUBS: Team president John McDonough resigned after a little more than a year on the job and became president of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.

McDonough took over as Cubs' president on Oct. 1 last year after Andy MacPhail resigned. McDonough's background is in marketing and he had been with the Cubs since 1983.

INDIANS: Signed Japanese free-agent closer Masahide Kobayashi to a two-year contract

The 33-year-old spent the past nine seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, currently managed by Bobby Valentine. The right-hander is one of just three pitchers in Japanese baseball history with more than 200 saves.

He will move into the back end of Cleveland's bullpen as a setup man for closer Joe Borowski, who led the AL with 45 saves last season. The Indians recently exercised Borowski's $4 million option for 2008.

METS-BREWERS TRADE: New York acquired Johnny Estrada from Milwaukee for reliever Guillermo Mota, moving quickly to plug their hole at catcher after talks with Yorvit Torrealba collapsed.

Estrada batted .278 with 10 homers and 54 RBIs for the Brewers this year.

RED SOX: World Series MVP Mike Lowell and Boston finalized a $37.5 million, three-year contract.

WHITE SOX: Outfielder Scott Podsednik was designated for assignment. The 31-year-old never regained the form he showed in 2005, when he batted .290 and stole 59 bases and was the catalyst of the World Series championship team.

YANKEES: Named former team members Dave Eiland as pitching coach and Bobby Meacham as third-base coach.

Mike Harkey was hired to be the Yankees' bullpen coach, while hitting coach Kevin Long and first-base coach Tony Pena kept their positions from last season. Rob Thomson, previously a major-league field coordinator, will be bench coach.

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