Yount Won’t Be a Bargain After Second MVP Award

Robin Yount, the Milwaukee Brewer center fielder, won the American League’s most valuable player award for a second time Monday, enhancing his bargaining power as a free agent coveted by both the Dodgers and Angels.

With no clear-cut choice in the American League, Yount was the only player named on each of the 28 ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America.

He received eight first-place votes and 256 points, joining Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial as the only players to have won the MVP at two positions.

Greenberg and Musial played first base and the outfield. Yount won as a shortstop in 1982. He won again at 34 by batting .318 with 21 home runs and 103 runs batted in. He is the ninth American League player to win the award twice and first to play for a team that did not finish better than .500. The Brewers were 81-81.

Texas Ranger outfielder Ruben Sierra, who had better overall statistics, finished second with six first-place votes and 228 points based on 14 for a first-place vote and nine through one for second to 10th.

Sierra hit .306 with 29 homers and 119 runs batted in. He led the American League in slugging percentage, total bases and extra-base hits.

Yount beat Sierra in only three offensive categories: batting average, hits (195-194) and doubles (38-35).

“It surprises me,” Sierra said of the vote. “He had only the three statistics better than me. I don’t think it’s a good decision to call him the MVP. I feel sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It will just make me work harder next year.”

Baltimore Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken was third with six first-place votes and 216 points. Toronto Blue Jay outfielder George Bell was fourth with four first-place votes and 205 points. Oakland Athletic relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who finished fifth, and A’s third baseman Carney Lansford, who was 17th, were the only others to receive first-place votes.

A’s right fielder Jose Canseco, who was a unanimous winner last year, missed the first half of the 1989 season with an injury and did not receive any MVP votes. Angel pitcher Bert Blyleven, named the AL’s comeback player of the year, finished 13th in the voting.

Yount, who led the American League in hits and doubles in the ‘80s, joined the Brewers at 18 after attending Taft High School in Woodland Hills.

He now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., and released a statement through the Brewers while vacationing in Hawaii, expressing appreciation at winning the award and thanking teammates for their assistance.

Although Yount filed for free agency for the first time, he has reportedly reached an agreement with the Brewers on a new contract.

However, he has criticized the composition of the Brewers’ roster and must now decide if moving to another team will provide him with a better shot at winning.

All talks are on hold until Yount, who is represented by his brother, Larry, returns from Hawaii next week.

Fred Claire, the Dodger executive vice president, said Monday that he hopes to meet with the Younts then.

In the meantime, Claire said he would begin more definite discussions today with Arn Tellem, the representative for free-agent pitcher Mark Langston.

Angel General Manager Mike Port has refused to identify the players he has interest in, but Yount and Langston are known to head the list.