Pendleton Chosen MVP in Close NL Election

Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves was selected the National League’s most valuable player, placing ahead of Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the closest election since 1979.

Pendleton, who signed with the Braves as a free agent and won his first NL batting title, got 274 points from the Baseball Writers Assn. of America to 259 for Bonds, who won the MVP award in 1990. Pendleton received 12 first-place votes, 10 seconds and two thirds in the balloting, announced Wednesday. Bonds got 10 firsts, 10 seconds, one third and three fourths.

The last time the NL balloting was this close was 1979, when Willie Stargell of Pittsburgh and Keith Hernandez of St. Louis each got 216 votes, the only tie in MVP voting.

“I never dreamed about winning the National League MVP award,” Pendleton said. “I dreamed about winning it in the playoffs or World Series, but anybody could win it in a short series.”

Still, he said, the award was only a consolation prize. “What I really wanted this year was a world championship ring. That’s what I show up at spring training every year for,” he said.

Pendleton, 31, said the award reflects the success of the Braves: “If we had finished second I don’t think I’d be standing here now. I’ll say we’ve come a long way in a short time.”

Pendleton hit .319--52 points above his career average--had a career-high 22 home runs and 86 RBIs. Bonds finished with a .292 average, 25 homers and 116 RBIs, numbers that rivaled his 1990 statistics--a .301 average with 33 homers and 114 RBIs. He also is expected to again win a Gold Glove.

“I don’t know what I didn’t do,” Bonds said from Sweden, where he is vacationing. “I stole bases. I drove in 100 runs. I hit homers. I don’t know what else a complete athlete can do. . . .

“Maybe this will be the little button that will spark me again next year. Maybe this is message from God: I didn’t work hard enough this year. I just don’t understand it.”

Bonds’ teammate, Bobby Bonilla, finished third in the voting with 191 points. Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants was fourth with 118 and Howard Johnson of the New York Mets was fifth with 112.

Pendleton earned a $100,000 bonus on top of his $1.5-million salary. Johnson got a $25,000 bonus added to his $2-million salary for finishing fifth.