Howard voted MVP in the NL

Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday became only the second player voted rookie of the year and most valuable player in consecutive years.

“I heard sophomore jinx this, sophomore jinx that,” he said after beating out last season’s National League MVP, Albert Pujols. “I just prepared myself in spring training to go out and perform, stick with my game plan and have fun.”

After leading the major leagues with 58 home runs and 149 runs batted in, Howard, 27, received 20 first-place votes and 12 second-place votes for 388 points in balloting by a panel of the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America. Pujols received 12 first-place votes and 347 points.

Cal Ripken Jr. (1982 and 1983) had been the only player to follow a rookie-of-the-year award with an MVP award.

Howard batted .313 and set Phillies records for home runs and RBIs, producing the highest totals in those categories in big league history for a second-year player.

Pujols, who batted .331 with 49 homers and 137 RBIs, was third in the NL in batting average.

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Six-time All-Star outfielder Moises Alou, 40, finalized an $8.5-million, one-year contract with the New York Mets, who declined a $14-million option on pitcher Tom Glavine.

Limited to 98 games last season because of ankle and back injuries, Alou batted .301 with 22 homers and 74 RBIs for the San Francisco Giants.

Glavine, 41, was 15-7 with a 3.82 earned-run average during the regular season and 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three playoff starts.

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Pitcher Mike Mussina and the New York Yankees reached a preliminary agreement on a $23-million, two-year contract.... Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and reliever Mike Stanton finalized multiyear contracts with Cincinnati, which traded catcher Jason LaRue to Kansas City for a player to be named.... The Angels acquired right-handed pitcher Chris Resop from the Marlins for right-handed pitcher Kevin Gregg.