Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa is an easy winner in the National League MVP Award balloting over Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, creating an historic Hispanic American sweep of the MVP awards with Texas Rangers OF Juan Gonzalez winning the award in the American League this season. Sosa received 30 of 32 first-place votes after leading the Cubs to a wild card spot in the playoffs.
The St. Louis Cardinals sign free agents OF Eric Davis and reliever Scott Radinsky to two-year contracts.
1996 – One of Major League Baseball’s most controversial owners, Jerry Reinsdorf, and its most controversial player, Albert Belle, join forces with the Chicago White Sox. Belle signs a record five-year, $55 million deal that makes him the first player to surpass the $10 million per year mark. Reinsdorf, seen as the instigator in the owners’ vote against the collective bargaining agreement, draws the ire of owners in both leagues who feel he sold them out.
The Dodgers trade future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to the Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields, who will hit .241 during his three seasons with Los Angeles. The 21 year-old Dominican right-hander will win 55 of 88 decisions in his four-year tenure with Montreal, before being dealt to Boston before the 1998 campaign.
The Montreal Expos acquire starting pitcher Pedro Martinez from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for second baseman Delino DeShields.
Howard Johnson, who will turn 33 at the end of the month, becomes the first free agent to sign with another team this off-season when he agrees to a one-year deal worth $2,100,000 to play for the Rockies. The switch-hitting slugger, who led the National League in homers and RBIs two years ago, has seen his production drop in recent seasons, primarily due to injuries.
The Pittsburgh Pirates trade second baseman Jose Lind to the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Dennis Moeller and Joel Johnston.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros is named National League Rookie of the Year. Karros hit .257 with 20 home runs, becoming the first Dodgers rookie to reach 20 homers since Frank Howard in 1960.
Being named first on 23 of 24 of the writer’s ballots cast by the writers with the other first-place vote cast for teammate Bobby Bonilla, Pirates’ outfielder Barry Bonds (.301, 23, 114) easily wins the National League Most Valuable Player Award. The future all-time home run king will win an unprecedented seven MVPs, five while playing with the Giants.
1986 – Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt wins the National League Most Valuable Player Award, joining Stan Musial and Roy Campanella as the only three-time NL award winners. Schmidt led the NL with 37 home runs and 119 RBI.
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