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NEW YORK (AP) -- Albert Pujols won his first National League MVP award, beating Andruw Jones in a close vote Tuesday. The St. Louis Cardinals first baseman ended Barry Bonds' four-year winning streak, receiving 18 first-place votes and 14 seconds for 378 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Jones, the Atlanta Braves center fielder, got 13 first-place votes, 17 seconds and two thirds for 351 points.

Albert Pujols, the Lou Gehrig of our times, picked up his first Most Valuable Player Award the other day. But if baseball had begun testing for drugs when other sports did, it might well have been Pujols' third MVP -- in just five major league seasons. And then we'd be saying, rightly, "This guy might be the best player to come along in 50 years." Pujols had the misfortune of breaking in around the time Barry Bonds developed a taste for "flaxseed oil." Thus, he finished second to Bonds in the '02 and '03 National League voting instead of, perhaps,...

Several Baseball/Beisbol related questions? 1) Where's Ken5050? He's usually the man on these b-ball discussion threads. 2) CNN's Power Ratings ask the annual question about the Braves. Why do the buzzards always start to circle. Yes, their BP once again sux. Is this the year they cough it up? 3) On a related note. If the Braves cough it up, is it because The Mets are for real? They're 9-2, as of this addition of the CNN/SI power ratings. 4) Bonds? Relevant? Worth bothering with? If so, let's start a meaningless office pool. How many games does Bonds successfully play...

ESPN.com and the Associated Press, both citing unnamed sources, are reporting that the slugger has agreed to a seven-year contract worth $100 million. The Cardinals have not confirmed either report. Pujols, who will make the switch from left field to first base this season following the trade of Tino Martinez, was scheduled to have his arbitration hearing on Friday. He asked for $10.5 million, while the Cardinals countered at $7 million. ( full story , go to link).