(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-21 10:58

NEW YORK - Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was on Tuesday named National League Most Valuable Player.

Rollins, 28, smacked 30 home runs, had 94 runs batted in and registered 41 stolen bases to help the Phillies win the NL East Division title and advance to the postseason for the first time in 14 years.

The switch-hitting leadoff man won in a close vote over Colorado Rockies left-fielder Matt Holliday in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Rollins was listed first on 16 ballots on his way to 353 points. Holliday received 11 first-place votes in his total of 336 points.

Holliday, 27, led the league with a .340 batting average and 137 runs batted in. He also belted 36 homers to help the Rockies reach their first World Series.

Before the season, Rollins declared the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East and the fiery shortstop backed up the prediction as he won the first Gold Glove defensive award of his career and now has added MVP honours.

"I never really thought about MVP," Rollins told reporters in a conference call. "I always thought if I won a Gold Glove that would be MVP for a shortstop. But they all came together. I couldn't have pictured it any better."

The Phillies overtook the slumping New York Mets down the stretch in September, finishing 13-4 while the Mets went 5-12.

Rollins said he was not trying to light a fire under his team mates with his pre-season prediction.

"When I say something it's because I believe it. I don't say things to draw attention to myself. I try to be as close to the truth as I can be," said Rollins, the first major leaguer to have 30 doubles, 20 triples, 30 homers and 30 steals in a season.

Rollins said he hoped the MVP, following fellow-African American C.C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians winning the American League Cy Young award, would encourage young black players whose numbers have dwindled in the major leagues in recent years.

"I hope they one day say I want to be Cy Young or I want to be MVP," Rollins, who grew up in Oakland and idolised A's great Rickey Henderson, said.

"If we can turn their eyes back to Jackie Robinson (and others) who had to go through struggles in order for us to play in the major leagues this beautiful game.

"I know how black kids look at baseball. They don't think it's street credible. Maybe by seeing us, we're just normal people who came up from a lot of the same situations like they did, and we're playing this beautiful game."