Soriano shows own MVP form

HOUSTON -- Now Alfonso Soriano is an MVP, too.

Last winter, he was the other guy in the deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. On Tuesday night, Soriano grabbed the spotlight in the All-Star game, hitting a three-run homer off Roger Clemens in the first inning and earning the MVP award in the American League's 9-4 win.

"I think he does his job with the Yankees and I do my job in Texas," Soriano said. "I'm happy for him, and I'm happy for me, too."

After receiving the trophy from commissioner Bud Selig, Soriano went straight to the interview room and beamed as his mother looked on from a front-row seat.

"Everything is for her," he said.

Soriano's shot, his second All-Star homer, sailed over the "This One Counts" banner hanging over the out-of-town scoreboard on the short porch in left field and gave the AL a 6-0 lead. He followed that up with a third-inning single and a fifth-inning strikeout, going 2-for-3. He also made a nice pickup on Sammy Sosa's third-inning grounder to second.

Socks stretched up high and always ready with a smile, Soriano was a hit with the Yankees. His homer in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series put Clemens in position to win before Arizona rallied in the ninth.

But when the opportunity arose in February to acquire Rodriguez, New York pounced and traded Soriano to Texas for last year's AL MVP.

For all of Soriano's neat feats in New York, fans dwelled on his postseason last October, when he hit .206 with one homer, nine RBIs and a record 26 strikeouts in 68 at-bats.

Then came the trade.

"I think it relieved him from that scrutiny," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Soriano hit .289 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in the first half, helping the surprising Rangers take a two-game lead in the AL West and forget the three years of last-place finishes with A-Rod. Fans around the nation responded by giving him the most votes in balloting for the starting lineup, 3.47 million.

And he rewarded them, becoming the first top vote-getter to earn the MVP award since fan balloting resumed in 1970.

Rodriguez batted .270 for the Yankees with a team-high 22 homers, 58 RBIs and 18 steals -- fine numbers, but below the even higher expectations he created for himself. He had a mixed night Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI triple to deep right-center that followed a strikeout and a groundout.

In his first All-Star game since his switch from shortstop to third base, A-Rod made a powerful throw across the diamond to throw out Edgar Renteria leading off the third.

But when Rodriguez went to his right in the fourth, he could only get a piece of Renteria's hard bouncer down the line, which wound up as a two-out RBI double. Albert Pujols followed with a two-run double that pulled the NL to 7-4.

Soriano, already a three-time All-Star at age 28, also homered two years ago in the All-Star game off Dodgers closer Eric Gagne.

This homer didn't go far -- just 343 feet. But it's impact was huge.

And next up is the chance to knock the Yankees out of the postseason.

"We have to make the playoffs first," Soriano said.