Yomiuri Giants outfielder Hideki Matsui and Seibu Lions infielder Alex Cabrera, Japanese baseball's home run kings, were named the Most Valuable Players of the 2002 season.

News photoAlex Cabrera

Matsui led the Central League with 50 homers and 107 RBIs, helping Yomiuri win the league and Japan Series titles, while Cabrera played a key role in the Lions' successful Pacific League campaign as he matched the Japanese single-season home run record of 55.

It was the third MVP award for Matsui, and his first in two years, and the first for Cabrera.

Matsui, who announced earlier Friday he will ply his trade in the major leagues as a free agent, just missed out on a triple crown as he finished second in batting average (.334) behind Kosuke Fukudome of the Chunichi Dragons (.343).

Cabrera, a former Arizona Diamondbacks player who joined Seibu in 2001, tied the home run mark set by Sadaharu Oh in 1964 and matched last year by Tuffy Rhodes of the Kintetsu Buffaloes.

The Venezuelan batted .336, second best in the PL, and tied for second with Norihiro Nakamura of the Kintetsu Buffaloes with 115 RBIs to lead Seibu to its first league pennant in four years.

Matsui received 200 first-place votes and one second-place vote for a total of 1,003 points in balloting by baseball writers with five or more years of experience. Five points are given for a first-place vote, three for second and one for third.

Yomiuri teammate Koji Uehara, who tied for the league lead with 17 wins, was a distant second with 297 points.

Cabrera had 104 first-place votes, 37 second-place votes and five third-place votes for a total of 636 points. Seibu shortstop Kazuo Matsui was second with 471 points after receiving 39 first-place votes.

The Rookie of the Year honors went to Yakult Swallows left-hander Masanori Ishikawa (12-9, 3.33 ERA) in the CL and to Nippon Ham southpaw Itsuki Shoda (9-11, 3.45 ERA) in the PL.

This year's "Best Nine" all-league teams features four players from Yomiuri -- Uehara (pitcher), Shinnosuke Abe (catcher), Matsui (outfielder) and Takayuki Shimizu (outfielder).

Fukudome (outfielder) was named for the first time and Yakult Swallows first baseman and last year's MVP Roberto Petagine was included in the list for the fourth time.

Cabrera (first baseman) was among the six Seibu players in the all-PL team along with Tsutomu Ito (catcher), Hiroyuki Takagi (second baseman), Kazuo Matsui (shortstop), Tatsuya Ozeki (outfielder) and Kazuhiro Wada (designated hitter)

Ito made the team for the first time in four years and 10th overall while Wada became the first Japanese player in 13 years to be chosen as the league's top designated hitter.