The Associated Press

Barry Bonds won his record sixth National League MVP award Tuesday, becoming the first to get the honor in three consecutive years.

The San Francisco outfielder, the only player to win an MVP award more than three times, received 28-of-32 first-place votes and 426 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Bonds had a difficult season in which his father, Bobby, died in August. Still, Bonds hit .341 with 45 homers and 90 RBI, leading the major leagues in slugging percentage (.749), on-base percentage (.529) and walks.

"This award is more special to me than any award I've ever received because it's dedicated to my father," Bonds said. "He has been my hitting coach my entire life, ever since I was a little kid. I miss him dearly. It's a really emotional time for me right now."

St. Louis outfielder Albert Pujols was second with three first-place votes and 303 points. Atlanta outfielder Gary Sheffield got the other first-place vote and was third with 247 points.

At 39 years, 3 1/2 months, Bonds is the second-oldest MVP, trailing Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell, who was a few months older when he tied for the award in 1979.

Among the four major North American professional sports, only the NHL's Wayne Gretzky has more MVP awards, with nine. The NBA's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also won six MVPs.

PIRATES: Pitcher Jason Boyd was arrested for the second time this month and charged with hitting a man in the face with a beer bottle in Alton, Ill. He was charged with felony aggravated battery, authorities said. He posted $1,500 bond, said a spokeswoman for the Madison County State's Attorney's office. His next court date has not yet been scheduled.

METS FIRE SINGER: Bill Singer was fired, a week after the newly hired special assistant made racially insensitive remarks to a Los Angeles Dodgers executive.

At the general managers meetings in Phoenix, Singer reportedly asked Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng questions about her background and later spoke in gibberish, making fun of the Chinese language.

Singer was hired by Mets general manager Jim Duquette on Nov. 6 after spending the 2003 season as a special assistant to the GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Singer, 59, and the Mets later apologized to Ng, one of the highest-ranking women in baseball administration. Singer was a two-time 20-game winner during his 14-year pitching career in the majors.

Ng, who was raised in New Jersey, became the second female assistant general manager in the majors when she was hired by the New York Yankees in 1997. At 29, she was the youngest assistant GM.

TRADE: The Oakland Athletics have agreed to a deal that will send All-Star catcher Ramon Hernandez and outfielder Terrence Long to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Mark Kotsay, ESPN's Peter Gammons reports.

O. CANSECO JAILED: Former major leaguer Ozzie Canseco, twin brother of former All-Star Jose Canseco, was sentenced to four months in jail for possessing an illegal anabolic steroid and driving with a suspended license in Punta Gorda, Fla. The sentence will run at the same time as a one-year jail term Canseco is serving in Miami for violating probation in a 2001 nightclub scuffle.