National League MVP Joey Votto

NL MVP Joey Votto

Joey Votto was named MVP by the Baseball Writers Association.

Votto was named first place on 31 of 32 ballots.  Two Association members in each of the 16 National League cities voted.  Votto was named second on the 32nd ballot cast.

Albert Pujols, who won the last two MVP votes, was named first on the other ballot, finished second.

Pujols won the the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award which was selected by players and coaches.  The Baseball Writers selected Votto, although Pujols won two of the three Triple Crown categories, home runs and RBI.  Carlos Gonzalez, who finished third in the voting won the batting crown.


Votto, however, led the National League in on-base-percentage and slugging percentage and led his team to a division title, while Pujols and Gonzalez were on teams that did not make the post season.

The 27-year old native of Toronto, Canada is the first Cincinnati Red to win the award since Barry Larkin in 1995, the last time the Reds had a playoff team.

Cincinnati manager, Dusty Baker pointed out that since Votto is from Canada, weather conditions prevented him from playing as much baseball as Pujols and Gonzalez as a youth.  Baker thinks Votto is just scratching the surface and will get even better as his career unfolds.



By Mark Schmetzer