CINCINNATI -- Often reluctant to discuss his own personal accomplishments, Reds first baseman Joey Votto has done something that will speak volumes for him over the remainder of his career.
Votto was named the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday.
In balloting that took place at the end of the regular season by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Votto received 31 out of a possible 32 first-place votes and 443 points to earn his first MVP. It prevented Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols from winning his third in a row and fourth overall.
Votto wins NL MVP
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11/22/10: Reds first baseman Joey Votto wins his first NL MVP Award
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Although he was the NL Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner at first base, Pujols was second in the voting with 279 points, netting the other first-place vote and 21 second-place votes. Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was next with 240 points. He appeared second on seven ballots.
2010 NL MVP VOTE LEADERS
| Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Votto, CIN | 31 | 1 | 443 | |
| Albert Pujols, STL | 1 | 21 | 8 | 279 |
| Carlos Gonzalez, COL | 7 | 13 | 240 | |
| Adrian Gonzalez, SD | 1 | 3 | 197 | |
| Troy Tulowitzki, COL | 2 | 132 | ||
| Roy Halladay, PHI | 1 | 3 | 130 |
Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay finished 4-5-6 in the voting.
Votto, 27, became the 12th Reds player to win the NL MVP Award and the first since Barry Larkin in 1995. The Cardinals have won the most NL MVPs, with 17, second to the Yankees' 20 in the American League.
The AL MVP will be revealed by the BBWAA on Tuesday.
Clearly, the voters did not penalize Votto for not leading any of the three Triple Crown categories. Gonzalez won the batting title with a .336 average and Pujols had the most home runs (42) and RBIs (118).
Still, Votto finished among the top three in 11 offensive statistical categories and was first in important stats like slugging percentage (.600) and on-base percentage (.424). He was second in the NL with a .324 average and was third in both home runs, with 37, and RBIs, with 113 -- all career highs. He was tied for fourth with 106 runs scored, was sixth with 177 hits and fifth with 91 walks.
REDS NL MVP WINNERS
| Player | Year |
|---|---|
| Ernie Lombardi | 1938 |
| Bucky Walters | 1939 |
| Frank McCormick | 1940 |
| Frank Robinson | 1961 |
| Johnny Bench | 1970 |
| Johnny Bench | 1972 |
| Pete Rose | 1973 |
| Joe Morgan | 1975 |
| Joe Morgan | 1976 |
| George Foster | 1977 |
| Barry Larkin | 1995 |
| Joey Votto | 2010 |
And perhaps most important, Votto helped get the Reds to the NL Central title and their first playoff berth since the Larkin-led club won the division in 1995.
In 2009, Votto was nationally known primarily for being a player who spent a month on the disabled list to deal with depression and anxiety caused by difficulties with his emotions following the sudden 2008 death of his father, Joseph. Even after returning and posting strong numbers with a .322 average and 25 homers, it happened well out of the spotlight since Cincinnati was out of contention.
This year, no one could ignore what Votto did on the field. After being left off of the original NL All-Star team, he made the squad after more than 13 million fans added him to the roster via the online All-Star Final Vote. On Aug. 30, Votto became the first Reds player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated since Ken Griffey Jr. in 2004.
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