terça-feira, 14 de dezembro de 2010

Joey Votto

 National League MVP 
Joey Votto named winner of Lou Marsh award



TORONTO - Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto was the toast of the National League and now he's the toast of his country.

The Toronto native was named Tuesday as the winner of the 2010 Lou Marsh Award as Canada's outstanding athlete. The award, which is handed out annually by the Toronto Star, is determined by a panel of sports editors, reporters and broadcasters.

The 27-year-old, who was named last month the National League's most valuable player, hit .324, with 37 home runs and 113 RBI. Votto also had a league-leading .424 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage.

Also among the eight finalists were hockey players Sidney Crosby and Jonathon Toews; speedskater Christine Nesbitt; mixed martial arts fighter Georges St-Pierre, figure skater Joannie Rochette; freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau; and ice dance figure skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

The award has been handed out each year since 1936.


Joseph Daniel Votto (born September 10, 1983) is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is the 2010 NL MVP, the recipient of the National League Hank Aaron Award for 2010, and won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year in 2010.
Early career
Born in Etobicoke, Ontario, in the west end of Toronto, Votto was drafted out of high school (Richview Collegiate Institute) in the second round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft by the Reds (44th overall), Votto's first few professional seasons with the Reds' rookie-level affiliates were quiet. However, Votto burst onto the scene in 2004, when he hit 26 doubles, 14 home runs, and sported a batting average of .302 with the Class A Dayton Dragons. He was promoted to Class A Advanced Potomac, and hit five more home runs in 20 games to end the season with 19.

Votto's consistency declined during 2005 campaign with Sarasota. While he still hit 19 home runs, Votto struck out 122 times and his batting average dropped nearly 50 points to .256.

He rebounded in 2006, batting .319 with 22 home runs and 24 stolen bases for Chattanooga. Votto spent the majority of the 2007 Spring Training with the Cincinnati Reds and made the 40 man roster but was sent down to the Reds' AAA affiliate, the Louisville Bats.

Votto's 2006 season was the best of his minor league career. Playing with Class AA Chattanooga, he improved his batting average to .319 and hit 46 doubles and 22 home runs. He led the Southern League in batting average and total bases and was third in the league in home runs and RBI. Votto was selected to play in the 2006 Futures Game on the World Team. He also played on both the Mid-Season and Post-Season Southern League All-Star teams, and was voted a minor league all-star by Baseball America. Votto culminated his season by winning the Southern League MVP award.

Major leagues (2007–present)
2007–08 seasons
Votto started off the 2007 season playing in Triple-A for the Louisville Bats. He was called up on September 1, 2007. He made his Major League debut on September 4, 2007, striking out against Guillermo Mota of the New York Mets. In his second major league at bat Votto hit his first career home run. Votto ended the season on a good note, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 5 RBI in the Cincinnati Reds' final game of the 2007 season.

Beginning the 2008 season, Votto shared time platooning at first base with Scott Hatteberg, until Manager Dusty Baker began playing Votto as the Reds' starting first baseman in early April. On May 7, 2008, Votto hit three home runs in a game against the Chicago Cubs. He broke the Reds record for the most runs batted in by a rookie in a single season. The previous record was held by National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson with 83 RBI set in 1956. Votto drove in 84 runs during the 2008 season. He finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting to the Chicago Cubs' Geovany Soto.

2009 season
Votto played for Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In Canada's first game against the United States, Votto had 4 hits in 5 at-bats, one of which was a home run.

Votto began the 2009 season strong as the outright starter at first base. In the second game of the season, Votto went 3 for 5 with a homer and 3 RBI in a loss to the New York Mets. In the next game against the Mets, Votto had another homer and 4 RBI. He had a 6-game hitting streak near the end of April, closing out the opening month with a .346 batting average and 3 home runs. Votto opened May with a 5-game hitting streak. In a May matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals, Votto had two homers for 4 RBI. He finished out the month with 5 home runs and a .378 batting average. However, Votto was placed on the DL to open June after missing time in May due to personal issues. Prior to his return game during the 2009 season he indicated he had been suffering from depression and anxiety issues as a result of the death of his father in August 2008, and had sought treatment for them.[4] He had previously missed time because of dizziness related to an inner ear infection.

Votto was named the National League Player of the Week for September 21–27, 2009, after hitting 10 doubles in a five-game span, a concentrated display not seen in 77 years. Hall of Fame outfielder Paul Waner did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1932.

Despite missing 31 games overall, Votto finished the 2009 season among the National League leaders in batting average (.322), on-base percentage (.414), slugging percentage (.567), and hit 25 home runs.

2010 season
Votto was not initially voted to the 2010 All-Star game in Anaheim, California, but made the roster via online fan voting through the National League's Final Vote. Votto was named on 13.7 million of the 26 million ballots submitted. 

Votto made the cover of Sports Illustrated on the August 30, 2010 edition.

On the season Votto hit .324 with 113 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 37 homers, including a grand slam off of Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves on May 20. He finished the season leading the Major Leagues in On Base Percentage (.424), Slugging Percentage (.600), and On-Base Plus Slugging (1.024).

On October 31, before game four of the World Series, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Hank Aaron announced that Votto had won the Hank Aaron Award in the National League.

On November 22, he was announced the 2010 NL MVP, coming within one vote of winning unanimously (Albert Pujols received the other first place vote, from the St. Louis BBWAA representative). He is only the third Canadian to win the MVP award after Larry Walker and Justin Morneau.

Career awards and honors
Major League:

2010 National League Most Valuable Player
2010 National League Hank Aaron Award
2010 Ernie Lombardi MVP Award (Cincinnati)
2010 National League All-Star (Cincinnati)
2009 National League Player of the Week (Week of Sept. 21-27, 2009) (Cincinnati)
2008 Ernie Lombardi MVP Award (Cincinnati)
Minor League:

2007 INT Post-Season All Star (Louisville)
2007 INT Mid-Season All Star (Louisville)
2007 INT Rookie of the Year (Louisville)
2007 Baseball America Triple-A All Star (Louisville)
2006 Baseball America Double-A All Star (Chattanooga)
2006 SOU Most Valuable Player (Chattanooga)
2006 SOU Mid-Season All Star (Chattanooga)
2006 SOU Post-Season All Star (Chattanooga)




          

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