In a landslide, Cincinnati’s Joey Votto has been named the National League Most Valuable Player award. All is right with the world.
Votto received all but one of the 32 votes for MVP, and he was named second on the other ballot. It’s the first MVP award for a Red since Barry Larkin won in 1995.
For the record, Votto totaled 443 points on 31 first-place votes. Albert Pujols was second with 279 points, and the remaining first-place vote. Carlos Gonzalez was third with 240 points, followed by Adrian Gonzalez (197), Troy Tulowitzki (132) and Roy Halladay (130). Scott Rolen finished in 14th place, his highest vote being a sixth-place selection on one ballot.
(Complete results can be found at the BBWAA’s website, which looks like it was designed by some guy’s son as a junior high project.)
It was a fitting end to a wonderful season. Congratulations, Joey!
UPDATE: Here’s what Joey had to say: “I couldn’t help but cry because I know how much something like this meant to me and would have meant to my father.”
Also: “It was pretty freaking awesome to have beaten Albert Pujols for the MVP.”