In recent years, Topps has reserved six cards within Series 1 for the AL and NL award winners that are being announced this week. Card #'s 29 and #211 (according to the preliminary checklist) are reserved for the Most Valuable Players.
Yesterday, we found out who gets to appear on either card #29 or #211 (Topps did not specify which card goes to which league's winner).
Congratulations to Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds for being named the National League's Most Valuable Player in almost unanimous fashion. Although he didn't lead the league in any of the Triple Crown categories (.324 was good for second, 37 HR and 113 RBI's put him in third), he did lead the NL in other stats like slugging percentage (.600), on-base percentage (.424) and OPS(1.024). What was more surprising was by how many points he earned in the voting.
So card #29 or #211 will be of Votto, the first Red to win the MVP award since 1995 when Barry Larkin took the prize home. Coincidentally, 1995 was also the last time the Reds made it to the postseason. He received 31 of 32 first-place votes (an almost unanimous 443 points), beating a field that included Albert Pujols of the Cardinals (279, 1 first-place), Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (240), Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres (197), Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (132), Cy Young winner Roy Halladay of the Phillies (130), Aubrey Huff of the World Series winning Giants (70), Jayson Werth of the Phillies (52), Martin Prado of the Braves (51), Ryan Howard of the Phillies (50), NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey of the Giants (40), Matt Holliday of the Cardinals (32), Brian Wilson of the Giants (28), teammate Scott Rolen of the Reds (26), Ryan Braun of the Brewers (19), Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals (18), Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies, Dan Uggla of the Marlins, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (12 each), Jason Heyward of the Braves (11), Brian McCann of the Braves, Adam Dunn of the Nationals (9 each), Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies (7), David Wright of the Mets (3), and the trio of Corey Hart of the Brewers, Josh Johnson of the Marlins, and Heath Bell of the Padres (2 each).
Votto also becomes the tenth Reds player to win the MVP award, joining Ernie Lombardi, Bucky Walters, Frank McCormick, Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench (twice), Pete Rose, Joe Morgan (twice), George Foster and Barry Larkin.
Let the debates continue. Did your guy win???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
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