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11-22-2010, 03:02 PM
Joey Votto wins the 2010 N.L. MVP award, taking 31 out of 32 first-place votes.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101...-is-NL-MVP
He is the first MVP winner for Cincinnati since Barry Larkin did it in 1995. Interestingly, 1995 was also the last time the Reds made the playoffs before winning the division this year.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101...-is-NL-MVP
He is the first MVP winner for Cincinnati since Barry Larkin did it in 1995. Interestingly, 1995 was also the last time the Reds made the playoffs before winning the division this year.
SHELBY VALLEY WILDCATS - 2010 KHSAA STATE CHAMPIONS
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11-22-2010, 03:39 PM
ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! This is great news for this organization!
11-22-2010, 04:17 PM
Congrats to Votto!
11-22-2010, 08:40 PM
I am so glad not only for Votto but for the Cincinnati Reds organization!! Congrats Votto!!:rockon:
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LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
11-22-2010, 09:46 PM
CINCINNATI -- Joey Votto leads the world in on-base percentage and sincerity. He leads the National League in slugging percentage, on-base-plus-slugging percentage, conscientiousness, thoughtfulness, humbleness and a couple other ness-es that don't leap to mind. "It's pretty freakin' awesome beating out Albert Pujols for the MVP,'' Votto said Monday, after he earned 31 of 32 first-place votes.
Good for him. Good for the Reds, who have a homegrown talent to build brighter days around. Good for the rest of us, gifted with a star that fits the character and temperament of our town.
Votto, being Votto, admitted he shed a few tears after learning he'd won the award. "How much it would have meant to my father'' who died in 2008, he said.
On the surface, the pairing of Votto and Cincinnati would seem a storybook romance: Unassuming guy comfortable with anonymity plays in town easy with same. Many happy returns.
And it might work out that way.
But probably not right away.
The Reds talked with Votto's agent Dan Lozano before last season, about a long-term deal. They will talk again, now that Votto is the MVP. The ante has been upped. Deal or no deal? Very likely, the latter.
Lozano doesn't have to recommend that Votto skip a deal and go to arbitration. You can be sure the notion has occurred already to the Reds first baseman. Votto's image as quiet, humble and conscientious is dead on. But he's also an intelligent guy who reads a lot. He knows what he's worth. He also knows he's under no obligation to be extra-nice to the Reds, who kept him in the minors for five-plus years and messed him up with a silly take-a-strike edict handed down by former GM Dan O'Brien.
I asked Votto how open he is to a long-term contract. "I don't know,'' he said. "You'd have to see the figures and the years.''
The bigger question is: Is it in the ballclub's best interest to throw cash piles at Joey Votto right now?
Nope.
We'll skip the numbers, which would be as monstrous as they are boring, and go straight to the business of the matter. Baseball tries to keep down payroll costs by limiting what players can earn in the first six years of their careers. The first three years, a guy basically earns the major league minimum ($400,000) or whatever additional his team wants to pay him. That was Votto this past year. He made $550,000, which is like buying a new Maserati for 89 cents.
In years four through six, players are eligible for arbitration. (Votto is in Year 4.) Players get huge raises, even if their achievements don't merit them. Votto can expect to make between $7 million and $10 million next year. That sounds like a bunch of money, and it is. It's not nearly as much as the Reds would spend on, say, a four-year deal. Signing Votto long-term now might hamstring the club's need to fill other, more pressing needs. You do want a big-hitting leftfielder, right?
The Reds control Votto for the next three years. Beginning in 2014, Votto is a free agent. A four-year contract now buys out only one of Votto's free-agent seasons. What's the rush?
The Reds' opportunity window has just begun to open. They're loaded with young, cheap pitching. Votto is their cornerstone. Keeping him here sends a powerful message to fans. But he's going to be here for three years, regardless, and three years is a long time. Unless Votto is willing to take less money to stay anonymous in our little town, there is no urgency to get him signed.
And Votto will not take less money.
He's a nice guy. Not that nice.
Someone asked him Monday if he could put in perspective what it meant to be an MVP. Votto, ever thoughtful, said, "I'm going to need a little more time to get that perspective. I'm going to need distance and time to see the landscape.''
So will the Reds. Joey Votto was the most valuable player in the National League in 2010. That page has been turned. Let's see what 2011 brings. No need to rush things.
Good for him. Good for the Reds, who have a homegrown talent to build brighter days around. Good for the rest of us, gifted with a star that fits the character and temperament of our town.
Votto, being Votto, admitted he shed a few tears after learning he'd won the award. "How much it would have meant to my father'' who died in 2008, he said.
On the surface, the pairing of Votto and Cincinnati would seem a storybook romance: Unassuming guy comfortable with anonymity plays in town easy with same. Many happy returns.
And it might work out that way.
But probably not right away.
The Reds talked with Votto's agent Dan Lozano before last season, about a long-term deal. They will talk again, now that Votto is the MVP. The ante has been upped. Deal or no deal? Very likely, the latter.
Lozano doesn't have to recommend that Votto skip a deal and go to arbitration. You can be sure the notion has occurred already to the Reds first baseman. Votto's image as quiet, humble and conscientious is dead on. But he's also an intelligent guy who reads a lot. He knows what he's worth. He also knows he's under no obligation to be extra-nice to the Reds, who kept him in the minors for five-plus years and messed him up with a silly take-a-strike edict handed down by former GM Dan O'Brien.
I asked Votto how open he is to a long-term contract. "I don't know,'' he said. "You'd have to see the figures and the years.''
The bigger question is: Is it in the ballclub's best interest to throw cash piles at Joey Votto right now?
Nope.
We'll skip the numbers, which would be as monstrous as they are boring, and go straight to the business of the matter. Baseball tries to keep down payroll costs by limiting what players can earn in the first six years of their careers. The first three years, a guy basically earns the major league minimum ($400,000) or whatever additional his team wants to pay him. That was Votto this past year. He made $550,000, which is like buying a new Maserati for 89 cents.
In years four through six, players are eligible for arbitration. (Votto is in Year 4.) Players get huge raises, even if their achievements don't merit them. Votto can expect to make between $7 million and $10 million next year. That sounds like a bunch of money, and it is. It's not nearly as much as the Reds would spend on, say, a four-year deal. Signing Votto long-term now might hamstring the club's need to fill other, more pressing needs. You do want a big-hitting leftfielder, right?
The Reds control Votto for the next three years. Beginning in 2014, Votto is a free agent. A four-year contract now buys out only one of Votto's free-agent seasons. What's the rush?
The Reds' opportunity window has just begun to open. They're loaded with young, cheap pitching. Votto is their cornerstone. Keeping him here sends a powerful message to fans. But he's going to be here for three years, regardless, and three years is a long time. Unless Votto is willing to take less money to stay anonymous in our little town, there is no urgency to get him signed.
And Votto will not take less money.
He's a nice guy. Not that nice.
Someone asked him Monday if he could put in perspective what it meant to be an MVP. Votto, ever thoughtful, said, "I'm going to need a little more time to get that perspective. I'm going to need distance and time to see the landscape.''
So will the Reds. Joey Votto was the most valuable player in the National League in 2010. That page has been turned. Let's see what 2011 brings. No need to rush things.
11-23-2010, 12:56 AM
Well deserved!!!!!!!!
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âRelax, all right? Donât try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, theyâre fascist. Throw some ground balls â itâs more democratic.â
Crash Davis
11-23-2010, 10:43 AM
congrats reds fans
11-23-2010, 11:47 AM
Really glad for Joey Votto, he is one of the top players in the game anyways, and winning the MVP just propels him. Looking forward to seeing him do work again next season!
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