VOTTO POWERS HIS WAY TO MVP!

Joey Votto of the Bombers wins the ND MVP award.

Among the surprise stories of the 2010 season was the emergence of slugging first baseman, Joey Votto. Scouts have been high on Votto's abilities for a few years, and he had shown flashes of the brilliance that was to come, but had yet to put together a complete season - both health wise, and production wise. In 2009 he was mired in a funk that stemmed from anxiety issues related to the death of his father, and some questioned whether or not he would ever be the same. The Reds (and Bombers?) gave him some time off to get his head straight, and since then he has been on a tear that can only be described as beastly.

It is almost inappropriate to call it a tear, when it lasts the whole season, but Votto managed to be incredibly consistent in 2010. He hit over .300 in each month except April - and he managed a nice .275 in that month. Though he played at the launching pad known as Great American Ballpark, Votto was even better on the road, hitting .349 and slugging .641 away from Cincinnati. When asked to describe Votto, Bombers' owner, Erik Uustal, remarked that, "He's not a guy that goes through extreme hot and cold streaks. He fouls off tough pitches and takes whatever you give him." A deeper look into the NKFBL statistical archives reveals that Joey Votto did not hit an infield pop-up the entire season! (Rumor has it that Chris Young of the Benders is consulting with Votto about this skill.)

Looking like he may weep when discussing his star first baseman, Uustal made note of how Votto carried the offense each week, and no more so than in the championship in which he book ended a four game absence with terrific performances, hitting two bombs over the weekend - including the clincher on Sunday afternoon.

He also likened Votto to another left-handed hitting first baseman, Todd Helton. Like Helton in his prime, Votto has tremendous opposite field power, coupled with the ability to hit for average while getting on base at a good clip. Perhaps their quiet dominance is their greatest similarity.

Votto couldn't be reached in his home near the Arctic Circle, though we did have correspondence via the Sled Dog Express.

Sled Dogs were used to traverse the tundra in order to communicate with Votto at his home in Canada.

Votto was predictably pleased, and humble, to receive the honor and is looking forward to the 2011 season as the Bombers take aim at a repeat performance. In the offseason he stays strong by chopping logs and snow-shoeing to build endurance. He also keeps busy with the production of his custom home-made maple syrup. Apparently, it is a huge hit in the Bombers locker room. The Upton Brothers are rumored to carry around bottles of it on road trips and love nothing more than dousing their chicken and waffles with the sweet syrup, compliments of Votto Maple Farm.





For the sake of the Bombers future, they'd better hope the Uptons take it easy on the sugar this winter.

Votto joins fellow Canucks, Larry Walker (1997) and Justin Morneau (2006), as the only baseball players from the Great White North to claim the award.