Votto to be awarded Tip O’Neill Award Saturday night in Cinci

By ROCKET SPORTS and ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK on April 28, 2011

Ceremony slated prior to Reds game on Joey Votto MVP Bobblehead Night

$tip o\'neill award.jpg$ Cincinnati – While the first 30,000 fans at Great American Ball Park will receive a Joey Votto Bobblehead, the Canadian slugger will be awarded his 2010 Tip O’Neill Award in a brief pre-game ceremony prior to Saturday night’s game at Great American Ball Park (First Pitch 7:10pm) when his Cincinnati Reds host the Florida Marlins.

This is the first Tip Award for the reigning National League MVP, an honour presented annually by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to the player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.

Larry Walker won the award a record nine times, with 2009 winner Jason Bay being next with a total of three. Justin Morneau and Eric Gagné, with two each, are the only other multiple winners.

“Nobody at the Hall believes that this will be the only time we’ll be honouring Joey,” said president & CEO Tom Valcke, who will present the award along with Director of Operations Scott Crawford.

“He’s a rare specimen, but yet a typical Canadian in his work ethic, wholesome values and pride in his nationality. He won’t be talking about this award after Saturday, because for Joey Votto, it’s all about the next game.”

The Etobicoke, Ontario native is already en route to back-to-back Tips, with a terrific start in the 2011 campaign, compiling a team-leading .379 batting average, five homeruns and 16 RBI so far in April. The left-handed hitting first baseman’s .509 on-base percentage and .655 slugging percentage are also among the league leaders.

In a landslide vote for the 2010 Tip, Votto led the Reds to the NL’s Central Division Championship while batting .324, hitting 37 homeruns and driving in 113 runs. In addition to compiling an incredible league-leading .424 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage for the 2010 season, the 27-year-old All-Star racked up 31 of 32 first place votes in winning the National League’s MVP award. He also won the Hank Aaron Award.

In the Hall’s internet and Facebook poll, more than 80% of respondents chose Votto.

The award is named after Woodstock, Ontario native James ‘Tip’ O’Neill was one of Major League baseball’s first legitimate stars. With the St. Louis Browns in 1887, O’Neill batted 492, SLG-.691, Hits-225, Doubles-52, Triples-19, Homeruns-14, Total Bases-357, Runs-167 (4th all-time for a single season), RBI-123. The outfielder set major league records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, and total bases that season while compiling his astounding .492 batting average. Bases on balls were included as hits in 1887, but if O’Neill’s average was calculated by today’s standard, it was .435, the second highest in major league history to Hugh Duffy (.438).

Past winners of the James “Tip” O’Neill Award:

1984	TERRY PUHL
1985	DAVE SHIPANOFF
1986	ROB DUCEY
1987	LARRY WALKER
1988	KEVIN REIMER
1989	STEVE WILSON
1990	LARRY WALKER
1991	DANIEL BRABANT
1992	LARRY WALKER
1993	ROB BUTLER
1994	LARRY WALKER
1995	LARRY WALKER
1996	JASON DICKSON
1997	LARRY WALKER
1998	LARRY WALKER
1999	JEFF ZIMMERMAN
2000	RYAN DEMPSTER
2001	LARRY WALKER (tie)
2001	COREY KOSKIE (tie)
2002	LARRY WALKER (tie)
2002	ERIC GAGNÉ (tie)
2003	ERIC GAGNÉ
2004	JASON BAY
2005	JASON BAY
2006	JUSTIN MORNEAU
2007	RUSSELL MARTIN
2008	JUSTIN MORNEAU
2009	JASON BAY
2010	JOEY VOTTO