Joey Votto: 2010 Canadian Male Athlete of the Year

Congratulations goes out to Joey Votto once again this year.

After being named the NL MVP this year, by compiling a .324 average with 37 home runs and 113 RBI, he has now been crowned the 2010 Canadian Male Athlete of the Year. The pile of accolades continue to increase for the 27-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario Canada and he truly deserves all the praise coming his way.

He beat out fellow Canadians Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash and Georges St. Pierre. That is quite a list to be on top of for the soft-spoken, yet hard-swinging left-hander for the Cincinnati Reds.

The sport that he competes in is not one of Canada's preferred sporting choices, making his win that much more incredible. But, the dedication and strong work ethic Votto carries with him on a daily basis would have earned him the award no matter what sport he competed in.

Also known as the Lionel Conacher Award, Votto joins a list of names that include Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr and the great Gordie Howe. Not a bad list to have your name a part of.

Votto is very quiet when it comes to being in the spotlight, but enjoys letting his work do the talking. He is a very humbled baseball player who will only continue to get better as his career moves along.

From struggling for playing time in the minors to the death of his father that caused him to miss games due to depression and anxiety, Votto has come a long way these last few years. This last season for the Reds opened up everyone's eyes to the player Votto is and there is a strong possibility that he could repeat as Canada's male athlete for years to come.