No sooner had the Reds’ Great Northern slugger stepped off the dais when he was asked about his MVP candidacy going south.
“You have Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzales, and obviously, there are some guys in Colorado who are strong candidates,” Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto said. “Everybody knows what Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki did.”
CarGo has collected enough hardware this offseason to open his own Home Depot. He was named Players’ Choice MVP and NL MVP, while snaring his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Tulo won the latter trophies and put together arguably the best September ever by a NL player.
Yet, when the Baseball Writers Association of America announces its top NL prize today, Votto is expected to trump the Rockies’ Os.
“I did what I could,” Votto said. “We won and I put up a good season.”
As for why Votto is the favorite, think back to 1995. There are eerie similarities. That’s when the last Red claimed the prize, shortstop Barry Larkin trouncing Dante Bichette when voters shunned the outfielder’s Coors Field statistics.
Coors Field is a much fairer park than it was 15 years ago, but that won’t help Gonzalez in the minds of many voters. His home-road splits will hurt him.
He finished with 34 home runs and 117 RBIs — of which 26 and 76 came at Blake Street. No player in the big leagues did more damage at home, where Gonzalez hit a home run for a walkoff cycle and fueled his drive to a batting title.
But Votto led the Reds to the playoffs. That can’t be overlooked in the MVP race. While the Cy Young awards generally tilt toward the most outstanding pitcher, the MVP is tied more closely to a team’s performance. The Reds won the Central Division.
“Despite the fact Votto was the only one who was able to get to the postseason among the three of us, I know I have a huge chance to get it because I fought with the Rockies until the very end,” said Gonzalez, who is trying to become the first Venezuelan MVP.
“That is also why I didn’t sit at the bench for the final month of the season when I suffered from tendinitis in my right wrist. I tried to help my team because I like to win.”
That included playing all three outfield positions and hitting leadoff before settling into the three-hole as Tulo’s bodyguard. The shortstop’s finish also likely stole votes from Gonzalez.
In 29 September games, Tulo hit 15 home runs with 40 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He’s expected to come close to matching last year’s fifth-place finish in the MVP voting.
“I don’t know what else you can say about a player like that,” Tulowitzki said of Gonzalez. “He’s a foundational piece, someone you build around. People are starting to take notice of our guys.”
The Rockies are no longer a secret. They can make a case that they have two of the best young players in the game. But when it comes to the MVP today, the Canadian Votto will likely be exhibit ‘eh.’
“I think I have a fair chance,” Votto said. “Let’s see what happens.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
