Votto wins NL MVP, Collins named Mets Manager, Childress fired

Get ready folks, there was a lot of sports news yesterday!

Yesterday the National League MVP was awarded to Cincinnati Reds' first baseman Joey Votto. Votto, 26, hit .324 with 37 home runs and 113 RBI while propelling the NL Central division champions to their first playoff appearance in 15 years. A first-time All-Star voted in by the fans on the Final Vote Ballot, Votto tried to achieve the Triple Crown this season but fell short, finishing second in batting average and third in homers/RBIs. Votto's victory ended the two-year reign of back-to-back winner Albert Pujols, Votto's counterpart at first base for the St. Louis Cardinals who also plays in the Central. The voting wasn't close either, as Votto received 31 of 32 first place votes.

"After the season, when I looked at my numbers and at Albert's numbers, I thought: 'Holy cow! He's beaten me in a lot of them," Votto said. "He beat me in runs, he beat me in RBIs, home runs, I think a couple others. I beat him in a few of the qualitative stats. I don't know -- I think it was a tossup. I think that it was as close as it can get. I'm not going to go on a limb and say, 'Oh, yeah, I played a heck of a lot better than him because I beat him in batting average, but we all know that batting average is kind of an overrated statistic."

While statistics are a big factor in the MVP award, so is reaching the postseason.

"Most importantly, we won," Votto said.

Votto, who was born in Toronto, is the third Canadian-born player to win the MVP. (Larry Walker in 1997, Justin Morneau in 2006)

In my pre-season picks, I picked Milwaukee Brewers' outfielder Ryan Braun to win the MVP, so wrong again :P. Votto is definitely deserving of the award, however I agree with him that it could most certainly be a toss-up. Pujols now has competition when deciding who is the best player in the NL, that competition being in his own division. Votto is only 27, meaning he's just entering his prime, so more big years should be expected from this kid. I wouldn't be surprised if future MVPs weren't out of the question for Mr. Votto. Congrats to him.

(quote credit from ESPN)

Terry Collins, the former Astros and Angels skipper, was named manager of the New York Mets on Monday. Collins, 61, who spent last season as the Mets' minor league fielding coordinator, beat out former Diamondbacks' manager Bob Melvin for the job. A manager who has been praised by the young Mets, (Josh Thole, Dillon Gee, Ike Davis, Nick Evans & co.) the move seems to be a good fit for the Mets, who picked Collins due to his ability to star in player development.

"He was constantly pulling for guys. Very positive," 2011 starting catcher Josh Thole said. "When I was in Buffalo and I was going through that struggle, when he came into town, he was kind of keeping me loose. That's what I noticed about him. And then there's the flipside, where he's a very intense guy. He's an intense person when something has to be done the right way. He's going to pump you full of positive information. He's always going to be there. He's going to have your back. But if you're going to do something, do it right. That's all he asks, pretty much."

"The thing that a lot of us guys in the minor leagues really fell in love with about him was that he had a no B.S. approach," Nick Evans, the young outfielder, said. "I mean, he told us what he expected of us. He told us where we stood. We never had to question what he thought and what his plans were. He was straight up with us. Everyone really respected that right from the get-go about him."

"You definitely know what he wants. Just by talking to him, you know he's going to expect the best out of everyone and expect everyone to do everything to give him the best. But, at the same time, he does it in a very respectful manner. And he doesn't pull the wool over anybody's eyes. He's very straightforward with what he thinks. He'll tell you what he thinks. You've got to respect that and like that as a player." Words of praise by young pitcher Dillon Gee.

The move has been criticized by many in the media. Analysts think that Collins, who quit on the Angels with 29 games left in the 1999 season, might not be the right match for the Mets. They feel as though his laid back approach, now at 61 years old as he has admitted he may have "mellowed out as a manager," may not be what the Mets need. Many believe that the Mets need a fiery, no b.s., kick-ass-first-and-ask-questions-later type of Manager, which is why many pulled for Wally Backman, the Mets' Single-A manager, who would definitely fit that description.

The players, however, feel as though the move will have no complications.

"I don't think there should be any conflict at all," Thole said. "He's a guy who is going to have your back, first off. And second, he's going to have control of the clubhouse. I've seen him run the minor leagues for a short time. And that was seven, eight, nine teams. When he's got his own team, I feel like he's going to be very regimented, very organized and very detail-oriented."

Collins is scheduled to be introduced to the media this afternoon.

(quote credit from ESPN)

The Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Brad Childress yesterday. The 49 year-old was fired due to the Vikings' unimpressive 3-7 performance this season.

After stories emerged that Childress had favored players and often got into clashes with star players, such as Antoine Winfield and Brett Favre, a move seemed to be best for the team. Childress was not the only one at fault for the Vikings' season however. Controversies such as the Brett Favre case surrounded the team. Nonetheless, the Vikings have been inconsistent this season (Favre's 22 turnovers), and as we've seen from the Cowboys' firing of Wade Phillips, no one's job is secure. Leslie Frazier will take over as the interim coach.

Later today is the scheduled announcement of the AL MVP. The announcement is scheduled for 1:30 PM, as front-runners Josh Hamilton and Robinson Cano lead Miguel Cabrera, Jose Bautisita and Paul Konerko in the predictions. Stay tuned.