Joseph Daniel "Joey" Votto (born September 10, 1983) is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. In 2010, he won the National League MVP Award, the National League Hank Aaron Award, and the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year. Votto was born on September 10, 1983 to Joseph and Wendy Votto in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Etobicoke, a district in the west end of Toronto. His mother is a sommelier and restaurant manager. His father was a chef and a baseball fan who died at age 52 in 2008. He is of Italian descent. As a child, Votto adorned his wall with a Ted Williams poster. He enrolled in high school at Richview Collegiate Institute in 1997. In high school, Votto also played basketball — playing point guard and once scoring 37 points in a game — and hockey. He played for the Etobicoke Rangers baseball program. Votto was drafted out of high school in the second round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft by the Reds (44...