Votto winner of Lou Marsh Trophy

Toronto (CP) — Given Canada’s love for all things hockey, Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto was as surprised to win the Lou Marsh Trophy a second time as he was the first.

The 34-year-old first baseman from Toronto was chosen by a panel of sports journalists from across Canada as the country’s athlete of the year in 2017.

Votto also got the nod in 2010 for the award, which is named after a former Toronto Star sports editor. “Whenever I hear I’m up for this award … typically, it’s a gaggle of hockey players and then a few different athletes, both male and female in other sports,” Votto said Tuesday. “I usually think ‘well, it will likely go to the male hockey player’ and I think winning it a second time, especially amongst so many talented Canadian hockey players, is another achievement.”

Other 2017 finalists were cross-country skier Alex Harvey, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, curler Rachel Homan and moguls skier Mikael Kingsbury. Swimmer Penny Oleksiak captured the honour in 2016. Votto came within a whisker of winning his second National League MVP award this season, losing to Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton by just two points.

“I came up short on the Most Valuable Player award for the National League this year, but in a way, winning this award kind of makes up for that,” he said.

Votto started all 162 games for Cincinnati and led Major League Baseball in on-base percentage, walks and intentional walks. He reached base an Mlb-best 321 times.