"Larry Walker always looked at a glass as being overflowing.

Especially if the glass had a crest of a Canadian flag on it.

So, when Etobicoke's Joey Votto became only the third Canuck to win a Most Valuable Player award, Walker turned to his wife Angela and said:

"Honey, we're taking over, another great hope from the great white North just won the MVP, we're taking over the world."

Votto received 31 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America to win the National League MVP honours Monday over two-time defending champ Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Not bad for a good Canadian boy who needed a "Vote Votto" campaign to make the all-star game, as 14 million fans responded.

The Cincinnati Reds first baseman joins Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins and Walker as the only Canadians to win MVP honour in the majors.

In the 85 years between 1911, when awards were first handed out, and 1996, Fergie Jenkins was the only Canadian to win a BBWAA honour.

Votto is the fifth since 1997, along with Eric Gagne, Jason Bay, Walker and Morneau.

Votto battled depression and anxiety issues in 2009 resulting from his father's death a year earlier.

"Not to be dramatic," Votto told reporters on a conference call, "but after I was told I'd won, I couldn't help but cry because I know how much something like this means to me and would have meant to my father. It's pretty much the pinnacle of all of the awards, a great moment.

"With what I went through in the past, I have overcome a lot."

Votto's father, also named Joe, was a dedicated pop fretting over his son's early fortunes on the diamond at Connorvale Park with Bob Smyth's Etobicoke Rangers or Mel Oswald's Canadian Thunderbirds.

"It's pretty frigging awesome to beat Albert Pujols," Votto said. "I was shocked it was so conclusive."

Votto finished 2010 among the leaders in offence in the National League. His .336 average was second. He placed third in both homers (37) and RBIs (113). Votto led in OPS at 1.024 and slugging percentage (.600)."