Votto earns Player of the Month honors
Led all Southern Leaguers in home runs and RBIs in June
Minor League Baseball

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Chattanooga Lookouts' first baseman Joey Votto has been named the TOPPS Southern League Player of the Month for June. The Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, presents the award each month to the top performer in each of the 10 full-season leagues.

Votto sizzled at the plate all month, hitting .355 with 8 home runs and 24 RBIs. He led all Southern Leaguers in home runs and RBIs as well as total bases with 75 while ranking fifth in batting average.

The Toronto, Ontario native recorded at least one hit in 23 of 27 contests over the course of the month. He collected twelve multi-hit games, including three three-hit games. Votto raised his average from .298 to .317, enjoying hitting streaks of 9 and 5 games along the way. He also had a stretch of four consecutive games in which he doubled.

The 22-year-old hit two home runs on June 18 at Tennessee, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs in the game. On June 16, Votto drove in four of the Lookouts' runs against the Smokies, going 3-for-5 with a home run and a double. The light-footed first baseman swiped two bags and tripled at Mississippi on June 11, also scoring two runs in a 2-for-5 performance.

The Triple-Crown contender currently leads the league with a .326 average and 17 home runs while ranking second with 53 RBIs. He also leads the league with 104 hits, 47 extra-base hits, 57 runs scored and a .586 slugging percentage. The right-handed swinger is tied for the league lead with 28 doubles while ranking third with a .398 on-base percentage. Votto was named a Southern League All-Star and is slated to be the North Division's starting first baseman. He was previously named the BC Powder Southern League Hitter of the Week for the week of June 12-18.

The Cincinnati Reds selected Votto in the 2nd round of the 2002 draft. Prior to the season, Baseball America named him the ninth-best prospect in the Reds' organization.

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