Joseph Daniel Votto

Ya. I’m trying to guess who else... Russ Martin maybe?

List of winners:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_O%27Neill_Award

Morneau got it in 2008, Votto's first full year. They were pretty close, but Morneau was probably better.

Jason Bay got it in 2009--Votto was better

Votto split the award in 2011 with John Axford--Votto was better.

Morneau won again in 2014, when Votto missed half the season.

Wtf @ Axford?!

Probably because of those amazing 46 saves he earned by throwing a few fastballs every couple days.

votto loves his slow starts. was awful in spring training and has been sub-replacement so far this year

wish i were a mod so i could ban you from this thread

<3

I gotta bad feeling if the Reds continue on their implosion path the club ownership might throw in the towel and trade Votto for as much as they can get.

To me, it seems a no brainer for a club with a situation like the Red Sox might try to deal to get Votto. He would be their ideal kind of hitter. Marketing wise, I think Votto in a big market (if he wanted to do it) could be huge especially with the hitting legacy in Boston.

Seems like the kinda deal the Blue Jays might also do.

I think it possible.

Would love to have him in Toronto, of course, but I doubt the timing's right. Smoak continues to play well on the cheap--and the guys in charge are cheap--and Donaldson's health issues relegate him to DH more and more. And, while Guerrero's untouchable, I wouldn't want the Reds to pry Bichette away in a deal.

I think his contract makes him really hard to move. I love Votto but no one is going to give up a Vlad or Bichette level talent to pay Joey that much money over his decline years.

I wouldn’t even want to part with a Teoscar.

i don't think you'd have to give up much in the way of prospects to get votto -- just a willingness to pay his enormous salary

3-3 with a homer, a double, and 2 walks today. wRC+ back to 130 all of the sudden

Another classic from Joey Votto. I’ll never understand how people don’t like this man.

“Shout out to Canada.” pic.twitter.com/TNQ2j4zv7L

— Aaron Woods (@AaronWoods1410) April 28, 2018

"Below zero Celsius shout out to Canada."

That's even better.

It is good to see how much confidence Votto has developed on TV over the years. I think he has a career in broadcasting if he wants it when done.

How many of the great hitters, Votto type players, ended up being good hitting coaches? Managers?

Joe Torre was a pretty darn good hitter. Won an MVP and a batting title.

Yeah, lots...
Molitor, Mattingly, Baker, who is that guy who owns the Marlins again?

Votto type players

Not sure if any of those guys are Votto-type players, though--Mattingly in his prime would be the closest. Ted Williams and Frank Robinson weren't particularly successful as managers; Ruth waited around for a call that never came.

Yeah i'm thinking hitting first mad scientists (135 wrc+ career), Ted Williams and Frank Robinson fit that description. One that seems to have been rather successful is Reggie Jackson. Molitor isn't too far, that being said. Looking if they are able to share their insights in a structured way.

For some reason I was under the impression Reggie Jackson had been a coach (bench or hitting) with the Yankees, but he was not.

Frank Howard did have a good coaching career.

McGwire?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Terry

i think votto would be a fantastic hitting coach. from the little i know of him, i’m not sure he has the personality one might look for in a modern manager

JOEY VOTTO MAKES A POINT OF REMINDING ST. LOUIS UBER DRIVERS THAT HE BEAT ALBERT PUJOLS IN THE 2010 NL MVP RACEhttps://t.co/2ZYHBEeBIl pic.twitter.com/3GVcy7AcyF

— Vlad Needer Birenbaum (@birenball) May 3, 2018

Lou Boudreau

haha ok someone with an athletic account needs to post this interview plz

A young Joey Votto got a close-up look at greatness early in his career, playing in the same division as Albert Pujols.

Votto's first two full seasons in the big leagues were 2008 and 2009, when Pujols won his second and third Most Valuable Player awards. In 2010, Pujols finished second -- to Votto.

With Pujols on the cusp of 3,000 hits, Votto talked to The Athletic about what Pujols meant to him, the game and even the city of St. Louis.

When you were a young player and you were in this division and you saw him a lot, what did you take from watching him as much as you got to see him in those days?

He was an intimidating figure in many different ways -- an older man, a bigger man, clearly when I entered into the league, he'd already established himself as one of the very best players, if not the best player in the game. He was very territorial. He wanted it to be known that he was the best player and the best at his position. He may not have ever said it, but he's a very competitive man. It was helpful for me because I really like to compete against the best. He was in our division. He was the toast of St. Louis, so that's about as good as it gets when St. Louis is playing well, when they have a marquee guy, obviously they were winning World Series, he's winning awards, so it was a lot of good things happening in that city and for him.

It was my first experience, he and that team, of what Major League Baseball at its finest looks like. It wasn't until he left and went to Anaheim that I think -- always when he was in a Cardinals uniform, I felt -- I don't want to use the word intimidated because it implies that I thought of myself as second, but I was just always aware of how special he was. He was a tremendous defensive player, I don't think he gets enough credit for that. Once he was more comfortable with me as a player and more familiar, he was generous with his knowledge.

I think when it's all said and done, he'll go down as an all-time great, an inner-circle guy, conversation for best at the position. Again, when I played against him, I got to see him in his prime and there are too many examples of games and moments where you just thought, 'Oh boy, this guy's on another level.' In every which way. It was a real treat.

The thing that fascinates me the most about him, that if you ask any player playing with him or against him that if he'd ever played with a player that is better than him, the answer would be, unequivocally, no. And now he's in Anaheim and playing with a player that almost without question is a better player than him. It has to take arguably the greatest player of all time to be better than him. I thought that was really interesting that if this all-time great player… it always fascinated me. I could not, if anyone had ever asked me, could you imagine Albert playing with a better player, I would have said, 'I don't know if that's possible.' That's how good he is.

Was there ever a point where he said something to let you know that he thought highly of you? Or that you were accepted?

No. I think with time, when we play against each other more infrequently, he's more happy to see me and handshakes and hugs and 'How you doing?' and 'Great to see you' and 'Keep playing well,' those sort of conversations. But while we were going head-to-head, he was never friendly like that -- ever, ever, ever. That was something I respected from him. I loved that in an athlete. I kind of get uncomfortable with a lot of buddy-buddyness on the field when you're competing and both want something. That was my perspective.

So back in those days, you're on first base and there's no chit-chat?

There would be times where we didn't speak for an entire series. I never took it personally. I never thought or felt terribly uncomfortable with it because -- again, I felt like he had his own thing going and I can relate to it now because there are times where I don't want to deal with certain stuff.

I was a younger player, I had two or three years in the league and he was at 10 already. He's got so much more time than I do in the game. Now the fruits of that time are showing up with all the hits and the home runs. It's amazing the career he's had.

I hope that with a little bit of distance… I'm speaking out of turn here, I hope that eventually it comes full circle and he gets to go back to St. Louis and embraced appropriately and he gets to be a part of that sort of family that they have. I know it was a very difficult "break up," but I think it's better for the game and, more importantly, better for St. Louis because of how important the Cardinals are to that city and how really, Albert's probably the best player -- him and Stan (Musial) are the best two players that ever played (there).

He won championships there. It's something that no matter how well I play here, I look at all the guys that come back, and the one thing they all have in common -- Barry Larkin, obviously the Big Red Machine -- they've won championships. Teams love the players associated with their very best moments and obviously, championships are marquee moments. The biggest moment in my life is the Toronto Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series. It's probably the most joy I've ever felt. Albert, I hope, gets back to St. Louis and be embraced appropriately and be able to give back, also.

You beat him for the MVP in 2010…

I'm very aware of that. I've told many a St. Louis Uber driver that. They ask me who I am, they say, "You play baseball?"

I say, "Yes."

They say, "Wow, what team?"

I say, "Cincinnati."

They say, "Oh, where's that?"

I say, "Oh, it's in Ohio."

They'll say, "OK."

I say, "Do you know Albert Pujols?"

"Oh yes, of course."

I'll say, "Well, I beat him for the Most Valuable Player. He came in second to me."

He did come in second, that was a very proud moment and what's funny is he finished second and it may not have been in his seven or eight or nine best seasons. That's how good he was and how much of a monopoly he had on first base in the National League in terms of dominance. So I'm glad I snagged one.

damn, joey votto gives a good interview. he says a lot of insightful things, but also things like "The biggest moment in my life is the Toronto Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series." which is really interesting but also kind of sad! also, re:

[I hope that with a little bit of distance… I'm speaking out of turn here, I hope that eventually it comes full circle and he gets to go back to St. Louis and embraced appropriately and he gets to be a part of that sort of family that they have. I know it was a very difficult "break up," but I think it's better for the game and, more importantly, better for St. Louis because of how important the Cardinals are to that city and how really, Albert's probably the best player -- him and Stan (Musial) are the best two players that ever played (there).

please don't let this happen. or if it does, make it a july deadline trade and august retirement ceremony

I'd root for the Yankees to win the world series if he was in their lineup.

let's not get crazy here

We Canadian baseball fans have the heroes we get.

With the 3-5 game last night against the Rockies, Mr. Vottomatic has now passed the .300 mark this season and is up to .306 for the first time. Votto seems to take about 5 weeks to get going the past few years.

Freeland pitched him well and Votto got one hit the opposite way right off his hands. JV was only 1-13 against Mike Dunn coming into the game and he hit another chip shot single the other way with Dunn busting him in on his hands. Tony Gwynn and Pete Rose would have been proud, both singles looked like something out of their book.

Today in Joey Votto being the best: A montage of Votto faking out Adam Duvall every time Votto scores and Duvall tries to high five him. (Documented by @EWPod listener Noah Stafford (@jondowd51.)https://t.co/HW5EE51Ip7

— Ben Lindbergh (@BenLindbergh) July 13, 2018

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiVAkDqXkAUUCPH.jpg:small

<3

liked this recent article
https://theathletic.com/404282/2018/06/22/im-not-ok-with-fine-joey-votto-on-his-power-decline-line-drive-rate-and-aging/

Votto kind of reminds me of Andrew WK.

#Reds Joey Votto has 6,563 career plate appearances.

He has never popped out to the catcher, pitcher, or first basemen.

— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) July 20, 2018

That’s just fucking weird

think i popped up to all three in my softball game last night.

that is wrong, joey votto. you can't do that.

wow that’s an absurd stat

Feel like it's not that he doesn't pop-up to the infield moreso that he just doesn't hit pop-ups:

This could be my favorite stat, ever...
Joey Votto pop ups by year:
2010 - 0
2011 - 1
2012 - 1
2013 - 1
2014 - 1
2015 - 2
2016 - 0
2017 - 1
2018 - 0
Since 2010, Votto has popped it up 7 times. With the same amount of PA, the MLB average player would have popped it up 127 times.

— Jeremy Frank (@MLBRandomStats) July 20, 2018

that is insane

by definition, popups are infield popups, but yeah he's famous for avoiding them

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Di-3xvaXsAA0we7.jpg:small

“Everybody on? Good, great, grand, wonderful. No yelling on the bus!” – Joey Votto pic.twitter.com/hEWRv1wB2P

— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2018

Jesus did that ever make me lol

This is Kyle. Joey liked his "Votto for President" shirt so much that he brokered a trade.

Only one problem: Joey Votto can't run for president. So he signed it, "More like Prime Minister!"

Never, ever, ever change. pic.twitter.com/SQsvhVLjqz

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 3, 2018

this was in pittsburgh, fwiw

Jays are missing an opportunity, in my opinion. Even with Turner taking care of part of what they would have gotten from him--and I know roster spots are finite--I'd still like to have him.

Whose roster spot does he take though? 13/26 are pitchers, 9 are starters, 4 are bench guys.

it is unfortunate but the only place that made sense was toronto, and as a team with playoff ambitions, they're much better off with turner (who apparently is a much-beloved veteran presence who helps younger players a great deal)

joey won't sell tickets anywhere else and he's not worth the roster spot anymore ;_;

I totally understand the rational, hard-headed argument against him, and I usually lean in that direction myself. This team is just so desparately in need of all that character stuff (and I think a starting pitcher, like Gausman, can only provide so much of that). Hopefully Turner covers enough of that.

And the Jays do need a lhh

With 13-man pitching staffs, teams don't have room for veteran pinch-hitter/occasional DH's anymore. With four bench guys, there's almost no flexibility in roster construction -- you need a catcher, two infielders, and at least one outfielder. If he could reproduce Belt's slash stats from last year then it could still be worth it, but I don't think he's got it in him anymore.

Belt should have a job, never mind Votto!

Joey Votto has agreed to a non-roster invite with the Blue Jays. He is back.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 8, 2024

Great! He either earns a spot or he doesn't--but at least they're giving it a shot.

looks like it either him or Vogelbach. hopefully this doesn't block Spencer Horwitz, tho i think he'll have a good shot at LF.

Reds got a jam of young guys that can play first or DH.

Votto might just join those guys who have that last hurrah on another team like say Billy Williams with the As or Ron Sanyo with the White Sox. Willie Mays going back to NY and Hank to Milwaukee a bit different.

Ron Sanyo and J.D. Marantz should have been teammates.

(I empathize--I've been bemoaning my own typos.)

https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-votto-homers-in-first-spring-training-at-bat-with-blue-jays

Hell yeah

“I accidentally stepped on a bat in the dugout, rolled my ankle and it hurt like the dickens,”

Most blue jays thing ever

As the only person he follows on twitter, I feel like he needs to see this. https://t.co/BuUlgtuQJl pic.twitter.com/0d9Wxlpd4r

— Devin Mesoraco (@DMesoraco) March 19, 2024

I should in theory post this to the spring training content thread, but Joey Votto…

Spoilers for Love is Blind here

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4yqTY9RYZv/

Officially retired.

Six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement on Instagram tonight, ending a career that included an NL MVP award, a lifetime .920 OPS and one of the the best power-patience combinations of his generation. He spent all 17 of his big league seasons with Cincinnati.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 21, 2024

Aargh! Was hoping he'd somehow be there for the Red Sox series in September. I think it's fair to say this turned out to be a bit of a disaster--not so much for the team but for him, in terms of how much work he put in this year to make it back.

It’s really shit how his last game went, being tossed by an ump. My friend actually saw him playing for the Buffalo Bisons in Worcester a couple of weeks back. Had she gone the following evening, she would have seen his last professional home run.

just heard the news - what a career! it was my pleasure to get to watch him play many times, he was an all-timer

RIP big man