The Utility Player: Votto, History Lesson, Funny Tweets and More

The past couple of weeks have been particularly awesome for one Joey Votto. Many a Reds fan havs been touting him since at least 2010. The national types have been a tad slow in latching onto the Votto-matic train, but it appears they’ve finally awakened.

A couple of sites have done a feature on the Reds first baseman. ESPN’s Jayson Stark compared his season to those that Babe Ruth has posted. Stark notes that Votto is on pace for 201 hits and 136 walks. The only player to have similar seasons was Ruth. Rarefied air to say the least.

CBSSports.com’s Dayn Perry displayed his conversion (or maybe was a merely closet Votto-matic fan) in proclaiming Joey is, get this, underrated. We know it seems like Votto is underrated, but I have little doubt that Reds opponent’s take #19 lightly.

I do like Perry’s last line…

"What’s also worth monitoring is whether Votto remains what he is right now: the best hitter on the planet."

BRM’s own Aaron Lehr added to the group just the other day. Aaron went more in-depth than Stark and Perry and I think you will find that is even more reason why Votto is simply awesome.

The real reason Votto is? You don’t need to put his name in your search engine to discover that. Here it is.

Votto could actually care less about all this public “stuff”. He maintains his level-headedness, if there is such a word. Mark Sheldon, he if Mark My Word fame, proposes the question if Votto is the best hitter in the game today. I had taken a quote from this article and posted in on our Hub yesterday because it vividly displays Votto and how he is still as down to earth as he was the day the Reds selected him in the 2nd round back in 2002. For those that didn’t catch that quote, here’s your chance.

"“I’m not a big fan of a lot of the adulation or the credit, especially from media outlets, because they can be very ‘here and now,'” Votto said. “A couple of weeks ago, Josh Hamilton was the best hitter in baseball. Two weeks before that, Matt Kemp was the best hitter in baseball. I’m a firm believer that over an extended period of time, you have to earn the respect of your peers in general.”— Joey Votto (via mlb.com)"

Yes, it’s been a decade, and the Reds organization and their fans have seen Votto make great strides both on and off the field. We know the story of learning Spanish. We know the great bat he wields. We know the biting one-liners he can toss at any given moment.

Debate the contract all you want. Votto’s value to the organization as of this second could not get any higher.

Unless…we get to have a party at Fountain Square after the season is over.

What Happened to (fill in the blank)?

Believe it or not, you’ve witnessed some form of history over the past two seasons. It’s not notable history, but it’s history a couple of teams either don’t want to repeat.

Remember last season when the Pittsburgh Pirates were atop the NL Central? Honest, they were. I’m not making it up. For two days, the Buccos were 51-44 and 0.5 games up on the entire NL Central. So what happened? A huge slide, that’s what happened. The Pirates went 3-8 for the remainder of July and posted an 8-22 August which did little for their season. They ended 2011 with a record of 72-90 and in 4th place behind the Brewers, Cards and Reds.

We’re seeing something a little like that within the NL Central this season. Maybe not on level with what happened to Pittsburgh last season, but it could end up that way.

Remember when the buzz was about the Houston Astros? Yes, the Astros. On May 25th, the ‘Stros were only a game below .500 with a record of 22-23 and lurking only 3 games back of the division lead. Since that time, the bottom has fallen out, the wheels have come off that train, many phrases could be used to describe their plunge through the division.

This morning, Houston is 28-41 and 10.5 games behind our beloved Reds. You honestly have to wonder if they will fall even closer to the last place Cubs. There’s a four game difference to the Cubs, plus the Cubbies are coming off a series where they took two of three from the city rival.

Twitter is seldom boring

If you’re on Twitter, you know you’ve tweeted things you wish you could take back. We all have done it. Yes, all of us have at least once. Once.

You will also see a tweet that are just plain amusing.

So, I happened across a pair of tweets that amused me: one baseball related, one not.

Baseball related one…

Before you think I’m going to attempt to downgrade the season Bryan LaHair is having, you’re couldn’t be more wrong. If not for that guy that wears #19 for the Reds, I would honestly give my vote to LaHair as my NL first baseman. But we know Votto will get my vote as he truly deserves it.

This tweet isn’t what’s funny, though. There was another. It was a re-tweet of the above with this added on the end…

“people should vote 4Lehair for allstar”.

Seriously? What side of your skull are you thinking with, dude? He was tied in one, count ’em, one stat. Where’s LaHair at in the others? Do the leg work and you’ll see your claim is completely and utterly insane to even suggest. I know you’re a Cubs fan, but to think any other first baseman in the NL should be voted over Votto is purely asinine.

That said, if LaHair is not Votto’s backup, which he should be, something in the overall voting system is truly broken.

Non-baseball and this is a classic…

Golf clap worthy and well done, Jeff! In Comic Sans even…

Aroldis and the Girl

Yes, this story has developed into something so wacky, I can’t find any other adjective to use. Recap here.

The last time the Reds were in Pittsburgh, this “lady friend” of Chapman’s was found tied up with linen (or cloth, but who cares) napkins and the room she was in was Chapman’s. There was also a burglary that took place. Jewelry, a computer and other “expensive” items were taken during the theft. This all transpired as Chapman was at PNC Park with his teammates and playing the Buccos.

Well, somethings have “developed” since the initial report of the incident. Seems this “lady friend” not only was married and owes another dude some money, add the following according to Deadspin. She’s being charged with filing a false report to the PGH police.

Hey, if she did lie about doing something, but wants to get off without any type of sentence and/or fine, I know the perfect attorney.

She should call Rusty Hardin.