Joey Votto reveals why his Reds' legacy is complicated

When Joey Votto began his career with the Cincinnati Reds, few ever believed the former catcher turned first baseman would become a six-time All-Star, Gold Glove Award-winner, and National League Most Valuable Player. Votto is one of the most accomplished players in Reds history, and yet his legacy is somewhat complicated.

Votto ranks alongside the greatest Reds players of all-time, right up there with the likes of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Barry Larkin. Votto is among the top-5 in team history in numerous categories, including base hits, home runs, RBI, and of course, walks.

But there's one thing missing from Votto's résumé that the other Reds' greats possess — a World Series championship. Moreover, during Votto's Reds tenure, the team never even won a playoff series. The lack of postseason success is something of a stain on his Reds' legacy, and Votto knows it.

Former Reds' All-Star Joey Votto and LA Angels' outfielder Mike Trout have something in common

Votto recently appeared on an episode of The Dan Patrick Show to discuss the upcoming World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. The radio host asked Votto a variety of questions, and among them was the legacy of Mike Trout. That spurred Votto to consider his own career; one that lacks a playoff series win.

Patrick spoke of Shohei Ohtani celebrating a trip to the World Series and reflected on the career of Trout. Until more recently, the Los Angeles Angels star had been the best player in the game for nearly a decade, and yet never won a playoff series. Trout has appeared in just one postseason series and went 1-for-14 during an ALDS loss to the Kansas City Royals in 2014.

Votto then compared Trout's career in LA to his in Cincinnati. The former Reds' star said, "For Mike Trout, he is dedicated to that organization and that's the give and take of attaching yourself at the hip with an organization. You know, if you have the good fortune of being inside a window of winning with an organization, it gets tied to your legacy, and the inverse is the same."

Votto continued, "As someone that played for one organization who had maybe five, eight-ish playoff games, I did not win a playoff series. That's part of my relationship with the fans of Cincinnati." Fair or not, Votto's on point with this evaluation. Votto hit .244/.319/.244 in four postseason series that spanned 11 total games.

Joey Votto's career with the Reds is unfortunately tied to the lack of postseason success

As Votto's career came to a close, he became a polarizing player. A number of fans remember the good times when Votto was continually going to All-Star Games and was viewed as a top-20 player in the sport. But others saw the declining superstar who was being paid $25 million per year only to watch the Reds finish at or below .500 year after year.

Votto's legacy in Cincinnati will always be tied to the team's lack of success, and that's unfortunate. But Votto will also be remembered for his individual successes as well, and it may well help him land a spot in Cooperstown in the future.

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