LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- I do not remember the date, the opponent or the final score. All I remember is the Cincinnati Reds had this terrific first-base prospect parked in Louisville and that sharp baseball people were talking about his crisp left-handed batting stroke.
The kid's name was Joey Votto.
He was 23 years old and had burned through Class AA Chattanooga with 46 doubles, two triples and 22 home runs. One day, like today, people would debate whether Votto earned his spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even in 2007, they said Votto was a hitting savant.
I lined up my interview and went to Louisville Slugger Field to watch him work. And work he did. Votto had at least two hits, maybe three, including a double.
After the game, I walked from the press box down to the clubhouse level, waiting for word that Votto was ready to speak. Instead, I was met with a request: Would I be willing to wait 20 minutes? Votto had work to finish.
Sure. I guess. Why not?
Work? Minutes later, Votto and a hitting coach emerged from the clubhouse. They took a left turn toward the batting cages parked underneath the third-base grandstand.
For at least 20 minutes, the perfectionist player and accommodating coach fine-tuned Votto's swing.
He hit balls off a tee. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! There was a round of soft toss. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Back to the tee. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
Eventually, Votto was satisfied. He waved me toward the dugout where we sat and talked. He apologized for making me wait but said that he was troubled by the way he hit the ball that afternoon.
But you had several hits, Joey?
Votto shook his head. The hits did not matter. What mattered was Votto was convinced he was not squarely connecting with the baseball.
That needed to be addressed. So Votto addressed it.
That, of course, is how you launch yourself into a 17-season major-league career lined with 2,135 hits, 1,144 runs batted in, six appearances in the All-Star game and the 2010 National League Most Valuable Player award.
On Wednesday, news came that Votto, a Cincinnati Reds icon, was officially retiring from baseball. He had not played in the big leagues since he struck out against Cardinals' right-hander Miles Mikolas in the first inning of a game in St. Louis last Oct. 1.
The Reds moved on. A native of Canada, Votto signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he played in 31 games at three levels of the minors this season. Even extra time in the batting cage could not reverse the clock. Now 40, Votto was done.
Now, one question remains: Will he make it to Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum?
If it happens, one interesting footnote should be added to the Votto bio: He'll be the first prospect inducted to the Hall who was launched into the big leagues after spending a season in Louisville since minor-league baseball returned in 1982.
I checked with Greg Galiette, president of the Louisville Bats. No homegrown players from the Cardinals (16 seasons), Brewers (two seasons) or Reds (this is season 25) has made the Hall.
Will Votto?
It's a sizzling topic in baseball media. But the reasonable answer is yes, he will.
Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com wrote that he believes Votto will be inducted but not on the first ballot. In fact, Snyder said that would include Votto on his Hall ballot.
MLB.com polled eight of its correspondents. Votto went 8/8.
Joe Posnanski, the best-selling author of multiple baseball books, wrote that Votto was a "hitting genius" as well as one of 29 MLB players with 8,000 plate appearances and an on-base percentage of .400 or better. Of those 29, all but Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez and Votto are not in the Hall — and nobody has suggested Votto dabbled in performance-enhancing drugs.
No, he did not finish his career with 3,000 hits. Yes, his career batting average slipped below .300 (to .294) because of two sub-par seasons at the end of hit career. No, he was not a crushing power hitter at a position (first base) where most teams demand guys who can rattle the fences.
But Votto was the perfect player for the new age of baseball statistics. Look past the batting average to on-base percentage.
His career on-base percentage (.409) is considerably better than Pete Rose (.375), Tony Perez (.341), Johnny Bench (.342), Joe Morgan (.392) or Dave Concepcion (.322), five members of the Big Red Machine.
Votto led the National League in walks five times and in on-base percentage seven times. Some criticized him because he was too selective in the batter's box, content to walk when the Reds needed an extra-base hit.
Votto was Votto. He was determined not to swing at anything outside of his comfort zone. In an era where so many players chase home runs and are saddled with strikeouts, Votto concentrated on getting on base.
The Hall of Fame projective statistics at BaseballReference.com rate Votto as a player who would be an average addition to the Hall of Fame. His case will be helped because Votto spent his entire career with the Reds, where he finished in the top 10 in the National League in Wins Above Replacement value (WAR) six times.
Others might not vote for him as soon as he becomes eligible in five years because of his lack of counting stats or success in the postseason. Votto did his best work on many bad Reds teams. In 11 postseason games, Votto hit .244 without an extra-base hit while driving in one run.
But like Posnanski wrote, Votto was a hitting genius — who parked himself in the batting cage and worked relentlessly at Slugger Field to put himself on the path to Cooperstown.
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