Votto....

[bengaldoug]

Has finally rediscovered his power stroke. When he goes out the front door as he did today in the ninth, he's totally locked in. Could be some awesome days coming in the next few weeks.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Votto is in the zone

 

[Ryanballa]

I have been saying all along Votto will be back and that he will be the MVP this season. The guy was on base 6 times today,WOW!!!!

 

[redsfan03]

Announcers said that when he swings at the first strike he sees, he's hitting .500

That was one of the major problems he was having earlier in the season. Pitchers were throwing him a ton of junk so he naturally took a lot of pitches. Some of the pitches that he was taking earlier were juiceballs. I think he has changed his plate approach to be a little more aggressive. It's great to see Votto hitting home runs again.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[HammerDown]

 

[HammerDown]

Giambi passed Cal Ripken on the career HR list but round 1 of the Battle of Ohio goes to the Reds.

 

[bengaldoug]

Votto's as locked in as he gets. Bad news for the rest of baseball's pitchers.

 

[RobToxin]

I like Votto. That's awesome for him.

 

[JohnU]

I find it interesting that when Votto looks bad, he takes it seriously. You could tell after he had a couple of bad ABs that he was really thinking about what he was doing wrong.

 

[pursifull14]

I can't think of a better player to give $20mil a year for 10 years than Joey Votto. He hasn't let it go to his head. It also appears that since he stayed with the same team the pressure isn't quite the same as going to a new, big market team like pujols and hamilton did. I must admit, I love seeing pujols struggle after he ran to the highest bidder.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Votto also might have an "advantage" Pujols and Hamilton might not...he might not be a muscle bound ex- roider with connective tissue starting to break down at 30 years old. Not being accusatory, but it's not my first rodeo, either... I've seen hitters and horses, and Votto is more hitter than horse... the others, well, the rumor is that the only rousers that fail tests these days are guys with big contracts based on what they used to do, that suddenly become .240 hitters with absentee issues. Ask Manny and A-Rod.

 

[redsfan03]

I don't think Hamilton ever did roids. I think he's just a complete head case who has no idea how to tackle the mental aspects of the game. He's an even more erratic Jay Bruce, and his problem is that he'll blame everything except himself.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if Pujols was a roider. The ball rarely jumped off his bat, which means his home runs relied on brute strength to carry beyond the fence. His massive arms always made me wonder...Personality-wise, he doesn't really seem like the type, though, so I may be grasping at straws.

 

[JohnU]

If steroids didn't exist, I would never suspect Pujols. I honestly don't much care anymore about him since his performance since he left St. Louis has been pretty ordinary for his stature. He has lost that "one of the greatest" labels despite his numbers.

With Hamilton, I think he had two career years in a row. He's a 25-30 guy with an OBP around .380. Nice to have in a balanced lineup. Probably not a good fit for the Angels. Sorry about that. They aren't dead yet, though.

 

[Redsfan1507]

IMO, about 80 % of pro players within the last 10 years used some type of PED, many started as ametuers or low minor leaguers, and still continue today, at a somewhat lower rate... they just seek harder to find HGH and or mire expensive and expansive masking/doping techniques when they start drawing bigger MLB checks. Pujols had a cameo mention in the Mitchell report. Anyone that will put cocaine, meth and heroin in their body, will take PEDs, especially after losing 60 lbs in the gutter, and trying for a comeback-Hamilton has all the characteristics of at least a previous user.

I'm not making indictments on players, I understand most felt they had to do what it took to be competitive with PED users. I blame MLB, specifically Bud Selig, for not only looking the other way for 25 years, but for still presenting such a token, weak excuse for a resolution today. I think it's stained the game forever. It makes true stars look lessened, and perpetuates that anything is ok as long as it means a financial benefit- to players and MLB. It's been a sell out, and a much wider conspiracy of silence than anyone had admitted to in MLB. The fact that Selig STILL has a job, is an abomination.

 

[HammerDown]

Votto out of Legos.

 

[JohnU]

This Legos thing takes fan worship to the level of perversion.

I would wonder if this person has a velvet Elvis in the living room.

 

[chico ruiz]

yes john, but there's the rub. image building. new & different. "the face of baseball 2013." and the previous 1507 & hammerdown posts are the perfect juxtaposition. mlb desperately wants to get past the negative PED use and the subsequent persistent lies that have accompanied it. sorry cardinal fans, but the modern day stan musial plays first base for the cincinnati reds.

 

[chico ruiz]

disseminating via various social medias the votto lego thing is a microcosm of exactly what mlb wants.

 

[JohnU]

I am not alien to the concept. If you asked a million kids in a McDonald's today who the best player in baseball is, not many of them would say Alex Rodriguez.