Joey Votto and the pop up

[texasdave]

Light-hearted read about Joey Votto and a possible pop up.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-j...-technicality/

[RedEye]

Light-hearted read about Joey Votto and a possible pop up.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-j...-technicality/

Saw this awhile back and loved it.

[KYRedLeg]

From the article, I think this needs to become the standard response to some of the questions asked on here.

[RichRed]

"Hey Joey, you need to expand your strike zone more with runners on base. You get paid to drive in runs, not walk! Also, what's your favorite fancy coffee?"

From the article, I think this needs to become the standard response to some of the questions asked on here.

[_Sir_Charles_]

That reaction is priceless. :O)

[Unassisted]

If you liked that, you'll enjoy reading this FG story from the same date about Dioner Navarro crediting Votto for his improved hitting in Chicago.

[Jamz]

This article is quite nice also:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/joey-votto-on-hitting/

[Mitri]

Loved this piece. And the .gif is priceless.

This Votto guy is all kinds of fun to watch/analyze/ponder. I hope we all appreciate how lucky we are as a fanbase to have the dude on the team we root for

[drowg14]

This article is quite nice also:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/joey-votto-on-hitting/

I prefer this one:

http://www.fangraphs.com/not/hitting-on-joey-votto/

[Natty Redlocks]

I prefer this one:

http://www.fangraphs.com/not/hitting-on-joey-votto/

I prefer the hilarious remark in the comment section -- "No matter how hard she tries, she can't get him to pop up" -- classic.

[BCubb2003]

A commenter in the first link said that when Billy Hamilton was playing shortstop, he once caught a ball on the warning track. Has anybody else heard of that? I suppose a high, wind-blown ball and Hamilton's speed might make it possible.

[RedEye]

A commenter in the first link said that when Billy Hamilton was playing shortstop, he once caught a ball on the warning track. Has anybody else heard of that? I suppose a high, wind-blown ball and Hamilton's speed might make it possible.

Yeah, I've heard that story several times. I think it actually is true.

[Big Klu]

A commenter in the first link said that when Billy Hamilton was playing shortstop, he once caught a ball on the warning track. Has anybody else heard of that? I suppose a high, wind-blown ball and Hamilton's speed might make it possible.

The story I heard was that is was during a minor-league Spring Training game. The LF lost the ball in the sun, and Hamilton raced back and called him off.

[klw]

A commenter in the first link said that when Billy Hamilton was playing shortstop, he once caught a ball on the warning track. Has anybody else heard of that? I suppose a high, wind-blown ball and Hamilton's speed might make it possible.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2WDMhVZme

The most unbelievable thing DeShields saw Billy do happened last year during spring training. "There was a ball hit to deep to leftfield, and the leftfielder throws his hands up because he's lost the ball in the sun," says DeShields. "I'm watching the ball, and thinking, This is trouble, and out of nowhere, I see this white flash, and I see that it's Billy, and he's running full speed. He ends up diving, laying out completely, and makes the catch at the warning track in leftfield. It was ridiculous. There isn't a player out there who would have caught that ball."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/sp...anted=all&_r=0

Tales of Hamilton’s incredible speed are collected and passed around the lower levels of the game the way folks used to tell stories of the great Negro leagues speedster Cool Papa Bell, who was said to be so fast he could hit a grounder through the box and be hit by the ball as he slid into second base.

In Bakersfield, Calif., Hamilton scored on a sacrifice fly — to the second baseman. He also scored from third when the catcher threw to first to complete a strikeout. In high school, Hamilton once made a fine running catch on the warning track. Not so unusual, except he was playing shortstop at the time.

http://www.howtorunfasternow.com/spo...illy-hamilton/

Delino DeShields, a former big-leaguer and manager of Hamilton’s rookie team in Billings, Montana, told a story of a pop-up to the left fielder who promptly lost the ball in the sun. Out of nowhere, Hamilton dives and catches the ball at the warning track, IN LEFT FIELD. No other player could have done that. DeShields had seen all the fast players before – Otis Nixon, Deion Sanders, Vince Coleman – but he had never seen a play like that before.

Dusty Hillman, his high school coach, tells a story of a ball that was hit in the gap in right field between the center fielder, right fielder, and second baseman. Hillman thought it would be a sure double, but out of nowhere Hamilton runs in from his shortstop position to make an over the shoulder catch. He ran full speed to get to it.

[jhiller21]

There was something on Wednesday's telecast about how Votto has one foul ball to the right infield seats in the last three years. That's insane.