Joey Votto - 'I want every single RBI, every single run'

[Dom Heffner]

I did the radio, and then the AZ TV feed.

The fact that the Reds own employees seem to want to beat this subject like a piñata on the airwaves is perhaps the weakest thing in a run of of good baseball in a town that claims it treasures good baseball.

Fire needs oxygen to burn and the announcers seem to be intent on providing that, damn shame and downright bush.

Bizarre, isnt it?

They love to run their best out of town and embrace the average.

[traderumor]

I think Brantley is the instigator here, with the Brenneman's serving as his lackeys. I have heard Welsh providing some rebuttals recently. He mentioned the other night that many have realized that RBI as a measure is not useful, similar to win/loss totals not showing much, relative to performance,

[Always Red]

Bizarre, isnt it?

They love to run their best out of town and embrace the average.

Paul Daugherty especially wages class war constantly. It's how he gets "the little guy, the blue collar worker" on his side. As soon as Votto signed that contract, he became "the enemy" somehow. Not a guy that someone who prides himself on smoking swisher sweets, and drinking keystone light (and making fun of you if you prefer something else) could ever pull for.

How many times this year alone has Marty said "he's not paid to walk."

Well, I think he is paid to walk, among other things. He's paid to keep being Joey Votto, because if the Reds didn't want to pay him to keep being Joey Votto, there were plenty of other teams willing to pay for his walks and selectivity at the plate. The Reds didn't pay him to become something he's not, but to keep doing what he had been doing.

[wally post]

I wonder to what degree us Redszone members feel about this. I'd be into a petition written to the announcing team requesting that they step down from this point of view.

The sad part is, I think it is a part of Cincinnati culture to knock down their own. I wish I was wrong but after growing up in Cincinnati, I've lived in other baseball towns and never seen this kind of thing. NY Mets for one example and the Dodgers for another (when they were not good)

[Roy Tucker]

There is a small, vocal minority of Reds fans and media members who do not deserve the watch the game that Votto brings.

By no means am I defending them, but its not so much of a minority. Y'all act like RZ represents the sum total of Reds fans. I hate to break the news, but it ain't so.

About anywhere I go besides here and talk Reds, I'm viewed as a moneyball luvin' quiche-eating propellerhead. Maybe I need new friends.

[Larkin Fan]

Bizarre, isnt it?

They love to run their best out of town and embrace the average.

It's been the same story for years.

Adam Dunn, Barry Larkin, Junior, Eric Davis. The list goes on and on for Marty's favorite whipping boy.

[BCubb2003]

It was that way with Joe DiMaggio in New York and Ted Williams in Boston, if you can believe it. I just wish the complaints about Votto weren't so passive-aggressive. Say what you mean and own it.

[RedTeamGo!]

Welp, Mark Sheldon has now lost all of my respect as a baseball writer. He just stated Brandon Phillips is more important to the Reds than Votto this season. The reasons are because when Phillips is in a slump the reds are worse than when he is playing well, the same is not true with Votto (no evidence provided) and that Phillips saves more runs on defense (Votto has a DRS of 6 and Phillips has a DRS of 2). It is amazing to me that people actually get paid to do such little research before formulating opinions.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Welp, Mark Sheldon has now lost all of my respect as a baseball writer. He just stated Brandon Phillips is more important to the Reds than Votto this season. The reasons are because when Phillips is in a slump the reds are worse than when he is playing well, the same is not true with Votto (no evidence provided) and that Phillips saves more runs on defense (Votto has a DRS of 6 and Phillips has a DRS of 2). It is amazing to me that people actually get paid to do such little research before formulating opinions.

I love BP, but this is getting ridiculous. He's having his worst season as a Red offensively.

[RadfordVA]

Welp, Mark Sheldon has now lost all of my respect as a baseball writer. He just stated Brandon Phillips is more important to the Reds than Votto this season. The reasons are because when Phillips is in a slump the reds are worse than when he is playing well, the same is not true with Votto (no evidence provided) and that Phillips saves more runs on defense (Votto has a DRS of 6 and Phillips has a DRS of 2). It is amazing to me that people actually get paid to do such little research before formulating opinions.

In fairness Sheldon's job is just to cover the team on a news reporting basis. Not his opinions. It was just a tweet directed to MLBnetwork so not something in his stories. If anyone is paying attention to his opinions on baseball players values that is on them.

[NebraskaRed]

Some of these people (Sheldon included, apparently) are creating this false dichotomy between what they perceive - key word, perceive - Votto is doing, and what they perceive Phillips is doing. In their minds this is creating a false either/or choice that limits their thinking beyond "this player has more RBIs than this other player, therefore I choose him."

It's really, really shallow thinking on their part.

[RedTeamGo!]

I disagree - He writes about the Reds for mlb.com, it bothers me that Votto is getting so much negative publicity when he is having a good season. This is just more fuel to the growing fire lit under Votto, it has gotten to the point where he actually came out and defended himself today. This is going entirely too far, and it starts at home.

[Dom Heffner]

Paul Daugherty especially wages class war constantly. It's how he gets "the little guy, the blue collar worker" on his side. As soon as Votto signed that contract, he became "the enemy" somehow. Not a guy that someone who prides himself on smoking swisher sweets, and drinking keystone light (and making fun of you if you prefer something else) could ever pull for.

How many times this year alone has Marty said "he's not paid to walk."
Well, I think he is paid to walk, among other things. He's paid to keep being Joey Votto, because if the Reds didn't want to pay him to keep being Joey Votto, there were plenty of other teams willing to pay for his walks and selectivity at the plate. The Reds didn't pay him to become something he's not, but to keep doing what he had been doing.

I wonder if Marty- who constantly tells us how much baseball he's watched so he knows more than anybody- has ever looked at the league average for pitches swung at outside of the strike zone?

What wholly frustrates me is the fact that Marty Brennaman can't figure out that leading the league in walks isn't something you can do if you can't hit.

Why pitch to Joey Votto if you have a guy whose OPS is below league average and 200 points lower than Votto's right behind him?

What's part of Votto's job is to not make outs, yes. It is to not swing at bad pitches, yes. If we get more walks and less RBI's out of that combination, then so be it.

This whole it's Joey Votto's fault is mind numbingly stupid, considering he's the second best hitter in baseball over the past two-three years. Better than Mike Trout.

I get disappointed in my hometown, or at least these media mouthpieces like Brennaman and Daugherty. What the town should be asking Marty is, how can you watch that much baseball and not learn anything?

[Larkin Fan]

I disagree - He writes about the Reds for mlb.com, it bothers me that Votto is getting so much negative publicity when he is having a good season. This is just more fuel to the growing fire lit under Votto, it has gotten to the point where he actually came out and defended himself today. This is going entirely too far, and it starts at home.

I completely agree. He shouldn't have to defend his approach. It's the same approach that he's been using his entire career and it's the exact same approach that earned him the contract that he signed.

Brandon Phillips has been one of my favorite Reds throughout his tenure here in Cincinnati. However, anyone that looks at the situation objectively will see that aside from the 92 RBIs that he has, he is having a horrible season offensively. It's his worst to date on so many levels. A .728 OPS does not make an MVP. No way, no how. If some want to judge his season on the number of RBIs that he has, they need to first acknowledge the fact that he's only driven himself in 15 times (15 HRs) and the other 77 RBI opportunities were created by his teammates setting the table for him by getting on base. Something that Votto does masterfully.

[Tom Servo]

IIf some want to judge his season on the number of RBIs that he has, they need to first acknowledge the fact that he's only driven himself in 15 times (15 HRs) and the other 77 RBI opportunities were created by his teammates setting the table for him by getting on base.

It's plain as day but just "in one ear out the other" to those looking to bash Votto.