What can't be known is where he would be if he hadn't gone back to the indisputably weird stuff that wasn't working for him the first four months of last year.
We know he'll never see an 0.800 OPS again. But I don't think it was out of the realm of possibility that he could still hit 0.750.
However, with Suarez taking the year off, it wouldn't have been enough. And it's probably a good thing in that there is no denying the stark reality.
Votto must be replaced. ASAP.
Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement. --- Shunryu Suzuki-roshi
TheBigLebowski (08-26-2020)
It's not a matter of forgetting how to hit. It's a matter of aging. Eyesight isn't as good, reflexes aren't as good, his body has accumulated wear and tear. He can work out like a demon and look like a physical specimen, but the eyes, the damage and the reflexes are still eroding. It happens to everybody. Some guys are lucky enough to maintain into their 40s. Other lose it at 30. I don't think you can really predict it, but expecting a guy to maintain his skills past age 35 is a bad bet.Originally Posted by Stray
I agree with your general point though. He may not be completely done and it may be a funk. A day or two off and a drop in the line-up makes sense. I still wonder about his back. He mentioned it a couple times last year and when he stopped choking up and swinging freely, he started to hit. Was it the back that was restricting him and when the pain eased he started hitting? He hasn't specifically said, but he did talk about his back during the time he was taking all those half swings. He's taking the half swings again. does that mean the back is hurting again? I don't think Votto would use that as an excuse, so we may never really know.
Last edited by mth123; 08-26-2020 at 06:25 AM.
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
Seems like everyday Votto makes a key error. -0.8WAR and -0.6dWAR after last night.
Last edited by DocRed; 08-26-2020 at 09:09 AM.
I wouldn't discount this weird season messing with him either.
Just looking at my fantasy team, he's not the only star having issues right now. Gleyber Torres and Kris Bryant both started off terrible and then went to the IL. Francisco Lindor is finally hitting above 250 just after the last week. And Jose Altuve is still hitting around the Mendoza line. As is Christian Yelich. Willson Contreras is hitting well below his norms too.
Last edited by podgejeff_; 08-26-2020 at 09:14 AM.
BoxingRed (08-26-2020)
This is what Votto should be doing at the plate. his stance and hands higher.. looks more fluid at the plate.. 2016!
Gawd no. And it's .321 now.
Can we suggest moving Suarez to 1b and Senzel to 3b or Moose to 3B Suarez to 1b and Senzel to 2b. Asking for a friend
Can we play 2 DH's?
Senzel is an outfielder now, the move is Winkler to first if they are looking to replace Votto.
When I see the 2016 Reds, I see a 100 loss team and no direction.
DocRed (08-26-2020),Old school 1983 (08-26-2020),Revering4Blue (08-26-2020)
It's not the way he holds a bat. It's not his head. It's not the shift they execute. It's just that he's getting old. Dale Murphy was one of the best players in the world, and by age 34 he was pretty much finished. He lingered a few years, but it didn't get better. Every player ages at their own pace. It's life. As Joe Posnanski has eloquently stated: From 1980 to 1987 — eight seasons — Murphy hit .284/.374/.517 with 264 homers. He won two MVP Award and five Gold Gloves, and while he was probably not the best player in baseball (Rickey Henderson and Mike Schmidt were pretty far and away the best) he was just a notch below and right there with Gary Carter and Robin Yount and George Brett and Andre Dawson and Tim Raines and other Hall of Famers. He posted 42 wins above replacement in those eight seasons; had he found another 18 or so WAR in the rest of his career, he would have likely been a slam dunk Hall of Famer.*Those eight years were more or less all that Murphy had, though. He did hit 20-plus homers in five other seasons, but his batting average was so low in those years, he struck out so much, that he didn’t really add all that much overall value. Murph was a big man, and he played more than 1,000 games in centerfield after coming up as a catcher. His body just wore down too quickly. He became a terrific player at 24, stopped being a terrific player at 32, and Hall of Fame standards are unforgiving.
If Votto performance or lack thereof was just this year could be considered an abberation it would be one thing but this is a 3 year slide to what you see now which is painful to behold!
What's your email address? I can't find it anywhere.
DocRed (08-26-2020)
I’m curious about how Votto will take this situation. He’s proud and self-critical, with high standards. Will he retire before it gets worse? Or will he always convince himself that there’s one more thing he needs to do to get right?
I wonder if he gets a day off today to cool down a bit? Probably not with a RHP but who knows.
The Fonz has too much range to be limited to 1B.
“The crows seem to be calling my name,” thought Caw.
DocRed (08-26-2020),Edd Roush (08-27-2020),Old school 1983 (08-26-2020),Revering4Blue (08-26-2020),Roy Tucker (08-26-2020)
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