Joey Votto broken thumb

[Tom Servo]

.280 /.400 /.640 with 3 HRs so far in 7 games since returning, this Votto can contribute in a good offensive lineup.

[GAC]

.280 /.400 /.640 with 3 HRs so far in 7 games since returning, this Votto can contribute in a good offensive lineup.

I like the fact that Votto doesn't have to be "the guy". He's surrounded/backed up with some talented bats. Seeing better pitches?

[Assembly Hall]

I like the fact that Votto doesn't have to be "the guy". He's surrounded/backed up with some talented bats. Seeing better pitches?

Or is he taking a different approach?

[GAC]

That too. That Hr he hit yesterday he went down and got. I was impressed.

[Ron Madden]

Jamie Ramsey @Jamieblog

Joey Votto is 61 hits away from 2,000; he’s 5 RBI away from 1,000. Votto collected his 300th home run on April 30. According to EliasSports, Joey would be the first player to reach all 3 of those milestones in the same season since HOF’er Billy Williams did it in 1971.

[KoryMac5]

Very emotional at the dish after hits these past few at bats since returning...seems he has found where he left his swing.

[SomeCallMeTim]

I like the fact that Votto doesn't have to be "the guy". He's surrounded/backed up with some talented bats. Seeing better pitches?

He was always the guy, it just seemed to me that he had gotten too analytical and cerebral on pitch selection and was willing to work a walk at the expense of some slugging.

I think and he’s determined to get back to see ball, hit ball. That includes turning on that first pitch fastball when it is there.

What ever the case, we almost have the band back together. Time to rock…

[Redeye fly]

He's still to me going to be a really interesting Hall of Fame case when his time comes. With my Reds colored glasses I think he gets in or sure hope so. But the lack of traditional counting stats or the time it's taken him to accumulate them hurts or hinders a bit for some voters. Williams did that when he was 33, or in his age 33 season. Votto would be doing it some 4-5 years later.

While not a slam dunk and not what voters go by necessarily, his Baseball Reference monitors and comparables basically consist of right on the edge of enshrinement and really good players who didn't get the call. Derek Lee,Andres Galarraga (through age 37 season), Lance Berkman,Fred Lynn, Magglio Ordonez, Moises Alou, those guys. Personally I think Berkman and the Big Cat were done wrong. Don't know if they're Hall of Famers, but certainly deserved more than one crack at it on the ballot. Galarraga no doubt hurt a bit by the Coors Field inflation of his stats in voter's eyes.

It's good for Votto's case that he seemingly is finding a way to hopefully produce at least some power at the tail end of his career. Some of us I think thought maybe that too was basically gone.

[RainHH]

The homer yesterday was a fantastic ab.

He crushed that pitch, dropped the bat head and made them pay.

The elevated stance and seemingly more aggressive approach is working well.

He’s too strong of a hitter to slg .420.

[Ron Madden]

Jeremy Rauch
@FOX19Jeremy
Tucker Barnhart: "Joey (Votto) is the heartbeat of this team...seeing Joey fired up like that is so awesome."