Tag: Joey Votto

Joey Votto announcing his retirement from the MLB after 17 seasons inspired adoring tributes from fans

One of the great baseball players of his generation has retired.

Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto officially retired after 17 seasons on Wednesday evening, closing the book on one of the great MLB careers of his generation.

“Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you,” Votto said in an Instagram post announcing his retirement. “I love you.”

After joining the franchise in 2007, Votto made six MLB All-Star Games and was named the NL MVP in 2010. He also earned the Hank Aaron Award for the NL in 2010 and a Gold Glove Award in 2011.

Votto will go down as one of the great Cincinnati baseball players, and fans paid tribute to the Reds great as he leaves the baseball diamond for good.

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The 20 top selling MLB jerseys in 2023

Which player topped the list of MLB jersey sales in 2023?

When the calendar flips to October, it means one thing for many sports fans: playoff baseball.

Major League Baseball’s postseason is in full swing. It’s once again time for history to be written on the diamond and showcase the game’s biggest stars shining their brightest.

At the end of every regular season, the MLB releases the top-selling jerseys from that season.

Unsurprisingly, the list contains plenty of playoff contenders, a multitude of MVP candidates and simply some of the best baseball players on the planet

Check out the full list below, and grab a jersey to support your favorite player as the remaining lucky few march on towards the 2023 World Series.

Joey Votto delivered an all-time hilarious rant at Mad Dog Russo and his ‘Broadway hair’

This is so perfect and funny.

Joey Votto is truly the best.

The Cincinnati Reds first baseman who gives us perfect James Harden GIFs, who loves watching Reds games from the stands when he’s not playing and who’s so good on TikTok, decided to go on MLB Network’s High Heat and go off — in a funny way — on Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

Russo apparently didn’t think Votto and Zack Greinke were a Hall of Fame players — he thought they were Hall of Very Good — and Votto decided to rant in response.

“I know what you’re doing,” Votto said, as Russo smirked. “You’re looking down on us! A couple small-market, Midwest ball players, just because we’re not big city just like you, Mr. New York City, Sirius XM Radio star, Mr. national television, ESPN star, with your Fifth Avenue ties and your crisp pocket squares, your tailored suits and your polished shoes. And your hair! Your perfectly coiffed, Broadway hair. Must be nice to sit atop that Madison Avenue ivory tower, looking down on us with those luscious locks. Not everyone can be the next Roger Peckinpaugh, Mad Dog! You should be ashamed of yourself! You’re a disgrace!”

MORE: MLB mascots, ranked worst to best

Perfect. Just perfect.

Former Duck Spencer Steer is a driving force behind Reds’ 2023 success

Cincinnati has given former Duck Spencer Steer a chance to play every day and he’s making the most out of his opportunity.

It wasn’t a trade that made many headlines last summer, but now the Tyler Mahle-for-Spencer Steer transaction between Minnesota and Cincinnati changed the direction of a division.

Steer, who played third base for the Ducks from 2017-19, was a prospect in the Twins organization before being trade to the Reds in 2022 for Mahle. Minnesota needed another starter in their bid to win the AL Central. In exchange for Mahle, the Twins handed over Steer who was having an okay minor league career.

But Steer’s chance of making the Twins’ big league roster was going to come later rather than sooner. Cincinnati, who was thought to be in the midst of rebuilding, made Steer a regular in the Reds lineup and he has never looked back.

Playing nearly every day in 2023, Steer has hit .287 with 14 home runs and 51 runs batted in. Steer began the season at first base for an injured Joey Votto, but he has also seen time at third, left field, and as the designated hitter.

Cincinnati is currently in first place in the National League Central Division with a 50-40 record, two games in front of the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.

As for the other part of the trade, Mahle got hurt in late April and hasn’t pitched since for the Twins. Steer may have been “the other guy” when this trade was made, but without Steer, Cincinnati may still be in a rebuilding mode instead of playing for a post-season spot for the first time since 2020.

Joey Votto channeled the famous James Harden reaction GIF with a fantastic interview answer

This reaction looked just like James Harden’s eyeroll GIF.

You know the GIF that you’ve seen everywhere: It’s James Harden doing an eyeroll at a reporter before walking away without saying another word, one of the all-time best reaction GIFs in internet history.

Well, we’ve got another, EXTREMLY similar reaction GIF thanks to Joey Votto. The Cincinnati Reds first baseman — who is just the best for so many reasons — finally returned from injury to join the lineup on Monday, and he hit a home run. Again, he’s the best.

When asked after the game if there was any doubt he could return and “do this” — play at a high level, I assume, he delivered a Harden-esque answer:

Joey Votto will snap his 14-year Opening Day streak after being placed on injured reserve

Recovering from shoulder surgery will keep Joey Votto out of the Reds’ Opening Day lineup.

The Cincinnati Reds’ 2023 Opening Day lineup will be missing a key name for the first time in over a decade.

On Monday, Joey Votto announced that he will be missing Reds’ Opening Day to continue rehab on his shoulder. Instead, Votto will be on rehab assignment in Triple-A, with April 6 the earliest he could return to MLB play.

MORE: Ranking all 30 MLB teams in 2023, from least to most watchable

The injury will take Votto out of the Reds’ Opening Day lineup for the first time in 14-years, snapping the second-longest streak in club history. Votto had surgery on his rotator cuff and biceps in his left shoulder last August, surgery which ended his 2022 campaign with Cincinnati.

“It saddens me because Opening Day means a lot to our city. It means a lot to me,” Votto said to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “This is just how it is shaking out this year. I’m trying to hustle back and get back in uniform as quickly as possible and help the team. It’s just going to be a little bit later this year.”

Here’s hoping Votto returns to Cincinnati’s lineup in short order!

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Joey Votto watched Wednesday’s Reds game from the stands and fans loved it

More players should be like Joey Votto.

Joey Votto is a man of the people — there’s no denying that.

With the Reds first baseman out for the season with a torn rotator cuff, he’s basically refused to spend his time off away from the team. Between giving announcing a try and just being a presence in the clubhouse, Votto has been all around Great American Ball Park. And on Wednesday, he was literally all around the ballpark.

The Reds broadcast got word that Votto was watching the game from the stands. And we saw as Votto, wearing an old-school Barry Larkin jersey, roamed around the stadium to meet fans, sign autographs and give young fans some lasting memories from the game.

That’s just so cool.

Votto, of course, joked about his beard once his night at the ballpark went viral.

But fans loved the gesture from the injured star. It’s been a rough season for the Reds, and Votto turned an otherwise meaningless game into a great experience for Reds fans.

7 best bets on the Field of Dreams Game between the Cubs and Reds (fade the NRFI)

Two bad teams, one grand stage and plenty of opportunities to cash some bets.

Baseball is back in Iowa.

The 2022 MLB Field of Dreams Game—easily one of the coolest things the league has done in decades—is ready to play ball in the middle of the cornfields once again. After an epic inaugural event between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees ended with Tim Anderson’s storybook walk-off homer, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will try to provide the elusive Hollywood sequel that proves better than the original.

It won’t be easy. The Cubs (-1.5) and Reds (-115 ML) are each 20 games under .500. The name recognition among players on either side is relatively minimal compared to last year’s game.

Still, the spectacle of it all will be hard to turn away from. And if we’re going to watch this game, we’re certainly going to bet on it.

Here are seven of the wagers we feel most confident on. Best of luck tailing.

Odds via Tipico

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Joey Votto’s heartfelt thread on why the ‘Field of Dreams’ game means so much to him will have you in your feels

Joey Votto’s touching story will make you want to watch him in the ‘Field of Dreams’ game even more

You won’t find too many people out there who don’t think Major League Baseball’s “Field of Dreams” game is insanely cool.

It’s based on the 1989 film and you get a nostalgia hit from just watching it. Whether it’s the OG uniforms the teams are wearing or the legit cornfield in the backdrop. everything about it just feels so poetic. It’s just beautiful. It takes you back to that place you were as a kid again.

It means a lot for most players to play in this game, but Joey Votto explained exactly why it means so much to him. He got very personal and it was so touching.

Votto explained that he grew up on this movie. It’s what sparked the drive for him to be where he is today. He also explained how it connects him to his father, who he lost more than 14 years ago.

I’ll let him explain the rest.

That’s good stuff from Votto, man. Very touching. Almost feels like someone is peeling onions in the crib right now. Sheesh.

Fans appreciated this story so much from him.

Watch our sneaker unboxing series, Special Delivery 

Why the Reds have Joey Votto’s TikTok to thank for 9th inning rally over Yankees

Budding TikTok star Joey Votto needs to post more.

The Cincinnati Reds are in competition for the worst team in baseball. Only two teams — the Nationals and Athletics — have fewer wins than Cincinnati’s 33.

However, after rallying from a 3-0 hole in the ninth inning Tuesday against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors, the Reds are on a season-long five-game winning streak. And they might have budding TikTok star Joey Votto to thank for that.

The Reds don’t win a lot, but they’re undefeated when Votto posts to TikTok. After last night’s win, they’re 4-0 in games after he posts to the social media platform.

Bettors, take note.

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