Cincinnati Reds first baseman’s experience

Joey Votto was reflecting on his 2,000th career hit, what it meant to him and how long he saw that as a realistic goal. But then on Monday night, the Cincinnati Reds first baseman went on a tangent.

“My very first hit, it doesn't exist,” Votto said. “Maris, he passed away last year, he was a young dog and I just wanted him (to be) happy. And maybe it wasn't a good thing to give him. I don't know if you should be giving dogs baseballs, but I did at the time.”

When Votto gave Maris the ball from that first hit, Maris loved it. Votto had got that first hit a few years earlier, but one day he wanted to give Maris something to chew and something to play with.

Maris, a retriever mix he got at a Kentucky shelter in 2010, got the ball. It was only one of the dozens of pieces of memorabilia Votto has earned during his 15-year MLB career.

Votto has experienced everything with the Reds. First hits. Playoff chases. A contract extension. Six years of losing in the mid-2010s, and he counted the years on Monday between 2014 and 2019 just to make sure he remembered it right. 

Votto became the fifth player in Reds history to get 2,000 hits with the team during Monday night’s 14-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. He joined Pete Rose, Barry Larkin, Dave Concepcion and Johnny Bench.

Votto has reached career milestones in home runs, RBI and hits this season. And he also homered in seven straight games. Even during the mid-2010s, Votto never had so many moments like this crowded together. 

“I appreciate some of the attention and the accolades, but I typically shy away from it,” Votto said. “I have felt in 2021 that I’ve received a lot of attention this year with all of the different milestones. It’s not typically my style.”

Since Votto won the NL MVP in 2010, he has always been at the front and center of the Reds. His three-story high banner has hung on the side of the team’s pro shop for years. 

With all that, expectation followed.

“I signed a really big contract 10 years ago and my No. 1 priority was living up to that,” Votto said. “Making sure that the Reds and the ownership group was really satisfied with my performance, the fanbase is satisfied with my performance. That’s my No. 1 priority and I still feel that way. Each and every day, I think about the importance of earning my paycheck and playing well.”

Votto signed that deal in April, 2012, and then he led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances. He continued to be one of the best hitters in baseball. In 2015, he finished 3rd in NL MVP voting. In 2016, he finished seventh. In 2017, he finished in second.

But after 2017, Votto didn’t hit at the same high level. In both 2018 and 2019, Votto posted the lowest OPS of his career over a qualifying season. In 2020, Votto was hitting .191 near the season’s halfway point.

Since then, Votto has been one of the best power hitters in MLB. His finish to the 2020 season helped fuel the Reds to the playoffs, and now in 2021 he ranks fourth in the NL in OPS and third in homers. 

“It almost sounds ridiculous, but I almost feel like I’ve re-learned to hit,” Votto said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed the fruits of that discovery.”

According to Votto, the players he admires more are the ones who “played well and more or less bowed out and said, ‘I had a great time, thanks for having me.’”

Votto’s also a player who expected to hit at an extremely high level since the start of his career. When his 2020 adjustment to hit for more power started to show results, Votto said there was more to come.

Over the last 30 days, he posted the highest OPS in MLB.

When Votto stepped up to the plate before his 2,000th hit on Monday, he joked he made sure his uniform looked good and that his socks were the way he wanted them. If Votto was going to have a highlight, he at least wanted to look his best.