Joey Votto was voted the National League MVP in 2010, earned six selections to the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in his likely Hall of Fame career.
The Silver Slugger Award, however, is one of the few awards Votto has never won in his 15-year career.
Votto is one of the four Reds finalists for Silver Slugger Awards this year at their respective positions, along with outfielders Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker, and second baseman Jonathan India. The winners will be announced Nov. 11 on MLB Network.
The Reds haven’t had a Silver Slugger Award winner since Jay Bruce won in 2012 and 2013. Brandon Phillips (2011) and Felipe Lopez (2005) are the only other winners this century. Barry Larkin was a nine-time winner.
Votto had a resurgent season at the plate, producing 36 homers and 99 RBI in 129 games. He had a .266 batting average and .375 on-base percentage. The other first baseman finalists include Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman, St. Louis’ Paul Goldschmidt and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy.
India, the frontrunner to win the NL Rookie of the Year, hit .269 with 34 doubles, 21 homers and 69 RBI. The Dodgers’ Justin Turner is somehow a finalist at second base though he never played the position this year along with Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies and San Diego’s Jake Cronenworth.
Castellanos, who is expected to opt-out of his contract and become a free agent this offseason, had a career-best .309 batting average with 38 doubles, 34 homers and 100 RBI. Jesse Winker was limited to 110 games because of an intercostal strain, but he hit .305 with 32 doubles, 24 homers and 71 RBI. Other finalists in the outfield include Juan Soto (Washington), Bryce Harper (Philadelphia), Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh), Adam Duvall (Atlanta) and Tyler O’Neill (St. Louis).
Each team receives four votes for Silver Slugger: the manager and three coaches.
Fall League Award for prospect
Reds prospect James Marinan, who turned 23 earlier this month, was named the Arizona Fall League’s pitcher of the week on Tuesday.
Marinan pitched three perfect innings last week, striking out six. In the Fall League, he’s permitted one hit and one walk in seven innings. Combined with the end of the minor-league season, Marinan has allowed one run in his last 29 innings while striking out 32 and walking 10.
If the Reds want to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, he must be placed on the 40-man roster in November. He was a fourth-round pick by the Dodgers in 2017 and traded to the Reds in 2018 for reliever Dylan Floro.
Former broadcaster a Frick Award Finalist
Hall of Fame pitcher and former Reds broadcaster Waite Hoyt was named a finalist for the 2022 Ford C. Frick Award. The winner will be announced Dec. 8.
Hoyt was an early success story for players moving to the broadcast booth. He called Reds games on radio from 1942-65 and on TV in 1972.
Hoyt was elected into the Hall of Fame as a player by the Veterans Committee in 1969. He died on Aug. 25, 1984 in Cincinnati.
Al Michaels, who called Reds games from 1971-73, was the Frick Award recipient in 2021.
Scout of the Year works for the Reds
Longtime Reds scout Jeff Brookens, a scouting supervisor, was selected as the East Coast Scout of the Year. The winners are honored at the Winter Meetings.
Brookens, who won the organization's Barton Scout of the Year in 2020, has been with the Reds since Nov. 2004. He signed Major Leaguers Devin Mesoraco and Chris Heisey, along with top prospects Austin Hendrick, Michael Siani and Andrew Abbott.
His scouting area includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C.
In Memoriam
JoAnne Lombra Grande, the wife of longtime Reds broadcaster George Grande, died Monday at 73. JoAnne and George were married for 46 years.
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