March 7, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

GOODYEAR, Az. _ After working out on field No. 1, he was finished for the day.

Then, he apologized to the grounds crew for keeping them late. Again.

Then, Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) stopped and signed autographs, smiling for pictures too, for the 30 Cincinnati Reds fans, lining the fence ... then he was done.

And then, Votto, 39, sat down at a wrought-iron, green picnic table behind the pitcher’s mounds to talk with someone who has known him since he was in grade 12.

Votto had season-ending surgery for a torn left rotator cuff Aug. 17. Doctors said he was looking at a six-month recovery period. He has not had an at-bat this spring. He will not be at Sloan Park Tuesday afternoon when the 2023 edition of Team Canada stages its first workout.

“Look the World Baseball Classic is a great tournament, to play with so many familiar faces is an honour,” said Votto, who hopes to take in a Team Canada game. Canada opens Sunday afternoon against Great Britain.

“But I doubt even if I was healthy I would have even been able to get insured to be cleared to play.”

Players who end the previous season on the injured list seldom get approval from their respective teams to go out and test repaired elbows, knees, legs and hip bones connected to the whatever bones.

Votto spent Monday like most days this spring. With variations of live batting practice, hitting soft toss or doing some tee work. He also heads to the weight room each day, not so much lifting weights but stretching and strengthening his core.

On that back field, Votto typically takes more than an hour of ground balls, simulating holding runners on then breaking off the base to field one hoppers, diving after balls and trying to simulate the game situations, usually all by himself save for a coach or two.

“I’ve never worked with anyone quite like him,” said Rob Butcher, Reds legendary executive. This is not Butcher’s first spring. Rather it is his 37th, his 30th in the majors and 27th with the Reds.

“When he is trying to overcome an obstacle he thinks is preventing him from being the best he can be, whether it is an injury, a change in his hitting approach or the perception his defence isn’t good enough, he works two hours longer than everyone else.”

Votto played in the 2009 WBC at the Rogers Centre and four years later in the Phoenix pool. The Blue Jays won 75 games in 2009, going 44-37 at home. The Team USA-Canada game was by most accounts the most exciting game played in the park that season. Team USA edged Canada 5-4 with Votto -- representing the tying run -- stranded at second. His one-out hit made it a one-run game. Justin Morneau grounded out on the first pitch and then Jason Bay flew out on the eighth pitch of his at-bat. Drama, drama everywhere.

Votto took the GO train to the park giving his room at the Four Seasons to his former Etobicoke Rangers coach Bob Smyth. Against USA, he went 4-for-5 with a home run off Jake Peavy, a run-scoring double to chase Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) home off closer JJ Putz, as well as two singles off Scott Shields and Peavy.

“That game gave me the confidence to perform on the big stage,” said Votto, who had one full season in the majors at the time. “Every pitch in that game mattered. Nothing against the Jays post-season games, but that USA game was probably the most exciting game there until the Jose Bautista bat flip game in the deciding game against the Texas Rangers in 2015. There was so much talent (Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones were in the other dugout along with possible candidates Jimmy Rollins and David Wright) on both sides. The fans were so into it ... every pitch.”

And there 42,314 ball fans in the building. This was not a corporate crowd. It was full of baseball people wearing ball jackets, caps and youngsters with gloves. Coaches. Players. Moms. Dads. If a GTA team had a practice on March 7 ... 14 years ago today ... it was cancelled.

Counting the WBC in 14 games at the Rogers Centre Votto is batting .302 (16-for-53), five points below his career average -- entering his 15th season -- with five doubles, five homers and 11 RBIs.

“I get to see my family when I’m home, playing in Toronto has an indescribable amount of meaning ... I get giddy,” said Votto, who has three brothers: Tyler 34 and twin brothers Ryan and Paul, 23. And mom Wendy. “Mom works harder than anyone, a lot harder than I do,” said Votto of his mother, who is a sommelier and restaurant manager.

Votto’s goals this year?

* * *

“To be healthy, I think I can play well again,” said Votto, who will make $25 million on the final year of his extension. The Reds have a $20 million option for 2024, with a $7 million buyout. “Everyone tells you who you are going to be, what the projections are. The expected decline.”

And then his mind flashes back quickly to when he was either 14 or 15, waiting for his round inside the Pro-Teach facility now run by Denny Berni.

“A teammate asked me ‘so what are you going to do? What school are you going to?’” Votto recalled. “I answered ‘I’m going to play pro ball.’ He asked, ‘who do you think you are? Do you realize how far you have to go?’”

Votto said he “felt some shame.” He was not a prospect at 14. Or at 15. Or in grade 12. But after hours and hours using Smyth’s facility he popped in grade 13. Reds scout John Castlebury spotted him at a camp in Florida where his grandpa Norman Howell took him. The next spring the Etobicoke Rangers were playing and in walked six Reds scouts.

* * *

Who is the favorite player of the man who has made more in the game than any other Canadian?

“Well, I never saw Fergie Jenkins, but I look at his numbers -- the man has a WAR over 80 (82.2, according to baseball-reference),” Votto said. “I never really saw much of Larry Walker either. But Barry Larkin and others I respect say he was the best outfielder of his day, behind only Ken Griffey and Barry Bonds.

“I guess the best I ever played against was Russell Martin.”

* * *

Votto doesn’t like to talk about his Hall of Fame chances.

“I just want to be healthy and be productive this season,” said Votto.

But he enjoyed watching former Reds teammate Scott Rolen elected in January.

“I’d come to see him play every day,” Votto said, who predicted Rolen would be elected years ago when the first baseman was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. “I’d pay to watch him play. If I ever wind up being a coach or have kids, I’d show them video of the way Scott Rolen played the game.

“Brandon Phillips, too. He may look casual but he was very fundamentally sound.”

Some numbers: Since His Debut ...

Joey Votto’s rankings among all Major League hitters since his debut on Sept. 4, 2007

Walks ... 1,338 ... 1st

On-Base Percentage ... .412 ... 1st

OPS ... .926 ... 1st

Runs Scored ... 1,145 ... 1st

Doubles ... 453 ... 2nd

Hits ... 2,093 ... 3rd

Batting Average ... .297 ... 5th

Average with RISP ... .322 ... 5th

Slugging Percentage ... .513 ... 5th

RBI ... 1,106 ... 5th

Home Runs ... 342 ... 7th

(Minimum 6,500 plate appearances, 1,500 with RISP

Only 23 players in Major League history, with at least 6,000 career plate appearances, produced in their careers: a .297 batting average, a .500 slugging percentage and a .400, on-base percentage ... 18 are in the Hall of Fame.

Player BA SLG OBP PA

Ty Cobb, HOF .366 .512 .433 13,096

Stan Musial, HOF .331 .559 .417 12,718

Barry Bonds .298 .607 .444 12,606

Tris Speaker, HOF .345 .501 .428 12,001

Mel Ott, HOF .304 .533 .415 11,347

Babe Ruth, HOF .342 .690 .474 10,623

Chipper Jones, HOF .303 .529 .401 10,614

Frank Thomas, HOF .301 .555 .419 10,075

Mickey Mantle, HOF .298 .557 .420 9,907

Ted Williams, HOF .344 .634 .482 9,788

Manny Ramirez .312 .585 .411 9,774

Jimmie Foxx, HOF .325 .609 .429 9,674

Lou Gehrig, HOF .340 .632 .448 9,665

Rogers Hornsby, HOF .358 .577 .434 9,481

Todd Helton .316 .539 .414 9,453

Harry Heilmann, HOF .342 .521 .410 8,962

Edgar Martinez, HOF .312 .515 .418 8,674

JOEY VOTTO .297 .513 .412 8,504

Ed Delahanty, HOF .345 .504 .411 8,337

Larry Walker, HOF .313 .565 .400 8,030

Dan Brouthers, HOF .343 .520 .424 7,661

Mike Trout .303 .587 .415 6,159

* * *

It looked like a reunion Monday at the Reds complex. On hand were former Blue Jays scouting director Chris Buckley and ex-Jays scouts cross checker Bill Byckowski and Charlie Ailiano. Also at the park were Reds current Canadian scouts John Ceprini and Brandon Marr.