Did he get on base more? Did Brandon Phillips have more RBI's? Does Andy Dalton have red hair? What is your point? Name one player in the history of any sport whose numbers stayed identical every single year. He took more called 3rd strikes. Yes he did! He struck out more. Yes he did! Should he change his approach, the approach that made him an MVP and a perennial all star because he has one year where he strikes out more than past years? NO!!!! Thats ludicrous. And you should not become an A's fan. Stay a Reds fan. You fit the bill perfectly. You have one of the best in the game and he has a down year (by your standards) and your ready to change his approach. Whether it be his full approach or his approach with 2 strikes. The guy is revered as one of the best hitters in the game for a reason. Compared to the other 7 postion players in the lineup who have a 2 strike approach of swing at EVERYTHING, ill take Votto's any day of the week.

I mean believe it or not, just because the guy took more called 3rd strikes does not mean he changed his approach with 2 strikes. It is possible that he just didnt have it with 2 strikes this year as you say he has in previous years. This is all without mentioning the fact that the man from 2013 only struck out 13 more times than he did in his MVP year in 2010 and only struck out 9 more times then he did in 2011

Edited January 3, 201412 yr by reds1921

Did he take more called thirds? I'm confused. Crash, I need intervention. Or need to become an A's fan. I've determined that Reds fans on this board, especially since LRCW has departed, have reached a new level.

 

I'll have to check the stats.

I'll have to check the stats.

I'll go with you.

And one last thing that seems to be overlooked is that fact that if Joey Votto strikes out 138 times looking or strikes out 138 times swinging, where is the difference? A strikeout is a strike. Yes, if he swung at more called strike 3's he may get more hits and drive in more runs. But, he may also strike out still, ground into a double play, or pop up. There is no magic ball to tell. This is why I say to you that this argument about Joey Votto and his strikeouts or his approach as a whole, or his approach with 2 strikes is just plain dumb. If he did this in a year where he wasnt still scattered throughout the top of almost every offensive category in the league then its probably a good conversation to have. But the facts are in the stats. The guy strikes out, mainly because he refuses to swing at certain pitches. The same approach has made him an MVP and perennial all star. Until that is not the case, the argument is un-warranted. I rest my case. You all can have it out from here.

Thank God.

And one last thing that seems to be overlooked is that fact that if Joey Votto strikes out 138 times looking or strikes out 138 times swinging' date=' where is the difference? A strikeout is a strike. Yes, if he swung at more called strike 3's he may get more hits and drive in more runs. But, he may also strike out still, ground into a double play, or pop up. There is no magic ball to tell. This is why I say to you that this argument about Joey Votto and his strikeouts or his approach as a whole, or his approach with 2 strikes is just plain dumb. If he did this in a year where he wasnt still scattered throughout the top of almost every offensive category in the league then its probably a good conversation to have. But the facts are in the stats. The guy strikes out, mainly because he refuses to swing at certain pitches. The same approach has made him an MVP and perennial all star. Until that is not the case, the argument is un-warranted. I rest my case. You all can have it out from here.[/quote']

 

On one hand you post all the OBP stats and on the other say there's no difference in striking out looking and putting a ball in play. Um...

 

Not swinging at certain pitches he doesn't like is fine with less than two strikes. To say otherwise is just being argumentative.

OMG are you all delusional? Explain to me 1 what the difference is when he still led the league in OBP??? And explain to me 2 how you and Spindoc are being anything other than plain argumentative. Every baseball analyst and expert aside from your two's opinions have agreed with everything I have said, mainly because everything I have said has come from them. You all are on here talking about Joey Votto's approach with 2 strikes is an issue for this team. Its absolutely crazy.

I guarantee if he swung at half of those K looking he would have 15 less K's... Which more than likely raises his OBP....

I guarantee if he swung at half of those K looking he would have 15 less K's... Which more than likely raises his OBP....

 

Keep logic out of it

OMG are you all delusional? Explain to me 1 what the difference is when he still led the league in OBP??? And explain to me 2 how you and Spindoc are being anything other than plain argumentative. Every baseball analyst and expert aside from your two's opinions have agreed with everything I have said, mainly because everything I have said has come from them. You all are on here talking about Joey Votto's approach with 2 strikes is an issue for this team. Its absolutely crazy.

 

It's an issue if it's your three hitter. It's an issue if you pay him 20mil + a year to watch a called third strike and hope for a walk. His power numbers were way down last year which is because of this and his injury IMO

It's an issue to have a guy have a season where he is 6th in MVP voting? Logical.

Everyone has holes in their game, even if your 6th in MVP voting. The eyeball test last year didnt do it for me with him. His K's were up, his slugging was down. His fielding was absolutely atrocious. He didn't have a year of what I expected.

But we are arguing "what ifs". We could do that all day. What if Votto didn't get hurt? What if Bruce and Cozart didn't strike out so much? You can't argue what ifs? Yes, I have already said he struck out more. But considering what he did this year I don't see how it's cause for concern. There are much much more concern with others if you ask me.

But we are arguing "what ifs". We could do that all day. What if Votto didn't get hurt? What if Bruce and Cozart didn't strike out so much? You can't argue what ifs? Yes, I have already said he struck out more. But considering what he did this year I don't see how it's cause for concern. There are much much more concern with others if you ask me.

 

I agree with you but this thread was about what Votto has to improve on. If he keeps his production like he did last year, he better be moved to the 2 hole in the lineup.