Reds: Votto vs Big Red Machine

Tom Brown, listener to the show and killer lefty pitcher I faced and failed against at Reds Baseball Heaven in 2006, sent me the following email and info:

I’ve heard you defend Joey Votto on occasion to listeners who don’t know any better.

I had to create this chart to shut up a few buddies of mine who are Joey haters. I have compared him to the Big Red Machine greats. He is almost always better than them in every way offensively. (except for base running) My question to my buddies is always, “how good do you need him to be”?

Joey’s biggest problem is his teammates.

In their top seven years of having runners on base, Johnny Bench came to bat with 619 more runner on base than Joey. Fact is, you can’t drive in runs without someone on!