

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Despite his numbers in the Cactus League last spring, Joey Votto knew his swing needed work.

Looking back, the Cincinnati Reds first baseman knew that his swing was off, despite his numbers (25-for-55, .455).

“Think I hit about .460 but I was still not confident,” said Votto from Toronto this week. “I didn’t have a complete swing. I knew in April I would have to make adjustments ... then April 1 turns into April 30.”

A career .311 hitter entering the season, Votto looked up after a 5-1 loss in Pittsburgh to see that his average sat at .229. And it got worse: he was at .207 on May 29 and .213 when he woke up June 1.

“I didn’t feel like my swing was good or consistent until late June,” Votto said, “and it wasn’t where I really wanted it to be until mid-September ... to the point I could satisfy my employers and the guy in the mirror.”

The first baseman hit .319 in June, .413 in July, .394 in August and .389 the final month. After batting .252 in the first half, Votto hit .408 the second half.

A lot of guys would have said “not my year,” mailed it in and began thinking about off-season swing alterations. Especially someone on a 10-year $248 million US contract.

Not Votto, Through hard work, self-analysis of the slow starts of others and his coaches, Votto rebounded to lead the National League in on-base-average (.434, the fifth time in the last seven seasons) which is why Votto No. 1 in the Canadian Baseball Network’s choice as the 10th annual poll of the most influential Canadians in baseball. Votto also won in 2010.

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Votto says he takes the same approach to hitting whether he was a teenager working out at Bob Smyth’s indoor facility, in the minors or in the majors during his MVP year.

“I’ve been successful because I’ve always done the same thing,” Votto said. “Be consistent, with a methodical, disciplined approach. It's been my saving grace. Thus far, that’s the only way I know.”

Hitting is the one baseball skill which can be practiced on a player’s own.

When not at the indoors facility, Votto was hitting indoors in his parents garage. Votto used to beat up balls in a garage hitting off a tee (either purchased for $12 or “borrowed” from Smyth). He brought a tiny heater -- which his family had bought for a power outage -- to keep himself warm.

He recalls how he would try to “glorify” his garage to a scene from Rocky III: Rocky, the champ, was going around kissing babies completely overwhelmed before he fights Mr. T (Clubber Lang). Meanwhile, Mr. T was training in a dimly lit gym and Mr. T wins. Said Votto; “it does not matter your environment.”



“I have been blessed in so many ways: having Bobby as my coach, getting to play at a beautiful ball park like Connorvale in the summer, hitting indoors at Bobby’s facility, playing at Richview and having people help me along the way,” Votto said. “It always ends up being the same: emphasizing the details, repetition and eventually you work out the kinks.”

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Yes Votto has heard the stories: about being traded to Toronto. “How do those start?” he asks. He said Blue Jays players would text him asking “What’s going on, you coming over here?”

It’s still a common subject even since the season ended whether he was in Florida, Ohio or home in Toronto.

“It’s a compliment, everyone wants to feel wanted in life, it comes up so often it's like a running joke,” he says. “I don’t get recognized at all in Toronto, when I’m home my friends have brought it up the last couple of years.

“I’ve heard that there was serious discussions, then Edwin Encarnacion didn’t resign ... it’s a compliment I grew up eight kilometers from the SkyDome. I could bike it in 20 minutes. The fact is I’m playing in Cincinnati and I love playing there.”

After an opening two months in which he scuffled like never before, Votto has decided to sit out the World Baseball Classic after playing in the previous two.

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People forget Votto didn’t follow the route of the best Canadians since 1998: he didn’t play for the Canadian Junior National Team, he wasn’t drafted out of grade 12 and he wasn’t a first-round pick.

“I was a late bloomer, an OAC (grade 13) draft,” Votto said. “I hope kids realize that we have a lot of common ground. All the years how some said I wouldn’t made it. In baseball you have a chance once you get outdoors in the spring and summer.

“I speak French so it helps if the average ball player from across Canada feels connected. We’re one in the same.”

Votto pointed out how players from southern California, Florida and Arizona are playing in the NHL, led by Auston Matthews of Scottsdale, Az.

“He’s a superstar, it can be the same in baseball,” Votto said. “Players like Russell Martin, Brett Lawrie, Justin Morneau and Michael Saunders continue to motivate.”

He also had one of the better lines of the year discussing his season and his defence with Cincy reporters:

“Personally, until Mike Trout came into the league, I thought every year that I would be in the conversation for best player in the game, and he messed that up for everybody -- Babe Ruth and Ted Williams included,” Votto said. “You can’t be in that conversation unless you do every aspect of the game, and I love competing against the best, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and it’s something I think I fell a little bit short on this year.”

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Previous most Influential Canadians in baseball:

2015: Alex Anthopoulos.

2014: Edward Rogers

2013: Blue Jays fans

2012: Paul Beeston

2011: Greg Hamilton



2010: Joey Votto

2009: Paul Beeston

2008: Paul Beeston

2007: Paul Godfrey, Greg Hamilton

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And now on with the list ...

1. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (3).

After striking 57 times in the first two months, Votto has trimmed his strikeouts -- 70 in the last four months -- and raised his average from .213 to .309. Since June 1, his on-base average is .482 (best in the majors), raising it from .330 to .434.

He hit .408 in the second half hitting .400 hadn’t been done in majors for 12 years. The last to bat .400 after the break was Ichiro Suzuki for the Seattlee Mariners in 2004.