"Hey, do you guys want these shoes?" - Internet sensation Joey Votto shares a heartwarming moment with Los Angeles Dodgers fans
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has had a propensity to go viral this past week against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2010 National League Most Valuable Player formed a bond with two young fans during the Reds matchup in Dodger Stadium during Jackie Robinson Day.
Throughout the game, Joey Votto shared a series of friendly interactions with the youngsters and at the end of the game, the 38 year old first baseman offered a pair of his cleats to the two. He even autographed them!
Joey Votto giving his cleats to a young fan for #JackieRobinsonDay ❤️ https://t.co/B8y2ScJwyL
Joey Votto is a six-time All-Star and a darling of the analytics community.
With his elite ability to get on base, Votto has become the Cincinnati Reds all-time leader in on-base percentage. A second-round pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, Votto had massive shoes to fill—specifically, Adam Dunn's shoes.
Reds former first baseman Adam Dunn was a heralded slugger and source of fear in the Reds lineup. However, Dunn was an all-or-nothing kind of player. If he wasn't mashing homers, he was striking out. Votto brought a level of patience that allowed the Reds to build an offensive philosophy centered around acquiring baserunners.
Votto had ample opportunity to pursue other franchises, especially from his hometown Toronto Blue Jays. However, he elected to remain long-term with the team that drafted, developed and molded him into the player and leader he is today.
Joey Votto has been best known during his time in Cincinnati for his offensive prowess, his leadership, and his odd brand of humor. He's been a bright spot in a Cincinnati sports culture that hadn't enjoyed much dominance until the arrival of quarterback Joe Burrow.
However, in his advanced age, Votto has enjoyed a renewed relevance due to his arrival on Twitter. While his Tweets bring amusement to a new generation of fans, Votto is quick to remind everyone that he is a baseball player first.
It will be interesting if Votto ends up garnering enough votes to gain admission into the MLB Hall of Fame. While his sabremetric numbers are solid, the traditional stats don't bode well for the lifelong Red. He has fewer than 400 home runs, barely more than 2000 hits and has just recently eclipsed 1000 RBIs. He also hasn't been able to lead the Reds on a deep playoff run. So for now, let's just appreciate the fun, generous man that is Joey Votto.
He was like, what’s your name? And I was like, what? He was like, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? I was like, Tony. So I says, WHAT’S YOUR NAME? He goes, Ezekiel. Then something about a fire. I don’t remember—I got hit in the head. twitter.com/talkinbaseball…