Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto suffering through the “Ted Williams Curse”
By Tim Boyle
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has a lot in common with legendary outfielder Ted Williams. One of those commonalities is the lack of a World Series ring.
Throughout his big league career, Joey Votto has been a special player. The Cincinnati Reds first baseman can do a little bit of everything on offense. Maybe his most-unique quality is the ability to draw walks at a spectacular rate.
Thanks to the amazing pair of eyes at his disposal, Votto enters 2018 with a career .428 OBP. Don’t be surprised if he ends the year at an even higher total. Last season’s .454 OBP led the league, something Votto has now done six times.
In this regard, it’s easy to compare Votto to legendary Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams. Although Williams is the superior player, Votto is the closest currently in uniform when it comes to earning free passes. By doing so, Votto reaches base and gives his team a much better chance at winning.
Unfortunately, the comparisons between the two aren’t all favourable. For instance, Williams spent all 19 of his MLB seasons with the Boston Red Sox. As you may recall, the Red Sox didn’t win a single championship during that time. Votto, a lifetime member of the Reds, is on pace to do the same.
The Joey Votto and Ted Williams comparisons
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The Red Sox went to the World Series once during Williams’ career. Back then, there wasn’t a playoff system. The best team from the American League would play the best team in the National League. Times were simpler. Had they been a little more complicated, Williams may have had a higher chance at adding a ring to his collection of batting titles and similar honors.
Meanwhile, in this more instant and complicated time we live in, Votto has suffered a similar fate. The Reds haven’t made it beyond the NLDS during his tenure. Their last postseason appearances back in 2013 looks even more distant now.
Worst of all for Votto, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Unlike other rebuilding squads, the Reds don’t look poised to make any noise in 2018. While their offense isn’t bad, the pitching staff needs a lot of work to compete for a playoff berth.
Will Joey Votto ever get to taste a World Series victory?
At age 34, Votto’s chances of playing in the World Series are slimming with each passing season. Locked into a mega-deal worth over $150 million for the next seven seasons, the Reds would have a tough time trading Votto. They’ve gotten the best years out of him. Convincing an organization to risk his contract after he turns 35 is a significant challenge.
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Unless the Reds make some changes, Votto will have a tough time winning a championship. He’ll go up there alongside Williams, Tony Gwynn, Ernie Banks, and others who spent their entire career in one city but never won a World Series. Votto would certainly prefer to differentiate himself from those legends. It looks like he may need to wait a little longer to do so.