Longshots
As a lifetime achievement award, a World Series winning hit by Reds first baseman Joey Votto would beat all.
The odds on that are long, given that the Reds are in fourth place in the NL Central with a 24-28 record. But hey, stranger things have happened…like the Nats in 2019.
As for Votto, his team’s very brief 2020 postseason appearance was Cincinnati’s first since 2013, when their first baseman was in his prime. He’s 37 now, and off to a .226 start.
Still, Cincinnati’s big problem is probably its pitching, an area Votto can do nothing about. The Reds are 14th in the league in both ERA and runs allowed per game. And no, that’s not all due to the Great American Ballpark. Even in park adjusted ERA, the Reds only rank 10th in the NL.
Proclaiming Jed Lowrie as a World Series hero would be almost as surprising, although given the competitiveness of the A’s team Lowrie may have a better chance.
After sitting out most of the past two seasons, Lowrie has returned to stabilize Oakland’s second base situation. He’s batting only .245, but the A’s don’t have Lowrie for his bat. At 37, he’s become a leadership and clubhouse guy.
The A’s, of course, are notorious for collapsing in post-season. But for the moment, at least, they are in first place in the AL West, a step or two in front of the Astros. If, somehow, they can get to the World Series, there’s no real reason to expect Lowrie to emerge as their offensive leader.
Well, there is one reason: This is 2021, the year of Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson, and Helio Castroneves. In other words, the year of the old-timer. Perhaps, just perhaps, Jed Lowrie is that MLB old-timer.