Pete Rose's helpful advice has stuck with Joey Votto

Anybody who has ever watched Joey Votto play baseball knows that there is something different about him.

The Canadian native approaches the game unlike any of his peers. Votto's tedious approach to hitting and incredible work ethic are second to none. Perhaps those are just two of the reasons why he is widely regarded as one of the elite players in Major League Baseball.

On Wednesday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com published a great feature piece on Cincinnati's star, which gives further background on how he became the player he is today. One of the nuggets in the article is about how Votto has forged a bond with baseball's all-time hit king Pete Rose.

In the article, Votto recollected an encounter he had with Rose while standing in the on-deck circle at Great American Ball Park several seasons ago. Rose was watching intently from a front row seat and eventually struck up a conversation with the left-handed slugger. It was during that conversation when Votto received a piece of wisdom that he still remembers to do this day.

Photo: Reds to wear camo on Memorial Day

The Reds will be donning camouflage jerseys and hats when they take the field against the Indians on Memorial Day, which believe it or not is next Monday.

In fact, all MLB teams will be wearing camo on the patriotic holiday in honor of those brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. It is because of them that we are able to live the lifestyle that we are so accustomed to here in America.

God bless America. And God bless the Redlegs.

Video: Mat Latos fields questions from fans on MLB Network

As much as fans love watching their favorite players perform on the diamond, they love it even more when they can actually hear from them.

Well, this is precisely what fans got to do with Mat Latos recently, as the big right-hander appeared on MLB Network's "Chatting Cage" to field questions from fans.

Latos addresses how he approaches hitters at Great American Ball Park, who he thinks the funniest guy on the team is, how he adjusted to being the team's ace in Johnny Cueto's absence, and more.

Check it out. It's bascially a really good extended interview.

Reds surge toward top in new MLB power rankings

 

 

Cincinnati is the biggest winner in ESPN's newly released MLB Power Rankings.

 

Apparently, the pollsters were impressed with the six-game winning streak the Reds strung together in the past week. That streak came to an end in Philadelphia over the weekend, though, as the Reds dropped two of three from the feisty Phillies.

 

Nonetheless, Dusty Baker's bunch still landed at spot No. 3 this week in the rankings. That is up seven spots from the previous week, which is the highest jump for any team in baseball. Baltimore experienced the worst drop, falling nine spots from No. 4 to No. 13.

 

Meanwhile, the Cardinals fell off the top perch and down to No. 2.

Quotes from weekend series against Philly

Back-to-back home runs from two of the most unlikely suspects was the difference between the Reds winning and losing the series against Philadelphia over the weekend.

Both homers came off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth Sunday. It marked the first time in 157 career appearances that Chapman had allowed two home runs in the same game.

Despite the heart-breaking loss, the beat goes on for Dusty Baker and the Reds, who now travel to New York for a three-game set against the Mets. Until then, mull over some quotes from the weekend series against Philly.

Friday (L, 5-3)

Video: Watch Joey Votto go yard against Phillies

Cincinnati's six-game winning streak came to a halt Friday night as the Phillies handed the visitors a 5-3 defeat. Philly scored two in the bottom of the eighth to help push past the second-place Reds.

However, one guy Cincy certainly can't blame for the loss is Joey Votto, who notched two hits in the affair, including this solo home run in the top of the eighth to knot the score at three a piece. It marked the fifth of the year for the three-time All-Star.

Broadcaster Thom Brennaman called it the hardest ball Votto has hit all season long. Although it isn't always easy to agree with Thom, it's hard to argue against him on this one. That ball was smoked.

Comparing the 2013 Reds to past postseason teams and other notes

by: Dan Howard
Staff Writer

First of all I want to wish a happy birthday to my “bookend” children. Taira Faith, my oldest, turns 25 on May 20, Ethan Joel, my youngest, turns 8 on May 17. The other three will just have to wait their turn!

Speaking of children, I just got my Father’s Day present, the complete Ken Burns’ Baseball series on DVD, including the Tenth Inning. Thanks kids!

Having five kids is great, especially when four of them are in their twenties. Getting them there is a bit tough!

Prayer request update; Cindy Ward, wife of Tomahawk Missionary Baptist church pastor Dr. Jack Ward, is home from the hospital, her infection is minimal and can be controlled/eliminated by antibiotics. Thank God!

As of the date of this writing, Thursday May 16, 2013, Reds baseball has reached the “quarter pole”. Forty-one games have passed, 121 games remain, and hopefully more for the Reds in October. Now the boring part, here’s how the 2013 Reds compare to the past ten Reds postseason teams since 1970.

Video: Watch Aroldis Chapman throw mind-bending pitch

We already knew Aroldis Chapman was filthy on the mound.

However, the final pitch he threw to Miami Marlins hitter Derek Dietrich Wednesday night was simply mind-bending, not to mention virtually unhittable.

Take another look as the Cuban Missile delivers an absolutely wicked slider that both boggles the mind and freezes the body of the poor rookie.

Whoa.

Video: Shin-Soo Choo talks about his big night in Miami

The Reds and Shin-Soo Choo are rolling right now.

On Wednesday, Cincinnati extended their winning streak to a season-best five games with a 4-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. The offense was fueled by Choo, who pounded out two home runs, to go along with a two singles and three runs scored.

It marked the ninth multi-home run game of Choo's career and his second in 2013. The two bombs give him a total of nine for the campaign, which leads the team, and ties him for sixth in the league. Additionally, his batting average now stands at .322 while his on-base percentage currently sits at .465.

Check out the video clip above to hear what the Korean native has to say about his performance and about the why the Reds are playing lately.

Joey Votto is one of the 50 highest-paid athletes in sports

It goes without question that Reds first basemen Joey Votto is one of the elite players in Major League Baseball. The Canadian native has already racked up a National League Most Valuable Player Award (2010), a Gold Glove Award (2011), and three straight trips to the All-Star Game (2010-2012). Furthermore, he is led the league in on-base percentage every year since 2010 and continues to be regarded as one of the most feared hitters in the modern game.

Naturally, Votto is also one of the highest paid players in MLB too. On April 2, 2012, the Reds and Votto shocked the baseball world when the two sides agreed on a historic contract extension worth $225 million over 10 years. The deal made Votto the richest player in franchise history and guaranteed that he would be averaging $22.5 million per year through the end of 2024.