To casual fans around the baseball world, it’s probably Joey Votto who’s the most recognizable, notable face of the Cincinnati Reds. The former National League MVP and on-base savant is a long-tenured Red, one who has choked up and hit opposite-field doubles in enough parks league-wide to sear his name into memory despite the fact that the team has been largely irrelevant for almost a half-decade now.
I’m not sure the same can be said in Cincinnati, though. Despite Votto’s unique offensive prowess, it’s almost as if he’s been around just long enough to become somewhat of an afterthought, a lineup battleship that’s taken a bit for granted.