The Joey Votto-sance has been well documented this season — from the change of his approach, his desire to hit home runs, his milestones, his Hall of Fame future, his place among the game’s legends, his stint as a play-by-play broadcaster and even his cleaning habits and favorite TV shows.
Through 15-plus years of writing about Votto, the subject has never been exhausted. There is always something new, something different or something yet unexplored.
Among the many differences about Votto this year, one of the simplest hadn’t been discussed anywhere I’d seen. So recently, I sat in the dugout at Great American Ball Park and talked to Joey Votto about the most basic of elements of his 2021 season: his bat.