Title: We Need More Joey Votto Baseball Analysis in Our Lives
Date: November 1, 2017
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: For my latest at Vice, I graded Joey Votto’s debut as a baseball analyst as a major success.
In what could very well go down as the greatest World Series of all time, there’s been no need to search for ancillary storylines or seek other things to enjoy beyond the games. Baseball alone has been enough, as it so often is, and it’s likely made the jobs of those broadcasting the games that much easier. Call the action, let the big moments breathe, and convey the specialness of a remarkably competitive series between two historically great teams.
Intermittently through Game 6, though, an element of the Canadian broadcast stood out. Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto joined the Rogers Sportsnet team alongside Jamie Campbell and Gregg Zaun, and the former MVP was able to steal the quiet, otherwise empty moments between innings.
Votto delivered thoughtful, passionate analysis on the finer art of hitting and the emotion contained within each moment. The player’s perspective is often an important part of broadcasts, and Votto conveys that nuance with a confident simplicity that relays institutional knowledge without skewing too “inside baseball.”
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 