Joey Votto’s New Batter’s Box Routine is Totally Bizarre But Seems To Be Working
Joey Votto has earned the right to experiment inside the batter’s box.
The four-time All-Star is a career .311 hitter with 633 runs batted in. But when the Reds slugger broke out an unorthodox new routine in a recent spring training game, the baseball world couldn’t help but take notice:
Joey Votto status: pic.twitter.com/mNaEtchJV8
— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) March 27, 2016
This was not a one-time thing—Votto assumed this bizarre position between multiple pitches throughout the game. Is he stretching? Catching his breath? Making sure his cup still works? Nope, according to Votto himself, he’s just “thinking”:
Joey Votto, asked by catcher A.J. Ellis why he was leaning on his bat after every pitch, said: “I’m thinking.”
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 27, 2016
Come on Joey, you’ve got to give us more than that! Votto’s currently hitting .341 in spring training and has racked up a league-high 10 walks. Perhaps visiting this position helps him mentally reset between pitches and improve his focus. Votto’s no stranger to unusual tactics inside the batter’s box. In a 2012 game against the Cleveland Indians, he kept his feet planted in the exact same spot for the entirety of an at-bat. Fittingly, he drew a walk on six pitches.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
MOST POPULAR
Joey Votto’s New Batter’s Box Routine is Totally Bizarre But Seems To Be Working
Joey Votto has earned the right to experiment inside the batter’s box.
The four-time All-Star is a career .311 hitter with 633 runs batted in. But when the Reds slugger broke out an unorthodox new routine in a recent spring training game, the baseball world couldn’t help but take notice:
Joey Votto status: pic.twitter.com/mNaEtchJV8
— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) March 27, 2016
This was not a one-time thing—Votto assumed this bizarre position between multiple pitches throughout the game. Is he stretching? Catching his breath? Making sure his cup still works? Nope, according to Votto himself, he’s just “thinking”:
Joey Votto, asked by catcher A.J. Ellis why he was leaning on his bat after every pitch, said: “I’m thinking.”
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 27, 2016
Come on Joey, you’ve got to give us more than that! Votto’s currently hitting .341 in spring training and has racked up a league-high 10 walks. Perhaps visiting this position helps him mentally reset between pitches and improve his focus. Votto’s no stranger to unusual tactics inside the batter’s box. In a 2012 game against the Cleveland Indians, he kept his feet planted in the exact same spot for the entirety of an at-bat. Fittingly, he drew a walk on six pitches.