Joey Votto kept his eye on the ball. And the batter.
The Reds six-time All-Star, making his debut as NBC’s dugout “Inside the Pitch” analyst Sunday, was not tempted by the frivolity of the Sunday Night Baseball trio in the booth – announcer Jason Benetti and analysts John Kruk and Joe Girardi – when they chatted about how Phillies’ star Bryce Harper brushed his teeth.
NBC aired the viral video of Harper squirting toothpaste into his mouth, not on his tooth brush, before brushing his teeth, when he came to the plate. When Benetti asked Votto for his opinion, Votto declined.
“I’m too locked in on this at-bat to watch the toothpaste!” Votto said.
Reds fans have known that Votto was an intense student of baseball. NBC viewers learned that Sunday when Votto appeared with Bob Costas on the pregame show, and he provided “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the dugout camera well during the Phillies 11-4 win over the New York Yankees Sunday night.
Earlier in last Sunday’s game, Votto revealed that he’s been fascinated by Harper, a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, since his Rookie of the Year season in 2012. “I’ve been a fan since he was 19. I admired him from the dugout.” Votto also noted that Harper, a Sports Illustrated cover boy (at age 16) has “lived up to the hype.”
It was an impressive debut. Now the bad news: NBC Sports folks can’t tell me if or when Votto will be back on Sunday Night Baseball.
In the on-field pregame, Votto bluntly said that Philadelphia, second in the National League East division, “is not a good offense. They’re last in on-base percentage. And they’re depending far too much on their left-handed sluggers in the middle of the order, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. And I think those two guys are feeling the pressure of having to carry the offense.”
Votto’s debut came six months after NBC announced that retired players Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Votto would be part of the network TV team this season. He was the last of the three to debut on the Sunday Night Baseball.
A three-man booth can be too talky and distracting for some viewers, but Benetti did a good job of including Votto’s comments from the dugout camera well. As Reds fans expected, Votto displayed his vast knowledge of the game; wasn’t shy about offering opinions and suggestions; and playfully jabbed his colleagues.
Votto noted Kruk’s choice of necktie during the pregame: “John, it’s good to see you didn’t go with the clip on!”
Kruk, who usually wears a polo shirt on Philadelphia broadcasts, was wearing a colorful striped tie in the booth. Votto’s comment set up Kruck to explain that a friend had sent him five ties to wear Sunday, and that he planned to wear all five during the telecast. In the top of the second, the booth camera showed Kruk struggling to button his top button so he could to put one of his gift ties – a clip-on tie. He had four clip-on ties in front of him.
Here are some of Votto’s noteworthy observations during the game:
- ABS CHALLENGE SYSTEM: The Automated Ball-Strike system, in which players can challenge a ball or strike called by the home plate umpire, has shrunk the strike zone. “The zone has changed. Now all of the sudden the zone is much tighter. Everything feels like it’s in the middle of the plate,” says Votto, who led the National League in walk five times, and the Major Leagues three times, in 17 seasons with the Reds.
- PITCHERS EXEMPTION: When Phillies All-Star pitcher Christopher Sanchez challenged a ball call in the top of the first, Votto said the team’s star pitcher should get multiple challenges. (Sanchez lost his challenge. The pitch was high, out of the strike zone. The Phillies were left with one challenge the rest of the game.)
“I think the aces are allowed to challenge. I think that should be a universal rule. If you’re an ace, if you’re a Cy Young (Award) candidate, let them challenge because they earned it.”
So, he’d give exemptions to the star pitchers? And not the star batters?
- MORE SANCHEZ: Kruk disagreed when Votto said Sanchez (13-4), the All-Star Game starting pitcher, “needs (to develop) a fourth pitch eventually” for a long career.
“In time, I think you’ll see him add a fourth pitch. A sinker/change-up, slider. As he gets older, he has to add extra wrinkles. We saw it with Kershaw. We saw it with (Justin) Verlander. It’s just the nature of being a Major League pitcher, especially a star pitcher.”
- BRYCE HARPER: Votto revealed that he’s been fascinated by Harper, a two-time Most Valuable Player, since his 2012 Rookie of the Year season. “I've been a fan since he was 19. I admired him from the dugout.” Votto noted that Harper, a Sports Illustrated cover boy (at age 16) has “lived up to the hype.”
- J.T. REALMUTO: Votto, from the dugout, engaged Girardi, a former Yankees catcher, in a conversation about Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. Votto praised Realmuto for “spending extra time with the pitcher” in the dugout between innings. “There’s nothing like having generous catcher. That’s make a difference culturally on the team.”
When have you ever heard a baseball announcer say “culturally?”
- IN THE BIG INNING: When Alec Bohm came to the plate with the bases loaded and the Phillies up 2-0 in the third inning, Votto declared: “This is the game right here.” Bohm then cleared the bases with a double in a four-run rally, for a 6-0 lead. The Phillies won 11-4.
- OUT OF LEFT FIELD: Votto noted that he made his Reds debut in 2007 in left field, and misplayed a ball that bounced into the corner. “And I just thought, Oh, let me play first base, please!”
Votto, 23, played six games in left field and 17 games at first base in September 2007. His outfield teammates at the time were Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Josh Hamilton and Norris Hopper. Scott Hatteberg, 37, and Jorge Cantu, 25, played first.
While Votto’s candor was impressive – Reds announcers told me he would be very good in February -- he still needs to master some TV basics. He needed to look into the camera more, and less at Costas, while speaking on the pregame show. And he must learn to speak in shorter comments during the game.
Awful Announcing’s Matt Clapp said Votto “showed off his blend of smarts, personality, and honesty that made him one of the media’s favorite players to interview during his decorated MLB career, which included being named the 2010 NL MVP.”
NBC Sports announced on Feb. 8 that Votto, Kershaw and Rizzo “will serve as NBC Sports’ pregame analysts for its exclusive MLB Postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC and Peacock.” Rizzo and Kershaw have made several appearances already. In fact, Kershaw will do the pregame and “Inside the Pitch” commentary this Sunday, Aug. 2, for NBC’s 7 p.m. Red Sox at Dodgers game. Benetti will call the game with Orel Hershiser and former Boston infielder Lou Merloni.
An NBC Sports spokesman can’t say if we’ll see Votto again before the Wild Card playoffs start Sept. 29.
