Somewhat lost in the American League triple crown attention being paid to Raleigh's Josh Hamilton of Texas and former Carolina Mudcat Miguel Cabrera of Detroit is yet another compelling story in this eventful baseball season.
This one concerns National League triple crown contender Joey Votto, the centerpiece of a Cincinnati youth movement that is beginning to look a bit like a reincarnation of the 1970s Big Red Machine.
At 26, Votto's third major league season has been quietly spectacular. The first baseman had the NL batting lead (.322) entering Friday's game against Atlanta in a meeting of NL East and Central Division leaders.
He also had the league lead in home runs (26) and was tied for third in runs batted in (70).
While the triple crown has been achieved just 16 times dating back to 1878, it hasn't happened in the NL since St. Louis' Ducky Medwick in 1937.
The past five triple crowns have been won by American Leaguers - the most recent being Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
Yastrzemski began his pro career in 1959 with the Raleigh Caps of the Class A Carolina League. Playing in long-gone Devereux Meadow, which was located on Downtown Boulevard, Yaz batted .377 in 120 games and frequently received personal (but always public) batting lessons in the park from Ted Williams. An uncanny part of these many threads is that Votto's size (6 feet 3, 230 pounds) and batting style are eerily similar to Hamilton. But like Yaz, Votto is a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter.
Hamilton, a former No. 1 draft pick, and Yaz, the nation's top prospect in 1958 as a second baseman out of Notre Dame, obviously began with high expectations.
Votto, a second-round pick in 2002, was never seen as much more than a decent bet to eventually contribute at the MLB level.
A native of Toronto, Votto is still relatively unknown outside the Great American Ball Park.
It's a stark departure from the high expectations that marked the arrivals of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez to the Reds roster in the 1960s.
In a league top heavy with first basemen - Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Ryan Howard (Philadelphia) and Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego) - Votto said he felt fortunate just to be included on the All-Star roster as a sub.
Even in Toronto, Votto is typical of all baseball players in that the beloved but struggling NHL Maple Leafs dominate the sports landscape.
"It's for sure there aren't many kids in Toronto who put baseball first on their favorite sports list," Votto said during All-Star Game interviews.
That situation could be changing some.
Minnesota's Justin Morneau, a native of the Vancouver area, won the AL Most Valuable Player award last season, and Jason Bay (Vancouver area) of the New York Mets last season had 36 homers and 119 runs batted in for Boston.
Entering the final two months of the season, the focus on Votto, Hamilton and Cabrera will increase.
