NBC's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the Cincinnati Reds' game against the Cubs in Chicago, which featured former Reds great Joey Votto as an analyst, included a discussion about the importance of hitting coaches.
"I didn't listen to the hitting coach," Votto said. "Me. I listened to me. During the course of my entire career, a hitting coach was not a factor. But that's just my experience. … I had great hitting coaches in the minor leagues. And a good minor-league system should hand it off."
"I've never seen a human being take as many swings as Joey Votto," former Reds pitcher and analyst Jeff Brantley said during the broadcast. "When nobody else was around, he was in the cage hitting off the tee."
Earlier in the broadcast, Votto said he had
a pregame message he delivered to Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
Before the game, Votto explained the impact a moment at Wrigley Field from early in his MLB career had on him.
Votto also shared a message with Reds fans in a video on his Instagram story ahead of the broadcast, to which he's contributing as an analyst.
Votto was asked while making his NBC Sunday Night Baseball debut July 26 whether he ever lobbied to play the outfield, and he mentioned a painful memory.
Votto also explained during NBC's July broadcast why he's never visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Votto generated buzz on social media with his responses to questions on "MLB Now" from MLB Network's Brian Kenny about whether Votto is interested in working for his former team.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joey Votto says hitting coach was non-factor during Reds-Cubs NBC game
