Joey Votto and Cincy Sports

[Fred Garvin]

If it is serious- and I hope to God it is not- then this town is sports cursed. If he has vertigo or some serious neurological disorder then this is worse than Palmer's knee. I mean we get Palmer's knee and Pitt has Big Ben survive a motorcycle accident.

Worse than Kijana going down in Detroit. Worse than Pollack's freak injury. Worse than Greg Cook.

The Votto thing could be on a par with Johnny Bench. Bench had a serious illness circa 1970. Can't remember exactly what it was but he obviously recovered. Our own Brian Grant is affliceted with Parkinsons. His playing days are over but that doesn't lessen the tragedy. The same could be said for UC and Derrick Dickey. And of course we all had our breath taken away when we learned about the beloved Skip Prosser.

What tragedies have befallen Cincy sports figures? Exclude the obvious. No knee injuries or injuries that were inevitable(like injuries to a pitcher with poor mechanics.e.g. Bill Bray or Scott Williamson). I also don't count drug addictions like those of a Stanley Wilson.

Who is our Tony C? What is our Oklahoma State men's basketball team crash? Anyone pull a Tom Mees/Joe Delaney?

Also, the Kenyon Crumble was no tragedy. And I shed no tears for the departed Lewis Billups.

Sometimes a misfortune is all in how you look at it. Sam Wyche and Andy Mac lose their voices and that is sad. Snipe retains his and that is equally sad.

[xavierdude]

Oh dear...say it ain't so!

[XU-PA]

Bench was a cancer scare, the way the story started out back then is it was a "spot" on his lung.
Not sure whether it was an operation or chemo that solved the problem but it was a quick end, "Q" could probably fill in the details.

Reds Coach Fred Hutchinson was our "Tony C". He led the Reds to the World Series in '61 (damn yankees). Died of cancer in '64. Was a hell of a pitcher in his playing days, started out in the Seattle minor league system, pitched for Detroit for a decade.
And now there's the Hutch Award in his honor.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

If it is serious- and I hope to God it is not- then this town is sports cursed. If he has vertigo or some serious neurological disorder then this is worse than Palmer's knee. I mean we get Palmer's knee and Pitt has Big Ben survive a motorcycle accident.

Worse than Kijana going down in Detroit. Worse than Pollack's freak injury. Worse than Greg Cook.

The Votto thing could be on a par with Johnny Bench. Bench had a serious illness circa 1970. Can't remember exactly what it was but he obviously recovered. Our own Brian Grant is affliceted with Parkinsons. His playing days are over but that doesn't lessen the tragedy. The same could be said for UC and Derrick Dickey. And of course we all had our breath taken away when we learned about the beloved Skip Prosser.

What tragedies have befallen Cincy sports figures? Exclude the obvious. No knee injuries or injuries that were inevitable(like injuries to a pitcher with poor mechanics.e.g. Bill Bray or Scott Williamson). I also don't count drug addictions like those of a Stanley Wilson.

Who is our Tony C? What is our Oklahoma State men's basketball team crash? Anyone pull a Tom Mees/Joe Delaney?

Also, the Kenyon Crumble was no tragedy. And I shed no tears for the departed Lewis Billups.

Sometimes a misfortune is all in how you look at it. Sam Wyche and Andy Mac lose their voices and that is sad. Snipe retains his and that is equally sad.

Its only an inner ear infection...sheez

[chico]

Darnell Williams.

I'll always believe if he doesn't blow out his knee that team is a legit Final 4 contender.

Remember Wayne Simpson? The guy was lights out for the Reds in 1970, but Sparky used him too often and he developed arm trouble. Today he's basically lost all use of his right arm.

[xutag77]

Don't discount a severe inner ear infection. I was in and out of work for about a month with sporatic dizziness while they were trying to find it. At one point, I spent a weekend in the hospital where they finally found it. I was given the strongest anti-biotic of the day and the thing went away.

Very scary times.

[Raoul Duke]

Don't discount a severe inner ear infection. I was in and out of work for about a month with sporatic dizziness while they were trying to find it. At one point, I spent a weekend in the hospital where they finally found it. I was given the strongest anti-biotic of the day and the thing went away.

Very scary times.

Damn, nice work Nostradamus.

Ear Infection confirmed (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=blog07&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ae57bcc87-152a-4f72-96fb-cc08b1f396efPost%3a9f77e955-157c-4374-ada2-26453b7f91f3&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com)

I was going to make a joke this morning about maybe Joey Votto was just now realizing he was Joey Flacco's long lost twin, but I was afraid it was something more serious. Glad to hear they have it under control.

[blobfan]

Damn, nice work Nosferatu.

Ear Infection confirmed (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=blog07&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ae57bcc87-152a-4f72-96fb-cc08b1f396efPost%3a9f77e955-157c-4374-ada2-26453b7f91f3&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com)

I was going to make a joke this morning about maybe Joey Votto was just now realizing he was Joey Flacco's long lost twin, but I was afraid it was something more serious. Glad to hear they have it under control.

What's the vampire connection?

[Raoul Duke]

What's the vampire connection?

Haha, sheit. Meant to type Nostradamus. My mind has already checked out for the weekend...

[Smooth]

2 AB's, 2 HR's. The albatross falls from our neck.

I love me some Iron Maiden.

[PM Thor]

If we win, then great, then it's a waste.

I HATE dayton.

[An X Fan]

Homer Bailey and David Weathers outdueled Joey Votto. Sad.

[Kahns Krazy]

Inner ear infection leads to "stress issues"?

What does everyone think when they hear that?

[AdamtheFlyer]

Inner ear infection leads to "stress issues"?

What does everyone think when they hear that?

Anxiety. It's probably been an underlying issue (or a prevalent one) with him for a while, but a condition that makes you dizzy and disorientated can really only add to the anxiety. Votto's always been kind of quiet and gave short answers to the media...never really comfortable on camera. Most thought it was just his personality...maybe there was a different cause.

I don't know any facts, but the entire story paints the picture of anxiety. Nothing is physically wrong with the scans and tests and the infection should be gone, but he's still not right. That's something mental.

[DC Muskie]

Is it me or are there more guys getting treated for anxiety now in baseball then ever before?

Here's a list off the top of my head:

Votto
Ankiel
Willis
Grenkie
Khalid Greene

[Smails]

Panic attacks....

Scary stuff, but a helluva more treatable than vertigo

[picknroll]

could it be he's gay and is perplexed and confused how to come out? Hey, just tell us the truth and we'll stop surmising. Just sayin'.

[wkrq59]

Bench was a cancer scare, the way the story started out back then is it was a "spot" on his lung.
Not sure whether it was an operation or chemo that solved the problem but it was a quick end, "Q" could probably fill in the details.

Reds Coach Fred Hutchinson was our "Tony C". He led the Reds to the World Series in '61 (damn Yankees). Died of cancer in '64. Was a hell of a pitcher in his playing days, started out in the Seattle minor league system, pitched for Detroit for a decade.
And now there's the Hutch Award in his honor.

The Bench situation occurred before the days of privacy laws. He went through a routine physical because he was feeling ill. I don't know whether he smoked. Doubt it. But he was found to have some sort of lesion on one of his lungs. We did find out it wasn't heart related or and I'm not really sure if the lesion or lesions were malignant. At any rate, the exam came after the season wasover and a noted local surgeon Dr. Tews operated on him and removed the lesions and Bench returned the following season.
As for tragedies, don't forget the Sycamore High School grad who missed the Marshall plane crash because he was injured and kept off the flight so a booster could have his seat.
John Battaglia, the late gm at then Latonia Raceway, now Turfway, died during heart surgery. John was one of the leading horse racing experts in the nation. His son Billy had serious drug problems, Billy's older brother Bruce went to prison for some crime and only Mike, the eldest son had been untouched by the terrible misfortune that plagued that family. Mike, the on-track announcer for Turfway and Keeneland race tracks, does much of the sidebar interviewing on derby day and makes the morning line at Churchill Downs each year and also does the line for the Derby and both Turfway and Keeneland. :D

[wkrq59]

could it be he's gay and is perplexed and confused how to come out? Hey, just tell us the truth and we'll stop surmising. Just sayin'.

Picknroll. That comment, even in jest is inappropriate. And since when do we have to be told the truth about something even the physicians, club managers and the guy's own teammates are uncertain of? Look, the Reds are in somewhat a state of shock over this. Remember they lost Nick Esasky to vertigo. Stress caused anxiety, panic attacks and similar ailments physical or mental are nothing to joke about. We're talking about a 25-year-old man who hitherto was apparently a healthy functioning human being in an unusually stressful job. He is now having trouble maintaining his balance and is beset by headaches, and God-only-knows what else. :D

[bleedXblue]

Votto is living a dream for crying out loud ! He's going to make millions and millions playing a freaking game ?

Stress ? I'm not buying it.....Something else is going on.

[blobfan]

Did they specify physical versus emotional stress? I'd think the heat and long hours spent standing on the mound could cause the occasional vertiginous feeling and if you've had ongoing problems with vertigo, a simple hot sweat or mis-step could send you into a panic attack. Knowing it's only in your head doesn't make the symptoms go away.

[Raoul Duke]

Votto is living a dream for crying out loud ! He's going to make millions and millions playing a freaking game ?

Stress ? I'm not buying it.....

Then you don't understand disorders of this type.

You're making an admittedly rational argument, but stress and anxiety disorders don't necessarily behave rationally.

[Raoul Duke]

could it be he's gay and is perplexed and confused how to come out? Hey, just tell us the truth and we'll stop surmising. Just sayin'.

Hmm, I'm not offended like wkrq59, and I don't care about appropriateness, but isn't this kind of an odd comment? Projecting much?

[Fred Garvin]

Geez, Volquez comes off the DL and goes an inning. Good to see Dr.Kremquack working his magic.