Joey Votto's Incredible Run Began With The 'Abigail Game'

Cincinnati Reds' future Hall of Fame first baseman Joey Votto was off to a horrendous start in the first couple of months of the 2021 season. It was capped off on June 19th, when he was ejected in the 1st inning for arguing balls & strikes. 

Little did he know that in the stands that day was the little girl that would change the course of his season. 6-year-old Abigail was at her first Reds game, excited to see her favorite player Joey Votto in action. After his 1st inning ejection, Abigail's heartbroken face made social media headlines. The Reds, and Votto, came to the rescue before the game was over, delivering her a signed baseball, and then two days later she got to meet her hero in person. 

Since that day, Votto has caught fire. 

Joey Votto before the Abigail game:
.234/.327/.441 105 wRC+
Joey Votto since the Abigail game:
.316/.407/.674 177wRC+ https://t.co/jADVHxeCus

— John Ford (@kingofchapter1) August 20, 2021

His .234 average and .768 OPS before the Abigail game have been a distant memory since then, as he's hit .316 with a 1.081 OPS in the two months since. 

The nearly 38-year-old has an incredible 16 homers in his last 28 games. He's also now tied with Johnny Bench for 3rd all-time runs-scored in Reds history, behind only Pete Rose and Barry Larkin. 

No word on if little Abigail has been back to see Votto and the Reds since, but somewhere her great smile continues to inspire her hero to a red-hot second-half and an inspiring chapter in his legendary career. 

Photo Credit: @SuperBarry11