“You like my backwards hat? And untucked jersey?”

Joey Votto’s mini-slump came to a thunderous conclusion during Monday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals. he eschewed the largely pull-power we’ve seen from him since his August 2020 swing change and gave us a throwback - a vintage oppo-blast, a perfectly patient swing that launched the decisive 2-run tater over the wall in left-center at the Nats Stadium.

He spoke about it, and other things, with Jim Day after the game concluded.

The Cincinnati Reds are young and hip. Joey Votto is hip, at least - tragically hip.

The team’s big brother spawned the latest shirt release from our friends at BreakingT, which you can see below and acquire through this link.

Lest we forget about Spencer Steer, who keeps kind of being the guy that we, and everyone else, overlooks. Matt McLain is doin’ numbers, Andrew Abbott’s precision has its own panache, and Elly De La Cruz has more talent in his pinky finger than the entire history of humanity, yet it’s Steer who’s been out there socking dongs with aplomb. He leads the team in homers and ribbies (and OBP), and his 11.3% walk rate is bested only by Will Benson. His numbers across the board have him firmly contending for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and it’s high time he had some rep in this game, too.

BreakingT is on that, too. Skid’s got his own shirt now, too.

You can purchase either of these new releases (or any of the previously released apparel) through this link. Full disclosure, doing so will provide me with a few dollars with which I can subsequently purchase fruit roll-ups or one-third of a shaving razor blade or one of those handy tire-pressure gauges for my glove compartment that I’ll never use.

The Reds are hip. Be hip, too.

Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images