It’s a topic no one feels like talking about. It’s a stat commonly dismissed, regarded as weak or passive. And in 2014, it is killing the Cincinnati Reds offense.

Take a brief stroll through Twitter to find out what people think of walking, especially regarding Joey Votto, who has built a reputation for accumulating bases on balls (BBs):

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this toxic train of thought seemingly pollutes the general public, it flows from a main water line. In this case, Reds Hall of Fame commentator Marty Brennaman. Lance McAlister tweeted a quote from Marty in June 2013, a year in which Votto would finish as the No. 1 run creator in the NL:

 

The prevailing thought of RBI being more important than BB isn’t relegated to just spectators of the sport either. Take the Chicago Cubs‘ Anthony Rizzo, for example, who on June 25 offered this to ESPN.com’s Sahadev Sharma:

I don’t really take pride in walking—I don’t really want to walk,” he said. “I’d rather drive the ball in the gap. But if I get a free pass, I get a free pass. It just depends on the situation. It really comes down to me swinging at the right pitches, and if I don’t get them and I have to walk, then I’ll walk.

Which of course is interesting when you consider the fact that Anthony Rizzo is on pace to finish the season with the highest on-base percentage (OBP) of his career (currently .376), thanks in large part to an increasing amount of walks.

The debate over RBI vs. OBP doesn’t need to be revisited in this space. Furthermore, to continue to acknowledge that it’s even a debate would be insulting to those who understand that there is no RBI without OBP.

Instead, I invite Reds fans to take a serious look at what the contenders in the NL are doing compared to the Reds in relation to walks. And feel free to keep the opening quotes from random fans and Brennaman in mind when reading the following. This won’t be hardcore sabermetrics. It won’t be anything mind-blowing, but hopefully mildly enlightening.

First, let’s observe the Reds and their walk total. At 397, that’s No. 21 in the sport. The Milwaukee Brewers are the only contending NL team with fewer walks than the Reds. The free-falling Brewers. 

Is anyone surprised, or repulsed, that Votto, who has played 62 games on the year, still leads this team in walks? Forty-seven walks from a guy who played 62 games, and most of those 62 two games were played on one leg. That’s the guy leading the team in BB.

I’ll provide a quick run-down of the top five Reds in walks, then we’ll compare their totals to the other contenders. Keep in mind, this is a Reds team that ranks third-worst in the entire sport in OBP, according to ESPN.com.

Joey Votto: 47
Todd Frazier: 46
Jay Bruce: 44
Devin Mesoraco: 40
Billy Hamilton: 32

The top five walkers on the Reds account for a meager 209 walks. 

By itself, this shouldn’t mean much, other than the fact that someone with nearly half the amount of games is still leading the team in BB. Now look at the five best walkers on the NL contenders, put them in relation to the Reds, and keep that terrible Reds OBP stat in mind:

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Yasiel Puig: 64
Adrian Gonzalez: 52
Matt Kemp: 51
Hanley Ramirez: 51 
Andre Ellis: 50

Total: 268 walks

Pittsburgh Pirates:

Andrew McCutchen: 72
Russell Martin: 56
Ike Davis: 54
Pedro Alvarez: 45
Neil Walker: 45

Total: 272 walks

St. Louis Cardinals:

Matt Carpenter: 88
Matt Holliday: 69
Jhonny Peralta: 56
John Jay: 28
Yadier Molina: 27

Total: 268 walks

Washington Nationals:

Adam LaRoche: 79
Jayson Werth: 75
Anthony Rendon: 53
Denard Span: 48
Ian Desmond: 41

Total: 296 walks

San Francisco Giants:

Brandon Crawford: 56
Hunter Pence: 50
Buster Posey: 44
Gregor Blanco: 39
Pablo Sandoval: 39

Total: 228 walks

The above are the five NL teams currently occupying a playoff spot. And while we have no interest in seeing our best players walk, the aforementioned teams are walking right into October. The Reds, meanwhile, continue their hacktastic approach to the game.

And that’s what Reds fans want, right? See the above tweets. We don’t want our best players to walk. They aren’t paid to walk; rather, they’re paid to hit home runs and drive in runners. They’re paid to amass RBI.

But how does one amass RBI with no one on base? Sure, there’s always the strategy of just putting it over the wall every at-bat, but some might argue that’s the Reds’ current approach. 

Yes, the hits are down, and a .239 team batting average is terrible. But the Reds don’t lead baseball in strikeouts (No. 9 in the NL), meaning they are putting plenty of balls in play…for outs.

According to FanGraphs.com, the Reds are No. 8 in O-swing percentage, meaning swings at balls out of the strike zone. Their swing percentage is an overall 48.1 percent, the No. 8 most swing-happy team in the sport.

The point being: plate discipline is a serious issue in this organization. And rather than supporting the one player on the Reds who understands that plate discipline is ultimately the key to a better offense, that wearing down pitchers is crucial, that an at-bat will not be compromised by simply offering at what the pitcher is serving, we chastise and mock him.

Because guys with high-dollar contracts aren’t paid to walk, right? 

Guys with high-dollar contracts are paid to win baseball games. And as cool as it is to hit home runs and RBI, it’s even cooler to win. That’s what someone like Votto understands. That’s what seemingly every contending team referenced above understands.

The question is, when will the Reds and the bulk of their fans?

 

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com