A player who has been around for a long time — who consistently produces (even during off years), who coaches and uplifts rookies, who keeps learning and who just generally sets a good example — is a pillar. Drafted by the team in 2002, Joey Votto is that player for the Reds. The man has spent his entire career in a Cincinnati uniform while reaching big-time club and league milestones, stepping up when other players would dip. Hell, he's a future Hall of Famer, according to multiple baseball experts. But Votto’s aging body finally screamed for help in August, culminating in season-ending rotator-cuff surgery. That hasn’t stopped him from living his best life, though. As the Reds stumbled to the finish line, Votto frequently was making wisecracks about nipples in the broadcast booth and high-fiving fans in the cheap seats at the ballpark. And during his rehab assignments, the first baseman improved his chess game, honed his social media stories and even predicted that aliens would finally help the team win its first World Series since 1990. We’re as anxious as anybody for Votto to get back onto the field in 2023, but even if he never played again, we’d still be grateful for the chaotic good he’s brought into fans’ lives. reds.com.

Here are the 2023 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Sports & Recreation.

1. Soccer City
2. Town and Country Sports Health Club
3. Wall2Wall

1. Schmidt Boat Ramp and Ballfields
2. Riverside Park
3. Westside Sports Park

1. 700 WLW-AM
2. FOX Sports Ohio
3. WCPO-TV

1. Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
2. YMCA Camp Ernst
3. Clifton Cultural Arts Center

1. Cincinnati Rollergirls
2. Florence Y’alls
3. Dayton Dragons

1. Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino
2. FanDuel Sportsbook
3. Betfred

1. University of Cincinnati football
2. Xavier University men’s basketball
3. Ohio State University football

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. FC Cincinnati
3. Cincinnati Cyclones

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Camargo Racquet Club
3. The Club at Harper’s Point

1. Fifty West Production Works
2. Knotty Pine Rock Club and Tiki Bar
3. Cabana on the River

1. Body Alive
2. Shellates Studio
3. Pilates Center of Cincinnati

1. Red River Gorge
2. Hocking Hills State Park
3. Winton Woods

1. Sunlite Pool (Coney Island)
2. Ziegler Park
3. Kings Island

1. Flying Pig Marathon
2. Queen Bee Half Marathon
3. Thanksgiving Day Race

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Fifty West Brewing Company
3. Dulle Park

1. Joey Votto
2. Jonathan India
3. Tyler Stephenson

1. Oakley Park
2. Blue Ash Recreation Center
3. Mt. Echo Park

1. ProForce Sports Performance
2. Strength Beyond the Weights
3. Trilogy Fitness Systems

1. Joe Burrow
2. Sam Hubbard
3. Tee Higgins