Votto has a grip on hitting, even with his extreme “Kershaw” choke on the bat

Joey Votto is quite special as a hitter, and so layered like an onion in his approaches to baseball that he carries four levels of “choking up” with him to the plate. He calls the most extreme grip, “Kershaw,” explaining his tactics before Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game at Marlins Park.

That choke up, which is one level higher on the bat than what Votto calls "scared to death," is quite a tribute to Dodgers' lefty Clayton Kershaw, who has won three Cy Young awards with a career ERA of 2.35.