Choo, Votto vying for rare dual on-base feat

SAN FRANCISCO -- According to a blog post from noted baseball scribe Joe Posnanski with "Five fun baseball stats from 2013 to impress your friends," Cincinnati's Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are both on pace to reach base more than 300 times this year, a feat that's happened just twice since the 1930s.

Choo, who entered Wednesday leading all Major League leadoff hitters in home runs, walks and on-base percentage, was in the midst of a career-high 16-game hitting streak during which he went 28-for-65 (.431) before going hitless in Tuesday's doubleheader against the Giants.

The Reds center fielder entered Wednesday with a .425 on-base percentage and had reached base through 107 hits and 67 walks this season with 61 games remaining.

Votto came into Wednesday leading the National League in walks, intentional walks and on-base percentage and had reached base safely in 94 of his 101 games, including an active season-high streak of 35 games.

Cincinnati's first baseman owns a .434 on-base percentage and has reached base through 118 hits and 76 walks.

"I would imagine two pretty great hitters who got on base quite a bit," Votto said when asked to guess the last time such a duo has crossed the 300 threshold.

He isn't wrong. According to Posnanski, the last pair of teammates to reach base 300-plus times was Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams on the 1999 Yankees. Astros standouts and potential Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell did it two years before them, but no other combination of teammates has done so in the modern era.

"Those are good combos," Votto said.