The 2013 reader picks for best local athletes, teams and recreational sports spots around town.   

From Joey Votto's cool hitting style to the local coaches, teams and recreational spots we enjoy all year long.   

When you consider everything that went wrong this season — and everything that, already, is going right for next year — you’ll see that Xavier’s next great team may be closer than you think.  

The Reds’ pitchers and catchers, including Punxsutawney-native Devin Mesoraco, report for spring training on Feb. 11, signaling the start of yet another baseball season.  

Until July of 2015, you’re going to hear a lot about Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. And for good reason — the game could bring anywhere from $75-$100 million into the city.   

As America spends the next two weeks readying for its largest annual sporting event, the spectacle, hype and excitement of the Super Bowl will undoubtedly overshadow the toll our enjoyment takes on the players on the field.   

It’s tough, at this point, to debate the fact that Bob Castellini might be the greatest thing to happen to the Cincinnati sporting scene in the last decade. Coaches and players come and go, but a commitment from ownership is the most important thing any pro sports franchise needs for sustained success.   

The shutout in this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame voting was ugly, but the 2013 ballot and beyond could get downright messy.   

Is Dalton the quarterback who can lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl? For now, at least, his coach is sticking by him, so that’s about all that matters.   

Orson Charles had no idea that the Bengals hadn’t won a playoff game in his lifetime. Yet, it’s true. The Bengals rookie tight end was born Jan. 27, 1991 — just three weeks after the team’s 10-7 victory over the Houston Oilers on Jan. 6, the franchise’s last playoff victory.