SAN DIEGO — Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto said he figures that some MLB players haven’t been ejected in their careers, but that’s not who he is.
On Saturday against the San Diego Padres, Votto got his money’s worth.
After the third base umpire ruled on a check swing for strike three, Votto shouted in the face of the umpire over a two-minute span, didn’t leave the field immediately after he was tossed and earned his 13th career ejection.
“Stuff like that happens when you're competing,” Votto said on Sunday. “I was thinking about this last night in bed, my mom always told me that I have my father's temper — my late father's temper — I was thinking about today being Father's Day. I was thinking about, would he have been proud? Yeah. For sure. Happy Father's Day everyone.”
That’s as revealing as Votto was about what happened on the field in the top of the first inning.
After third base umpire Chris Guccione called Votto’s check swing a strike, Votto walked down the third base line toward him. Then, when home plate umpire Ryan Additon said something to Votto, Votto turned around and focused his argument at Additon.
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“I was thinking about feeling regret and did I feel any sort of shame with my emotional outburst,” Votto said. “The answer is probably no. Maybe a little bit with some of the language but probably no, because I was true to myself.”
Votto didn’t share what Additon said that sparked such a strong reaction.
“It’s not as entertaining if I give you the ins and outs of it,” Votto said. “Nobody really wants to know how fireworks work, right? He was right to throw me out, there's no question about it.”
Votto said he hasn’t thought about whether or not he’ll be suspended, but he was back in the lineup on Sunday.
That gave one Reds fan another chance to see her favorite player.
After Votto’s ejection, a Reds fan at the game in San Diego posted a photo of her young daughter crying while wearing a Joey Votto T-shirt.
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The family had traveled to San Diego for Father’s Day weekend, and the Reds offered them tickets to Sunday’s game.
In addition to that, they got a signed ball by Votto that said, “I am sorry I didn’t play the entire game.”
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“There is something to being out there for the fan that makes the trip for the first time (at a game),” Votto said “I've had plenty of people tell me that this is their first game, 'You're my favorite player, thanks.'' If I'm not playing in the lineup or if I get tossed, they miss out on that opportunity.”
“I was glad that our side, (general manager) Nick Krall and (clubhouse manager) Rick Stowe, were able to spot it and we were able to get her that ball. That's not able to make up for missing out on the game yesterday, so we left her tickets today. I hope that she gets to watch a Reds win and I play well for her.”
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