One young Cincinnati Reds fan went to a game to see her favorite player — slugger Joey Votto. Only problem? He got ejected in the first inning.
Don’t worry, Votto would make up for this flaw in judgement.
Votto struck out on a check-swing against the San Diego Padres on Saturday, and had a frank discussion with the umpire. Said talk did not end well for the Reds first baseman, who was promptly thrown out after his first at-bat.
While Votto had every right to argue with the umpire and make his case, what he didn’t know was the means one Reds fan went to in order to see her favorite player for the first time in person.
Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto does right by young fan
Now, because baseball is amazing, this tweet made its rounds on social media very quickly. Once Votto and the Reds saw it, they opted to do right by their young fan, sending her a signed baseball with an apology note from the man himself.
I may or may not be crying while writing this article.
The ejection was the 13th of Votto’s career, so he’s quite familiar with the routine at this point. He cannot control who is in the stands, so by no means is this a stain on his resume.
The Red social media person, however, deserves an immediate raise for finding sad flaw in judgement, point it out, and taking care of a fan who will now be a Votto supporter for life. That’s just how it works.
The Padres down the Reds, 7-5, on Saturday afternoon. The real winner, however, was a young girl who just loves baseball.