Votto apologies for comments

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has apologized for saying he doesn’t care about Canadian baseball after being asked about James Paxton’s recent no-hitter.

Votto talked about Paxton’s feat for the Mariners against the Blue Jays in Toronto in a Yahoo Sports podcast. The 2010 National League MVP responded that “As far as Toronto, and Canadian baseball, and the country of Canada, and (Paxton) being Canadian, I don’t care at all.”

The Toronto native said he is “terribly ashamed” of his comments and called them “ridiculously selfish and short-sighted” in an email posted on the Canadian Baseball Network website.

Votto said the question brought back feelings of resentment over not making Team Canada or being drafted by the Blue Jays. Votto played for Canada at the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics. The deal is subject to NFL approval.

League owners will meet next week in Atlanta, where they are expected to vote on the purchase.

Since Tepper already has been vetted by the league as a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the approval process is not expected to run into any snags.

The transaction is expected to close in July, the team announced.