Reds’ Votto proud of fifth All-Star honor
Reds first baseman: Getting voted in by peers ‘different feeling.’
Joey Votto will limit his all-star experience to the game itself, as he has decided not to participate in the Home Run Derby.
Reds first baseCINCINNATI — man Joey Votto promised to buy shortstop Zack Cozart a donkey if the fans voted Cozart into the All-Star Game.
No one promised to buy Votto anything if he received an AllStar nod for the first time since 2013, though with his $22 million salary he could buy a $200, 5-month-old donkey named Jack on EquineNow.com and 109,999 just like him.
Votto most likely will limit his donkey buying to the one for Cozart, who was named an AllStar starter Sunday. As for Votto, seeing his peers vote him into the game is prize enough.
“If you get selected by the fans,” Votto said, “you feel embraced by the people that come to the game and you feel embraced by mostly your fan base, because that’s usually who supports you. And that’s a really exciting thing. When you’re selected by your peers, coaches or managers, that’s a different feeling. That’s kind of this inner circle, ‘We get it’ feeling. I’m very proud of that and very
ALL-STAR SCHEDULE ■ SUNDAY All-Star Futures Game, 4 p.m., MLB ■ MONDAY Home Run Derby, 8 p.m., ESPN ■ JULY 11 All-Star Game, 7:30 p.m., Fox
grateful that I was selected in that fashion.”
The Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman will start at first base for the NL in the 88th All-Star Game on July 11 in Miami. In addition to Votto, one other NL first baseman made the team, the Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt.
Zimmerman leads the group with a .335 average. Votto has the most home runs (23). Goldschmidt has the most RBIs (66).
“I was aware that just about everybody was playing really, really well,” Votto said. “I knew that if I didn’t make the team, it wouldn’t have necessarily felt like I had been ignored because there were so many candidates.
“To make the team amongst these group of guys — one of them I think is one of the best players in baseball — it’s a great thing. I think it’s pretty cool.”
Votto will play in the AllStar Game for the first time in four years. He made four straight games starting in 2010. Injuries derailed him in 2014. He put up big numbers in 2015 and 2016, but slow starts prevented him from being an All-Star.
Votto hit .256 in April but then .309 in May and .364 in June. He has four hits in his first seven at-bats in July, raising his season average to .317. He was named NL Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .524 with three home runs in seven games last week.
Reds manager Bryan Price praised the selection of Votto.
“I’m glad that didn’t fly over the top of the commissioner’s office,” Price said. “They did a great job in picking a player that’s earned it, again, through performance. We don’t get a lot of hype out here in Cincinnati.
“For Joey to make it, he had to go out there and run numbers, which he did. Home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging percentage, on-base percentage. To me, he’s having his best defensive year. His base running is improving. Every part of his game is getting better, and it didn’t go unnoticed by those in the office who made the decision on the additional players.”
Votto entered Monday ranked second in the NL in home runs but decided to not participate in the Home Run Derby.
“I was asked by Major League Baseball, and I passed,” Votto said. “I passed because it’s a style of hitting that I never do. I’ve played every game thus far this season, and I’m concerned about two things. I’m concerned about potentially getting injured, and I’m concerned about not being able to do my very best if I can sense an injury.
“It’s a challenging event. It’s something that I’d rather save for the field and during the games.”