Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

PHILADELPHIA – With two outs in the sixth inning of Cincinnati’s 9-4 win over Philadelphia on Sunday, Reds first baseman Joey Votto ranged into foul territory to corral a grounder. He picked up the dead ball, he turned to the Phillies fans along the fence and raised his arm to toss it into the crowd.

Nope. Votto spun to return the ball to his pitcher instead.

He walked back to his station in the infield with wearing a satisfied grin. Once he got there, he turned again to the crown and pumped his fist in self-congratulation.

Some took the gestures as mean-spirited, but after the game Votto insisted he was just being playful.

“I was just having fun with them,” Votto said. “They give you a hard time during the game. That’s my way of giving them a hard time back.”

His trolling certainly didn’t calm the masses. When Votto struck out to end the eighth with a runner on third – his third strikeout of the game – the stands erupted with some of the loudest cheers of the game.

That only made Votto redouble his mischievous efforts. As he entered the dugout following the bottom of the eight, Votto faked out another Phillies fan looking for a giveaway.

He popped back into view only to mimic the man’s frenzied reaction as he tried to catch the phantom ball.

“A high percentage of the guys and ladies and kids on the first-base side were smiling and laughing,” Votto said. “Fair game. I happened to pop in during the game and on TV the theme was I didn’t give a ball to a kid, which is definitely not the case. I made a point to not give a ball to an adult that was giving me a hard time. So be it.”

When a Philadelphia-based reporter asked for a response to those who were irked by his teasing, Votto leaned into the microphone for his answer: “Too bad.”

At the end of his media session, Votto couldn’t resist one last joke.

“I have no problems with any of the Philly fans, except for the Philly fan kids,” he said with a smile. “I can’t stand kids here. Kids drive me crazy, Philly fans especially.”

Sunday’s game was the last between the two teams, so Phillies fans will have to wait until next season to tell him how they feel.