Yeah, he struck out, but I agree with Daedalus, Joey Votto needs to play every day. Evidently, he’ll get his first start this afternoon against the Mets:
“It was funny that I heard a little bit of noise from the crowd, and that felt good,” Votto said. “It was good to get it out of the way, it’ll be nice to play a full game (today) and let all four at-bats take care of themselves.”
Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin said Votto will start at first base today against Mets right-hander John Maine….
“There were tons of times that I was impatient,” Votto said. “I kept things in pretty good perspective. I knew who was in front of me. Scott (Hatteberg) is hitting .300 and Jorge (Cantu) is a right-hander and has won a Silver Slugger before. I respect them. I wanted my time, but it was a little bit of both. I was impatient, but if I get my opportunity from this point on, I know I’ll take advantage of it. I don’t want to go back (to the minor leagues).”
With respect to Hatteberg, this guy has been one class act as a Red, and he’s become one of my favorites. Check out his perspective on Votto’s arrival:
“I figured he’s going to play. You’re not going to bring him up here to eat Slush Puppies,” said Hatteberg, who is hitting .310 in 115 games for the Reds. “They’ve got to think about next year and figure things out. If I were GM, I’d be looking at things too, looking for combinations. You already know what my tired act can do.”
Hatteberg’s time as a Red may be nearly at an end, but I’m going to miss the big guy. No question about it.