Joey Votto, still a jerk

Reds first baseman again prevents Phillies fan from snagging foul ball

You may remember back in 2016, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto pulled off an apparently hilarious prank on Phillies fans during a game at Citizens Bank Park.

During the game, he faked as if he was going to throw a foul ball to those in attendance, but instead kept it and tossed it back into the field of play.


MORE PHILLIES: Watching the Phillies game on Facebook was actually AWESOME (please like and share)


This move — getting the hopes up of eager fans and then pulling the rug out from under them — made him a "savage," according to the Reds.

Later in the game, he did the same thing to a kid, even though afterward he tried to give some BS response explaining that he was trying to fake out an adult who was giving him a hard time. You can watch the tape below and decide.

Fast-forward to the 2018 season. Votto, playing first base Monday night against the Phillies, sprinted to prevent a foul ball from trickling toward some fans during the first inning.

Hey, instead of characterizing Votto as a "national treasure" and "having a little fun" for this, let's call it what it is: he's a jerk. The whole shtick is tired and lazy at this point. Just let the fans have a freaking ball.