The NL Central has long held the distinction of hosting some of the game’s greatest sluggers.
Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire held court before the arrivals of Adam Dunn, Carlos Lee and Derrek Lee.
But with the decisions of Albert Pujols & Prince Fielder to sign lucrative free agent contracts in L.A. and Detroit, respectively, the question arises as to which player takes over the crown as the NL Central’s greatest slugger?
Here’s how I see it:
I voted 25 times for Joey Votto’s All Star selection.
When that wasn’t enough, I ‘voted Votto’ again in the Fan’s Choice voting.
No way would I let the NL’s first half MVP get left behind…
even if it was a Cincinnati Red and not a Chicago Cub.
But after Votto’s Bush League move Tuesday night,
refusing to congratulate his fellow teammate Marlon Byrd
because he plays for the rival Cubs, I’m through voting Votto for anything…other than ‘Jerk’ of the NL.
“I don’t like the Cubs,” Votto said.
“And I’m not going to pat anybody with a Cubs uniform on the back.
But because he made that really cool play,
it turned out to be a really cool experience.
I’m really glad we got the win today.”
Somebody on the Reds, perhaps a veteran like Scott Rolen,
needs to check this young man. There’s a time and place for division rivalries,
the All Star dugout isn’t one of them.
Votto needed a ton of support just to be in Anaheim.
The National League needed Byrd’s performance to win.
If Votto can’t recognize this, or Byrd, then why vote for the guy in years to come?
No body is asking Votto to like the Cubs.
But acting with a little professionalism wouldn’t hurt either.