Reds star apologizes for bashing Canadian baseball

Cincinnati Reds star and Canada native Joey Votto has apologized for negative comments he made about Canadian baseball. The five-time All-Star was a guest on a Yahoo Sports podcast when when he made the comments. Votto was asked about fellow Canadian James Paxton throwing a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jayson at Rogers Centre in Toronto, On.
“I don’t care almost at all about Canadian baseball,” Votto said on the podcast. “I wasn’t raised inside of Canadian baseball really. I’m coming up on half of my life being in the United States working and being supported by American baseball.” Votto later repeated that he didn’t “care at all” about the fact that the Seattle Mariners pitcher threw the no-no on Canadian soil. “As far as Toronto, and Canadian baseball, and the country of Canada, and Paxtonbeing Canadian, I don’t care at all,” Votto said. “Paxton, or the Jays, or Canada, in general, may disagree with that, but I really couldn’t give a rats about that.”
“I was asked recently about James Paxton and his no-hitter on Canadian soil. I am not sure how I could have been so ridiculously selfish and short-sighted in my reply,” Votto wrote.
Votto said the question took him back to the times when he had resentment for not making Team Canada in high school, not being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays out of high school and not being picked for the Olympic team while in the minor leagues.
He said the comments came out of a side of jealousy for Paxton being celebrated in Toronto.
“It was an odd reply and one I am terribly ashamed of,” Votto wrote.
Votto has won the Lou Marsh Award for Canada’s Athlete of the Year twice. He has also won the Tip O’Neil award seven times. That award is given to a Canadian-born player every year by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. “As I write this I am saddened that I was so flagrant with my remarks and more importantly that I offended so many people that mean so much to me. I would not be where I am now without the efforts of so many Canadian baseball people and the fans of Canadian baseball.” Votto wrote.