Joey Votto was reflecting on 2,000th career hit, what it meant to him and how long he saw that as a realistic goal. But then on Monday night, the Cincinnati Reds first baseman went on a tangent.
“My very first hit, it doesn't exist,” Votto said. “Maris, he passed away last year, he was a young dog and I just wanted him (to be) happy. And maybe it wasn't a good thing to give him. I don't know if you should be giving dogs baseballs, but I did at the time.”
When Votto gave Maris the ball from that first hit, Maris loved it.