Joey Votto not ‘overly happy’ as All-Star Game approaches – MLB News
With all the elements of astonishment and joy that the selection for All-Star Game brought on Sunday, July 1, Joey Votto was not ‘overly happy’ for his selection. This was largely because two of the players of his team – Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips were omitted from the list.
"It's kind of difficult to be overly happy today considering the two guys that I thought were shoo-ins aren't going to be on the team," Votto said. "That's frustrating. I knew a long time ago that I was going to be an All-Star. I was really hoping for those two guys and all five of us to go to Kansas City."
Jay Bruce, Aroldis Chapman and Joey Votto were among the three of Cincinnati Reds players who were voted and selected for the next week’s game. But there were two eminent names – stated earlier, which elicited a much different response.
It is important to mention here that it was the former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa who would have to pick up names from the pool of exceptionally talented starters. As La Russa is to lead the NL team next week, the lack or excess of options – it seems, made the choice abundantly clear at the end.
Dusty Baker, the Reds’ team manager, had earlier expressed his displeasure over the decision and attributed it to the arguments Cueto and La Russa had back in 2010. This prompted the former Cardinals' team manager to present his version clearly.
La Russa said, "The comments Dusty made clearly disappoint me and are attacking my integrity. The All-Star experience is too important to let anything stand in the way of a decision like that. No way am I going to penalize anybody for any kind of past history.”
Whatever the reason that led to Cueto's omission, the players as well as fans would like to put it on the backburner for now. What figures most prominently here is the joy and entertainment attached to the awaited All-Star Game involving the two of the best teams with the top players demonstrating their great array of skills.
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