Clueless umpire ejects Joey Votto in what's likely his final game with the Reds

If Sunday was Joey Votto's last game with the Reds, he got his money's worth.

Drew Koch

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto / Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/GettyImages

Well, Joey Votto went out with a bang. In between the bottom of the first inning and the top of the second inning, Votto was ejected from what's likely to be his final game in a Cincinnati Reds uniform.

Votto was rung up in his first at-bat by home plate umpire Shane Livensparger. Votto fell behind on a pitch that was inside, yet called a strike, and eventually went down swinging.

According to on-field reports, Votto viewed the AB on a tablet in the dugout and was upset that Livensparger called the questionable pitch in favor of St. Louis Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Votto was barking at Livensparger from the Reds' dugout and was ejected before the start of the second inning.

Clueless umpire ejects Joey Votto in what's likely his final game with the Reds

Read the room, Shane Livensparger. Quite honestly, unless Joey Votto came out of the dugout and made contact with the umpire, Livensparger needs to take his licks and move on. You don't eject one of the greatest players of his generation in what's likely to be his final game.

Votto bid farewell to the home fans at Great American Ball Park last weekend in Cincinnati. While Votto has yet to confirm he's retiring at the end of the season, there are reports that the Reds have no intention of picking up the former MVP's $20-million club-option for next season.

There's a chance that the Cincinnati Reds and Joey Votto could come to terms on a new deal during the offseason, but that's a conversation for another day.

No one but Votto knows whether or not he plans to play in 2024, but if he doesn't, it's a shame that Livensparger decided to make the game about him and eject the future Hall of Famer not even two innings in to what may be his final game.

To rob the Reds fans of the opportunity to see Joey Votto play one last time is a crying shame. But, there's no crying in baseball.

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.