Say it ain't so, Joe: Toronto's Votto doesn't give a 'rat's a#$' about Canadian baseball

Toronto-born Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto distanced himself from Canada in a lengthy interview with Yahoo! Sports Major League Baseball podcast on Tuesday.

2-time Lou Marsh Trophy winner says he's spent more time in U.S. baseball

The Canadian Press ยท
Reds first baseman Joey Votto of Toronto distanced himself from Canadian baseball in a podcast on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Don't expect Cincinnati Reds all-star Joey Votto to suit up for Canada again.

Votto, who was born and raised in Toronto, represented Canada at the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics and won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's athlete of the year in 2010 and 2017. However he distanced himself from his home nation in a lengthy interview with Yahoo! Sports Major League Baseball podcast on Tuesday.

"I don't care almost at all about Canadian baseball," said Votto, who was also the National League MVP in 2010. "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."

He was also asked for his opinion on James Paxton of Ladner, B.C., throwing a no-hitter for the Seattle Mariners against the Blue Jays in Toronto, becoming the first Canadian in MLB history to have a no-no on home soil.

"As far as Toronto, and Canadian baseball, and the country of Canada, and (James Paxton) being Canadian, I don't care at all," said Votto. "(Paxton), or the Jays, or Canada, in general, may disagree with that, but I really couldn't give a rat's ass about that."

Votto went on to clarify that he was happy for Paxton as a baseball player, but not as a fellow Canadian.

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