Joey Votto is an exceedingly good hitter. He’s the kind of exceedingly good hitter that not infrequently makes you tear your hair out, because no matter what you do, you can’t get the dang guy out.
It makes managers crazy. It makes them act crazy. It makes them try crazy things.
Like tonight, when Joe Maddon decided to play four outfielders – like, beer league softball style – in the outfield against Votto.
And true to his reputation, it didn’t matter. You can’t get Joey Votto out:
Joey Votto: Breaker of shifts. pic.twitter.com/57lh5lrhRM
— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2017
OK, so that didn’t work. Now what do you try? Five outfielders? Six outfielders? Two pitchers?
I know: shift the baseball into a football, and see how far he can hit it.
*moments later, a football is seen flying over the Wrigley Field scoreboard*