Joey Votto spent 17 seasons making life miserable for Brewers pitchers, but the retired Reds star has a different kind of message for Milwaukee now: he thinks the Brewers have the best fanbase in baseball.
Votto made the remark during an appearance on MLB Now while discussing the Brewers and their playoff outlook. In a long response to the question "How big of a playoff threat do you think they will be?" he said, "Cincinnati's my favorite fanbase, but I actually thought of all Major League Baseball that Milwaukee had the best fanbase."
That praise did not stop there. When asked later whether there was a team he was personally rooting for, Votto again pointed to Milwaukee and tied that support to the way Brewers fans showed up during the years when the club was not contending.
Said Votto, "I remember, in Milwaukee, consistently they [the fanbase] showed up when the Brewers weren't a strong team. And I always thought to myself 'this does not get enough credit.
This is a fanbase that always supports their team.'"
He also cited the Brewers’ tailgate culture as another sign of how invested the fanbase is in the team, along with the steady attendance through the leaner seasons.
For Brewers fans, it’s a notable compliment coming from someone who spent so much time on the other side of the rivalry. Votto was one of the toughest outs in the NL Central for years, but he’s clearly got real respect for Milwaukee’s crowd now - and he said he’d like to see the Brewers go all the way this season.
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