Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto once claimed Houston Astros were not the only ones guilty of using unfair means to win MLB games
In April 2021, Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show" and insinuated that MLB's cheating culture extended well beyond the confines of the Houston Astros locker room.
During the 2017 MLB season, the Astros used cameras to steal signs from opposing teams. To relay to their team members what kind of pitch to expect during games, catchers' signals were decoded by players and staff.
While the Astros were the ones punished, Votto felt that there were other teams that also gained unfair advantages during games.
"The idea that they (the Houston Astros) were the only ones doing something wrong just baffles me," Votto mentioned.
Joey Votto talks Astros cheating scandal, says Houston was not the 'only one doing something wrong' readsn.com/2VqnZ2b https://t.co/QkZk8ultcg
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have previously had to pay the price for getting caught cheating.
The Yankees paid a $100,000 penalty for using electronic devices without authorization in 2015 and some of 2016. The Boston Red Sox had to forfeit their second-round draft choice due to sign-stealing during their championship-winning 2018 campaign.
Joey Votto landed a chance to acquire an unfair advantage on the mound
In the same interview on "The Dan Patrick Show," Votto revealed that he was once offered the opportunity to cheat while in the batter's box. However, he denied the proposal.
Votto said:
"If there was a tip from the pitcher, I would want to know. But as far as like any sort of like complicated cheating strategy, no. I'm not for that. But if I had the choice to know and to not know, of course that would be an advantage.
"But I've been offered that before in my career and I've passed on it simply because it's like unpredictable. Sometimes they get it wrong. Sometimes they guess the wrong pitch and then all of a sudden you're taking a strike down the middle and you're thinking to yourself, 'Well, I can't deal with this randomness."
Last year, Votto was plagued by injuries. In August, he had surgery to repair a ruptured left rotator cuff.
Joey Votto is all set to enter his 17th year in the MLB with the Reds next season.