Votto sorry for 'bullying' Reds fan after foul ball

Cincinnati Reds All-Star Joey Votto issued an apology to the fan who interfered with him while attempting to catch a foul ball along the first-base line in Tuesday's home game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

A visbily upset Votto stared at the fan before grabbing at the logo on the man's shirt. Immediately after the incident, Votto presented the fan with a souvenir by signing a ball and posing for a picture.

"I made a mistake crossing the stands-field boundary," Votto told reporters after the game. "I misplayed it, and I took my frustration out on the fan. I felt bad about it. He apologized, but I was the one who should've been apologizing to him for bullying him."

The fan, who said he's been a Reds fan his whole life, told Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer that compulsion took over when he saw the ball heading toward him.

"I know to get in the way of an opposing player and let our guys come in the stand to get it," he said. “It's just obvious. You know that. I just was sitting there not paying much attention and saw the ball come down.”