CHARACTER COUNTS

Reds first baseman Joey Votto gives a fan a memory of a lifetime

Sep 2, 2017, 9:33 AM

Joey Votto not only knows how to make a difference when stepping up to the plate, he can also make an impact of a lifetime away from the baseball diamond.

The first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds walked up to the batter’s box at the bottom of the seventh inning and on the second pitch, cracked a home run.

After the homer, Votto gave a high-five to a young fan and that was just the beginning.

Walter “SuperBubz” Herbert, 6-year-old Reds fan, is suffering from Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a common cancer found in younger ages. The Herbert family is making the most of the remaining time they have with Herbert and Votto contributed to that goal in the biggest way.

Votto also gave him the bat he used to slug the homer along with the jersey he wore.

For Votto, it was home run No. 34 of the season, but this one may have been one of the more special ones with Votto making the memory of a lifetime for a fan.

After the game, Votto did not wish to talk about the exchange between him and Herbert, but did mention that Herbert’s family was holding a fundraiser on Sept. 16.

Votto also wanted to bring awareness to his former teammate Jay Bruce’s fundraiser for relief funds to those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

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Reds first baseman Joey Votto gives a fan a memory of a lifetime