If you thought it was bad when Reds first baseman Joey Votto said he didn’t like the Cubs, well, that was nothing. Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips saw Joey Votto and raised him an insult. Prior to the start of a three-game series between the Cardinals and Reds in Cincinnati, Phillips said he hated the Cardinals. Here are Phillips’ exact words according to Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News via MLB Trade Rumors and LBS contributor Alan Hull:
“We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear – I hate the Cardinals.”
If you’re wondering where Phillips’ attitude is coming from (aside from typical intra-divisional rivalries), the first year Brandon was with the Reds St. Louis took the NL Central and then went on to win the World Series. I’m sure that’s enough to make Phillips hate them right there. As for the comments, I’m guessing Reds fans love it. I’m not a fan of either team and I like what he said too — it’s nice to have a player have the same passion as the fans especially in an age where players switch teams frequently.
The next question is whether or Phillips could walk the walk after doing his talking. The answer: he went 0-for-5 in a 7-3 loss on Monday. With a dud like that Phillips will need monster games Tuesday and Wednesday to avoid looking like a total chump. If you’re going to speak loudly, you better be able to back it up with a thunderous stick.
UPDATE: The teams fought on Tuesday, here’s the Cardinals Reds fight video
Sources:
Phillips: “I hate the Cardinals, hate ‘em” [Dayton Daily News]
Odds & Ends: Guillen, Dunn, Reds, Gonzalez [MLB Trade Rumors]
