Joey Votto, Billy Hamilton and Eugenio Suarez gave gear to fans after being pulled from the Reds game
As we hit the end of the regular season, we're not saying "goodbye" to most players, but rather, "I'll see you soon." This was the case on Sunday when Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman pulled
In the top of the fourth inning during the Pirates-Reds finale, Votto and Hamilton left the game -- and it was a moment for the crowd to applaud them. Both of them gave their caps and jerseys off their backs to young fans and high-fived teammates before they headed into the clubhouse:
What a moment.
"I told them before the game they were going to get two at-bats," Riggleman told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "Then I decided to have them come off the field and they were good with it. I think Billy really wanted to do that. He's so great with our fans and he wanted to be able to run off the field and wave to the fans."
This, of course, wasn't the first time the two gave anything away to fans. Hamilton gave away some batting gloves to an unsuspecting fan during the season and Votto traded a fan's "Votto for President" shirt for his jersey -- with a personalized message and autograph.
"It was special for us," Hamilton said. "It was a special moment for me to say goodbye to the fans and give the jersey to the kids. They need it more than I do. My season is over with. it's just great to be a part of that. It gave me chills when I gave it to them walking off the field. It was great."