April 10 (UPI) -- Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto is making a habit of trolling fans on the road with his antics in the field.
Monday was the latest example of Votto's exploits. The Reds were in the bottom of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park when Maikel Franco stepped up to the plate after a Rhys Hoskins home run.
Reds starter Cody Reed had Franco in an 0-2 count before he hacked away and fouled off two pitches. The second of those fouls went down the right baseline, skipping by Votto on first base.
Votto initially gave chase, before slowing up and seeing the ball go foul. It was headed toward some Phillies fans in foul territory.
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When Votto realized that the fans were about to get a souvenir, he decided to speed up and scoop the ball with his glove. He denied the prize and ran back to his position.
He also trolled fans later in the game after getting an out in foul territory and then staring into the stands, signaling that he wasn't going to give it away.
The five-time All-Star went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the Reds 6-5 loss. He is now hitting .257 on the season with two RBIs, but has yet to go deep after hitting 36 home runs in 2017.
This is far from the first time Votto has messed with Phillies fans.
In 2016, Votto fielded a foul ball at first base and ran over to fans behind the dugout. He put the ball in his right hand, gesturing that he was about to throw the ball in the stands. Instead, he put the ball back down and ran back onto the field.
But it's not just Phillies fans. Votto also pulled off a major troll against Chicago Cubs fans last season. That time, he decided to toss the foul ball onto the roof of Wrigley Field instead of handing it over to opposing fans.
Joey: Let's find a Reds fan to give this to.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 15, 2017
Inner Joey: THROW IT OUT OF THE STADIUM pic.twitter.com/HUnDw7owHI
Votto also trolled a fan while at Great American Ball Park last season in Cincinnati, after he was being heckled.
"They give you a hard time during the game and that's my way of giving them a hard time back," Votto told reporters in 2016. "Really, it's just me playing around."
