If Reds’ Zack Cozart becomes an All-Star, Joey Votto will buy him a donkey

If Zack Cozart gets selected to the National League All-Star team, it will mean two things: He’s one of the league’s favorite shortstops ... and he’ll get a donkey.

Yes, you read that correctly — a donkey. That’s what Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto said he would buy his teammate Cozart if he makes the All-Star Team. Apparently, Cozart is a fan of the animal and, knowing this, Votto went out of his way to raise the stakes:

“I don’t know why I like donkeys so much; maybe because they look like they’re real chill,” Cozart said.

But Votto didn’t just stop with the promise of getting Cozart a donkey — he pulled out all stops, even dressing up like an ass on TV to show his dedication to the cause:

Now THAT’S called being a good teammate. And as we get closer and closer to the All-Star picks being announced, Votto wants people to know that he’s not kidding.

“I've got a donkey in the works,” Votto told WCOP Cincinnati. “I’m anticipating a piece of news Sunday that will get Zack in the All-Star Game. But the donkey has already been spoken for."

As All-Star voting comes to a close this week, Cozart leads the ballot for National League shortstops by almost 300,000 votes. So it looks like the odds are good that Votto will have to track down that donkey.

Meanwhile, Cozart is having second thoughts about his choice of gift.

“I should have started with a Lamborghini,” he told WCOP. “But I like donkeys so much, maybe a donkey is my Lamborghini.”