For the entirety of his nearly 40-year broadcasting career, Christopher Russo has never shied away from saying what he feels about anything happening on the baseball diamond.

On Thursday, the ¡°Mad Dog¡± got a taste of his own medicine when he welcomed Reds first baseman Joey Votto onto ¡°High Heat¡± in a segment that featured plenty of jokes, baseball talk and, you guessed it, yelling.

Votto, a 17-year veteran with an MVP and Gold Glove on his r¨¦sum¨¦, boasts one of the biggest personalities in baseball, and is perhaps the perfect active player to serve as a foil for Russo¡¯s boisterous persona.

The interview started harmlessly enough, with Votto exchanging pleasantries with co-host Alanna Rizzo, and answering her question about his time with the Reds with the type of introspective knowledge that we¡¯ve come to expect from Votto.

Then Russo took his turn, and things changed.

For the entirety of Russo¡¯s question about this season¡¯s expectations, Votto treated his fingernails like they were the most important thing in the world before remarking without emotion, ¡°Yup, we¡¯ve got to perform.¡±

Votto brightened up again when Rizzo followed up with another question, but then put on an air of indifference when Russo spoke again -- until he remarked that Votto was ¡°sharp as a tack,¡± which set Votto off on a rant that would put any WWE heel to shame.

For nearly a minute, Votto went on a monologue about Russo where Votto (jokingly) lambasted him on everything from his ¡°Fifth Avenue tie¡± to ¡°tailored suits¡± and his ¡°perfectly coiffed Broadway hair.¡±

At the end of the rant, Votto told Russo that ¡°not everyone can be the next Roger Peckinpaugh,¡± which led to Russo lifting his arms in joy at the mention of an old-timey ballplayer.

After that bit was over, the two shared their respect for one another and their lists of top-five Yankees (they both agreed Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Babe Ruth should be on the list; Votto said Paul O¡¯Neill was the fifth-best Yankee, Russo said Lou Gehrig) before Russo asked Votto what this incredible season has been like for him and his teammates.

¡°There¡¯s been so much meaning to [this season],¡± Votto said. ¡°I¡¯ve played quite a while and the fans have always been so supportive. My experience as a Red has been the best. This August and September should be fun for the fans.¡±

The Reds, who boast one of the best young cores in all of baseball, entered play on Thursday 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and are holding onto the NL¡¯s final Wild Card spot.

Votto, who joined social media last year, also spoke about how he feels more empowered to show his personality in today¡¯s game compared to when he entered the league, which has helped him connect with the young stars in his clubhouse.

¡°The current environment in MLB allows us to be more dramatic on the field and show more of our personal side,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re here to entertain, and the fans want to connect with the players.¡±

Lastly, Russo and Rizzo asked Votto what he and his teammates need to do down the stretch to pick up a postseason berth. His answer will make any Reds fan want to run through a wall.

¡°We just need to continue to get better,¡± Votto said. ¡°What goes unsaid is that every single day our young players get better. Everybody¡¯s going to have their challenges, but I think it¡¯s about how we adjust, adapt and we¡¯ll see how the rest of the division plays.

¡°We¡¯ve got to run through the finish line.¡±