Sports
By Laney Konz, Staff Writer
Longtime first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds Joey Votto announced his retirement from Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday, Aug. 21. The 40-year-old Canadian took to social media to disclose his decision to end his 17-year career.
In the 2,056 games he played in, Votto hit for an average of .294, had 356 home runs and 1,144 RBIs. He earned the National League (NL) MVP in 2010 and won the Gold Glove award in 2011. Votto was also selected for six All-Star Games.
At the end of the 2023 season, the Reds decided not to renew Votto’s contract, making him a free agent. He spent 12 years playing at the major league level with the Reds. Votto was originally selected from the Richview Collegiate Institute in Toronto as a second round pick in the 2002 MLB draft.
Votto returned to his hometown of Toronto for the 2024 season, signing a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays in March 2024. In a spring training game, Votto hit a home run in his first at-bat. Later that game, he stepped on a bat in the dugout, leading to an ankle injury. After recovering, Votto played in Buffalo, New York at the Triple-A level and went 6-42 with one home run and four RBIs. He played 15 games and struck out 22 times.
Ultimately, his performance at the minor league level solidified Votto’s decision to retire. “I just decided, you know, you’ve played long enough, you can interpret what’s going on, and I was awful. I was awful down there,” Votto said to reporters.
Votto leaves baseball after playing in 2,056 Major League games, all of which were with the Cincinnati Reds.
Votto expressed disappointment in not finishing his career with the Toronto Blue Jays at the major league level.
“I wanted to play a year in Toronto at home, in front of family, in front of my country. I desperately wanted to participate in games here. I’m really saddened that I wasn’t able to make it happen,” Votto said.
He continued this sentiment on Instagram in a post addressed to fans and foes alike. “Toronto + Canada, I wanted to play in front of you. Sigh, I tried with all my heart to play for my people. I’m just not good anymore. Thank you for all the support during my attempt,” he wrote.
Votto also went on to thank teammates and coaches who helped him throughout his career, including former Cincinnati Reds players Jay Bruce, Luis Castillo, Adam Duvall, Ken Griffey Jr., Eugenio Suarez and more.
Because he spent all of his major league career playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Votto went to the Cincinnati clubhouse before making his official announcement of retirement. He met his former teammates and manager David Bell after their 11-7 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Many Reds fans wished that Cincinnati signed Votto to a short contract so the Cincinnati icon could finish out his career as a Red. One fan, @ktmob_, took to X to voice their opinion: “if the cincinnati reds don’t sign joey votto to a one-day contract so he can retire as a member of their team, i will place a curse on their front office that will bar their grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren from seeing heaven.”
Regardless, Votto still honored his time in Cincinnati in his post by including a stand-alone sentence dedicated to the Queen City: “Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you. I love you.”
