Joey Votto knew it was time to retire when his childhood hero confronted him for skipping an at-bat
Joey Votto recounted his final surreal moments as a professional baseball player during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday.
Votto, who announced his MLB retirement at age 40 on Wednesday, revealed the decision came at a very low moment in his career – he had just passed on a plate appearance in a minor league game. Votto spent the entire 2024 season in the minor leagues, playing on the Toronto Blue Jays' triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. In a recent game, Votto wasn't in the starting lineup, and when he was offered the chance to come into the game to pinch hit, he turned it down.
"The coach was like, ‘Do you want this at-bat?’ and I was like, 'I don't, I don't.' And I've never had that," Votto said. "I was like ‘I’m good.'"
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Joey Votto, #37 of the Toronto Blue Jays, looks on from the dugout during a 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training game against the Baltimore Orioles at TD Ballpark on March 19, 2024, in Dunedin, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Then, when Votto was sitting on the bench, he was confronted by Bisons first base coach and former Blue Jays World Series champion Devon White. For White, it was his and his late father's favorite player when he was growing up.
"We loved the Toronto Blue Jays, and our favorite player was Devon White," Votto said. But in that moment, as Votto's coach, White helped the 40-year-old veteran come to a realization.
"He said to me, ‘What do you think you’re going to do?' And he was talking about my hitting style and what adjustments I'm going to make," Votto said. "And I go, ‘I think I’m done,' and he goes, ‘you mean retiring?’ and I go, ‘Yeah, I think I’m done,' and he goes ‘Okay.’"
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Joey Votto, #19 of the Cincinnati Reds, hits a fly out in the second inning during a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 17, 2023, in New York City. (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
In that moment, Votto defied his natural instincts of constantly striving to play great baseball, and instead came to peace with retirement. He also realized that his presence on Toronto's minor league team was ultimately taking playing time away from younger players.
"I went into the clubhouse, thanked my minor league teammates who, in my opinion, deserved a thank you, because I took plate appearances from them, I took playing time from them," Votto said.
Votto, a Toronto native, was a second-round pick in 2002 by the Reds, the only team he ever played for in his 17 seasons.
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He worked his way through the minor leagues to eventually make his MLB debut in 2007. He hit .321 over 24 games (84 at-bats) with four homers and 17 RBIs.
Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto (19) acknowledges the crowd after hitting a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Cincinnati, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The hit was the 2,000th of his career. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Votto became one of the best players in franchise history, hitting .294/.409/.511 with a .920 career OPS over 2,056 games for Cincinnati.
Votto finishes his career with 2,135 hits, 356 homers and 1,144 RBIs. He was also known for his exceptional eye at the plate, leading the NL in walks in five of his 17 seasons.
However, Votto admitted that he probably should not have tried to play this season, and he probably should have been done last season.
"I was washed," he said.
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