In a poignant moment that resonated with fans across Canada, Joey Votto announced his retirement moments before first pitch between the only team he’s ever known and the team he grew up cheering for. The 17-year bond he had forged with the game came to a bitter end.
In a heartfelt farewell address in an eight minute video as mentioned in TSN, he said: “That’s it. I’m done. I am officially retired from baseball.”
“I had moments where I was like, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ and, ‘Do I want the organization to tell me I’m done?'” Votto said. “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.” 
A player who played for seven MLB seasons, earning six all-star selections, one Gold Glove, and the 2010 National League MVP award in such a short time has marked his place in the hearts of fans, who feel the end of an era after his announcement.
Before the 2024 season, Votto became a free agent ending his 12 year, $251.5 million contract with the Reds. Picked as an amateur draft out of Richview Collegiate Institute in Toronto in 2002, he has been one of the Reds’ most promising players. Making a lifetime batting average of .294, 356 homers, 1,144 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .409 is an impressive accomplishment in a sporting career of 2,056 games.
Among Reds franchise history, he ranks second in homers, doubles (459) and OPS, first in walks (1,365), third in runs (1,171), fourth in hits (2,135) and fifth in games played. Records that can’t be matched but lead to a heartfelt team change in 2024.
Canada witnessed Votto’s final hurrah
Votto made a valiant attempt to return to the major leagues after parting with the Reds, with a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays last spring. But an ankle injury brought him to a halt for months which ultimately led to his farewell. Taking a chance away from playing a major-league game for his hometown team, one last time.
Votto told MLB, “I’m really saddened that I wasn’t able to make it happen, that I wasn’t able to arrive and perform at Rogers Centre, in a Blue Jays uniform, representing the city that I grew up in, the country I grew up in and my people.”
“How can I show up and make it my day, my moment? ‘Here’s an at-bat, here’s a game, here’s a stretch of time?’ To me, it’s disrespectful to the game. I also think it’s disrespectful to the paying fans that want to see a high-end performance. And I would have given them an awful performance.”
“Truly, I can say I tried my very best and I just came up short. I’ve had 22 years of not coming up short, so I guess I’m due.”
Votto expressed his unmatched skills to the upgrading game dynamics and raging new athletes on board and said, “This game is faster,” Votto said. “I’m not fast. This game is about more dynamic defense. This game has changed over the course of the back quarter of my career. I’m slower. The one thing I could attempt to do is perform offensively, and I’ve been awful, especially for my position. At some point, the writing is on the wall.”
As he retires just three weeks shy of his 41st birthday, Votto leaves behind a legacy as one of the greatest hitters of his generation.
