Joey Votto: A True Baseball Icon

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August 22 2024



Joey Votto: Joey Votto’s journey began quietly at PNC Park during the 2006 Futures Game. While the Cincinnati Reds were focused on their first-round flame-thrower from Texas, a 20-year-old with a killer fastball and plenty of swagger, Votto stood on the opposite side—a soft-spoken Canadian first baseman from Double-A Chattanooga, easy to overlook.


On that day, I first met Votto. He was reserved, said little, and left almost no impression. Watching the U.S. team take batting practice from the visitor’s dugout, Votto was just another player. Little did anyone know, it would be the last time Joey Votto could ever be called “forgettable.”

   

Joey Votto, baseball icon, at bat during a game.


Votto announced his retirement after nearly 20 years. He became more than just the future of the Cincinnati Reds. He established himself as one of the most memorable and successful players in the storied franchise's history. "I'm no longer good," Votto wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, announcing his retirement on his own terms.


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Votto shared the news on a significant day. His Cincinnati Reds were wrapping up a three-game series in his hometown of Toronto, during a week that many fans had marked on their calendars this spring, as soon as he signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays.


As a kid in Etobicoke, Ontario, Votto always dreamed of playing for the Blue Jays. But anyone who expected him to do that without realizing it was the end of the story — effectively accepting charity — had absolutely no understanding of one of the greatest hitters of his generation.


Votto has always demanded excellence, from his Futures Game days at 22 to his slow start at 32, with an MVP, four top-10 MVP finishes, four All-Star appearances, and the richest contract in Reds history.


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He was hitting just .229 and insisted he would rather retire than fail to play up to his standards.


Votto said he'd rather quit than play badly, insisting he’s always aimed for high standards. After a rough start, he rebounded with a .343/.453/.595 line and 27 homers in the final 133 games. In 2017, he had a standout season with .320/.454/.578 and 36 home runs, finishing second in MVP voting.


Votto was constantly evolving. As a minor leaguer, he mimicked Albert Pujols’ batting stance and wore his No. 5 for the Chattanooga Lookouts, while carrying around his old copy of Ted Williams’ “The Science of Hitting.” From his MVP season in 2010 to his impressive performance in his late 30s, including hitting 36 home runs at 37 in 2021, Votto was always a player that fans saw differently. Old-school guys and broadcasters focused on what he didn’t do, lamenting his lack of RBIs and his willingness to walk on a productive out. The sabermetrically inclined crowned him as a hero for his lack of RBIs and his willingness to walk on a productive out.


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He proved to be a hitting specialist, embracing on-base percentage over batting average. While Votto never won a batting title or Silver Slugger, he finished as the National League's leader in on-base percentage in seven of the nine years from 2010 to 2018. He failed to reclaim that crown when a knee injury ruined his 2014 season and in 2015 when MVP Bryce Harper finished with an on-base percentage of .460 compared to Votto's .459.


Somewhere along the way, Votto turned his introspection outward, appearing on MLB Network dressed as a Mountie to campaign for teammate Zack Cozart to make the All-Star team, in which he offered to gift Cozart a donkey if fans voted the Reds shortstop into the game in 2017.


Votto handled his status with aplomb. Even when teammate Brandon Phillips complained about Votto's contract and called his own $72 million deal a "slap in the face," Votto defended his teammate and called it a sign of Phillips' competitiveness.


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While Votto's skills were questioned at times in Cincinnati, by the end of his tenure, he came to be viewed as an elder statesman and an example for younger players to follow.


After shoulder surgery wiped out the 2022 season and delayed the 2023 season as well, Votto began his last year with the Reds at Triple A. There he took Matt McLain under his tutelage and backed up the young shortstop while all eyes were on Eli De La Cruz, the top prospect in baseball. In McLain, Votto saw a player just like himself, one who is often overlooked by more touted prospects.


Even after Votto went 3-for-3 and homered his first hit in his first big-league start, most Reds fans were eager to see Jay Bruce, Just a few days later, he was honored as the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.


During that Futures Game at PNC Park, even the announcers got Joey Votto’s name wrong. But he didn’t let it faze him, battling through a tough at-bat that hinted at the player he’d become.


In his retirement post, Votto said, “I gave everything I had—body, heart, and mind.”


He may not have met his own expectations in the end, but he sure exceeded everyone else’s.




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