Joey Votto Makes Sudden Announcement That He Is Done

On the same night that the next great Cincinnati Red stole his 60th base, a legendary Reds icon has announced that he is retiring from baseball. Future Hall of Famer Joey Votto made the announcement himself:

Joey Votto announces that he is officially retiring from baseball. 🐐⚾ #Reds pic.twitter.com/UZhZE4Pu4m
— Cincinnati 💔 (@CincyProblems) August 21, 2024

"That's it. I'm done. I am officially retired from baseball."

Driving to the stadium right now. My Uber driver asked, "Are you a player?" I said, "No."
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) August 22, 2024

And although he noted in his Instagram post that "Cincinnati, I only played for you," (and that's true), the Toronto-born Votto did get to retire as a member of his hometown Toronto Blue Jays organization, signing with them this past offseason. Injuries and the realization that he just couldn't do it anymore prevented him from appearing in a game for the Jays.

"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 on IG.

"Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you. I love you.

"Finally, to the MLB fans. You energized me with your cheers, I loved the boos, the trash talk, the moments where I broke a road cities moment, or was humbled on stage.
I’ll never forget, early in my career, my first time at Wrigley Field and the crowd standing and cheering toward my failure. I remember standing at the plate, smiling and thinking, this is my home. I belong here.
I was myself in this sport. I was able to be my best self. I played this sport with every last ounce of my body, heart, and mind.
Thank you for everything.
-Joey Votto"

Votto, 40, was one of the great characters of the game, and for 17 seasons, one of the game's greats. He was an MVP (2010), a Gold Glover (2011), a six-time all-star, and in 2,056 games, he batted .294 with 356 home runs, 1,144 RBIs, and an incredible .920 OPS and a 144 OPS+.

He was a Reds legend.

Joey Votto will be missed, both on and off the field.