Joey Votto admits what most Reds fans wish he'd have recognized sooner

Longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto hung up his cleats this past week after failing to regain his footing and make it back to the big leagues. The Reds did not exercise Votto's team-option for the 2024 season, and after an extended time on the free agent market, the six-time All-Star finally landed a minor-league deal with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays.

But Votto's attempt to return to the major leagues was interrupted by a stubborn ankle injury and eventually an inability to compete. Votto hit just .143/.275/.214 in 15 games with the Blue Jays minor league affiliate before calling it quits last Wednesday.

On Friday, Votto appeared on an episode of The Dan Patrick Show to talk with the longtime sportscaster about his decision to retire from baseball. When Patrick asked how does retirement feel, the first words out of Votto's mouth were, "Why didn't you tell me to quit earlier?" That's what a number of Reds fans, most of which had witnessed Votto's decline over the years, were imploring the future Hall of Famer to do at the end of last season.

Joey Votto admits what most Reds fans wish he'd have recognized in 2023

A few moments into the interview, you could tell that Votto lamented the fact that he didn't hang up his cleats last September. Votto said, "I wish I hadn't wasted the last six months of my life." After injuring his ankle during his first spring training game with the Blue Jays, Votto spent most of his summer rehabbing.

Votto reminisced on, what he called "ugly performances" over the past few seasons, and had hoped that two years removed from shoulder surgery, he'd regain his All-Star form that made him a household name over a decade ago.

Votto admitted that he wanted to prove to the Reds that they should have re-signed him, however, the former MVP realized rather quickly that he was washed — yes, Votto used that word. Votto said that he finally realized it was time to move on when he turned down the opportunity to pinch-hit in a minor league game at Triple-A Buffalo.

A quick look at Votto's stat line from his final two seasons in Cincinnati will show you that he was well past his prime. Votto was hitting .204/.317/.394 with 25 home runs and 79 RBI. In his previous 15 seasons, Votto posted a .302/.417/.520 slash line.

And while it's easy to sit back from the comfort of an easy-chair or the bleachers at Great American Ball Park and see that Votto's skills were clearly declining, it's something altogether different to be in his shoes and have to make that decision for yourself. It was no doubt a humbling moment, but Votto can now say that he spent his entire major league career with just one team.

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