I've been a Cubs fan all of my life. My friend, being a Reds fan, gave me the chance to get to know Joey Votto. He's a class act and an amazing player. I hope he gets signed.
Love you Joey! I’m a lifelong Reds fan from Arkansas. My dad’s from Cincy. You’ve been so fun to watch through my adult years. Really hope that you can play as long as you want. And wish it could be as a Red. So thankful that your career thus far has been as a Red. You’re the best ❤
Beard jokes aside, I just want to say this because it needs to be said: Joey, you are fantastic player, who deserves to be in the HOF. You have zero things to prove in that regard. Love watching you play, and I hope you are able to play until you are eight-hundred years old. But beyond that, you are one of the most likable, genuine, relatable people I've ever seen in professional sports. We love you, and whatever the future holds, be satisfied and be happy. You're awesome, and you deserve it.
damn this was a hard interview to watch. good job by dan for asking the tough questions. we see in real time an athlete's sports life possibly coming to an end against their will.
Sure but this is Joey Votto. He can still play. His last two years he was recovering from two major injuries. Despite that he still was one of the best clutch hitters last year hitting in the top 10 with RISP. Imagine what he potentially could do this year, healthier physically.
Well, damn. This was a sobering interview. But I wish him the best of luck with Toronto and hope he smashes it. What a man, what a player, what a gem. Truly one of the best.
As A Reds fan I appreciate his career. He was fun to watch. It's hard for any of these guys to retire, especially if you feel you have one more year in you. For him I understand he's thinking man if my shoulder is healthy I could be that guy from 2021 when he had a good season. Unfortunately the rest of MLB really I think has shifted from really given these older veterans opportunities at the tail end of their careers. Votto had it so good and I think he realizes it, part of it because of his contract he was going to get to play every year. A hard pill to swallow a bit to know he'd basically be like a guy trying to make a team with no guarantees. I bet there's a lot of guys with those 10 year deals or so that would have been out of the league years ago if they hadn't had those guarantee last 3-4 years, such as Pujols, etc. But I'd like to see Votto get one more shot at it somewhere.
As a lifelong Cards fan I was always a fan of Joey Votto and the way he competed. Respected the way he finished his career instead of jumping ship lived out his contract. Could still DH today, wish Cardinals would sign him
I had trouble relating but then realized, Votto came back once already in 2021 with a monster year after declining years in 2019 and 2020 when a lot of people - myself included - thought he was done. And I’m a votto fan that thought of him as a HOFer even before that last big season in 2021. This time I think he really is done but I can understand justified defiance by Votto because people have been wrong on this before.
I get his point...he just wants to know if he legitimately should retire or if last year was so bad because of the injury. But at 40 years old he's likely going to need to accept he won't get the chance to re-write the ending of his career.
He would be a perfect DH/fill in 1st baseman on any team. The Reds should've brought him back for at least a one year deal. They could use him in the dugout as a leader if nothing else. Whose the Veteran leader on that team? Castellini is the worst owner in baseball for not doing that and giving Bauer another shot.
That was a brutally honest interview. It felt like Joey was going through a serious mental crisis & trying to work it out in his own mind while also answering questions. Hope he seeks out some kind of counseling bcuz he felt unstable
Joey's so f*****g smart and funny and wise, on top of being such a great baseball player for so long. As a Jays fan I have to say that A: we're all jealous of The Reds for having him for so long, and B: if he doesn't make the roster come the regular season and Dan Vogelbach does, we're going to be super pissed off. Do the right thing Shapiro and Atkins.
Joey Votto deserves better. End of a big league sports career is not easy. Timely interview with a (most likely) former MLB player. Stats driven performances will kill old school players like Votto. I hope he could be on a coaching staff.
Really awkward interview, but also incredibly fascinating as well. For what it's worth, I hope Joey gets one more season to receive the closure he's desperately seeking.
