Joey Votto and the city of Cincinnati say 'Thank you' in a potential goodbye
As Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto tipped his cap, spun around and acknowledged the crowd on Sunday, he thought about how many familiar faces there were at Great American Ball Park.
Votto guessed that he had met the majority of the 31,191. Over his 17-year big league career, Votto has signed a lot of autographs. He has taken a lot of photos, met a lot of Reds fans around the city and thrown thousands of foul balls into the stands.
“I know so many people in the crowd,” Votto said. “I’m in this community in lots of different ways.”
Reds Joey Votto 'I could have soaked that in forever': Joey Votto emotional after standing ovation
Reds Pirates India and Friedl spark a comeback Reds win over the Pirates
Reds playoffs The stunning collapse that might finally crush Cincinnati Reds' impossible playoff hopes
Sunday’s 4-2 Reds win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the regular season home finale wasn’t a planned celebration for Votto. But since it might have been his final home game in Cincinnati, the day became a thank you from the crowd to a likely Hall of Famer.
It’s the type of moment that you only have when you spend most of your life with one team and build a relationship with the city.
“He has poured everything he has into all of our players and our team,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has created something that will last for a long, long time. A legacy within our team.”
This weekend, Votto changed his walk-up song back to “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones. It was the song he used during his prime and a sliver of nostalgia. Votto said that fans asked him to bring the old walk-up song back, and he wasn’t sure if this weekend was his last chance to make that happen.
Game treated like a potential goodbye
The crowd at Great American Ball Park on Sunday treated this game as a potential farewell. Before his first at-bat, Votto got a standing ovation from the crowd. He stepped out of the batter’s box, tipped his helmet and took about 30 seconds to soak in the moment. Before stepping back in the batter’s box, he spun around to make sure he recognized every section of the ballpark. He said that he nearly cried.
The applause didn’t stop, and Votto pointed to the plate to remind the crowd that he had to go hit.
“Because I have that relationship with so many people that come to the game that in all likelihood were at today’s game, it was my way of being playful,” Votto said. “I hope they took it that way because I could have soaked that in forever. It was an honor of all honors.”
Votto started his Reds’ career in 2007 as the cornerstone of a young core that carried the Reds to three playoff appearances in a four year stretch between 2010 and 2013. As Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier all changed teams and eventually retired, Votto saw the Reds rebuild, go all-in, rebuild again and then arrive ahead of schedule in 2023.
Even at the franchise's lowest points, Votto provided a reason to watch the Reds.
“When I first signed here, the first thing I thought about was being able to play with someone as great as he is,” said Reds catcher Luke Maile, who grew up as a fan of the Reds. “Ten years from now, I’m going to look back on what an honor it was to play with one of the great left-handed hitters we’ve ever seen. And on top of it a guy who I was fortunate enough to watch as a kid.”
The scene on Sunday at Great American Ball Park was fitting for the former MVP and the lifelong Red. In an era where rosters churn and players change teams, Votto has loved spending his entire career in one city.
Votto shared personality more as years went by
Along the way, Votto built a relationship with Cincinnati through moments like his Mother’s Day walk-off homer, called shots, his 300th career home run, Ted Lasso references, his home run streak and all of the All-Star games where he represented the Reds. This week, Votto went back and watched video of the Reds clinching the division title in 2010.
Along the way, the Reds’ fan base saw Votto open up, share more of his personality, get on social media and even once walk around the concourse of Great American Ball Park during a game.
“(Today) almost brought me to tears because of how long he has been here,” Reds second baseman Jonathan India said. “How much they’ve seen him grow is so special. He definitely thanks the fans. I can tell he really means it. It’s been special to be a part of for the last three years here, and hopefully one more next year.”
Reds rookies How Cincinnati Reds plan to ride no-fear rookies to playoffs | Reds Rookie Power Rankings
Reds playofffs Why Cincinnati Reds have no business being in playoff chase – and why they are anyway
Votto says he doesn’t know what the future holds. The Reds have a $20 million option on Votto’s contract for next year that’s unlikely to be picked up. He’ll be a free agent, and Votto will make a decision on whether he wants to play next year. In 2023, Votto has been close to league-average for a first baseman with a .748 OPS. He has also been out of the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers, taken a step back as a power hitter and battled through shoulder pain for most of the year.
Focusing on the now, not the future
Votto said he hasn’t thought much about his future yet. He has been consumed by strengthening his surgically-repaired shoulder and trying to get the Reds back into the playoff picture. When the season ends, Votto said he’ll get his first chance to really evaluate how he’s feeling.
“What I’d like to do is get through (the rest of the season) and kind of just stop,” Votto said. “I don’t like not being a productive player. I don’t like it. I don’t know where the surgery ends and my performance begins. It’s very muddy. I can’t tell. I don’t know if I can work it. If I can work myself into a performer. Or if I’ve been coming back from an injury. I think I can work it, but every single day I have the opportunity to test that hypothesis. I have to come out on top to continue to up my confidence.
“I hate the idea of putting that on my teammates, the manager, management, everyone in a position to where they’re like, ‘That’s enough.’ I just want to continue to work and see where it takes me.”
David Bell showed how he felt about Votto in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday. The Reds were on the verge of a 13-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that effectively ended their season. But with the Reds desperately needing a rally, Bell summoned Votto as a pinch-hitter. Votto led off the inning, singled and scored to make it a one-run game.
Before the season, Votto said he’d retire if he didn’t play well. Over the last six months, Votto has faced doubts and setbacks. But this weekend, in what could be his final series at Great American Ball Park, Votto showed how much he has meant to the 2023 Reds.
Votto embraced interacting with his young teammates
A team coming off a 100-loss season doesn’t make a run at the playoffs without the six-time All-Star. Votto delivered several big moments at the plate. It was even more important how he empowered the Reds’ rookies, became a mentor on one of the youngest teams in baseball and served as a bridge between a previous era of Reds’ baseball and the next one.
“I wonder if when his career is all said and done, if he doesn’t look back at this year and be most proud of this season that he has had for us,” Bell said. “I really believe he’ll look back and feel really proud of himself. I hope he does. He has given everything he has to our team.”
Votto’s comeback season started with long batting practice sessions in the heat of the afternoon in Goodyear, Arizona. Coming off of reconstructive shoulder surgery, Votto stayed behind after other Reds players had left for the day and worked on his swing.
He was motivated to do whatever he could to end the Reds’ rebuild as quickly as possible. He said the fans’ criticism of the team was justified, but he also said that there was plenty of room left on the bandwagon. He sounded optimistic, and his presence ended up being one of the biggest reasons why the Reds exceeded expectations in 2023.
“This is the very best I can do,” Votto said. “The very best I can do given the challenges that have been presented to me and the stage in my career. I’m proud of that. I have not cut a single corner.”
Before he came off the injured list, Votto tried to be as involved as he could be with the team. When he was rehabbing in Triple-A, he was invested in the entire game and sought out chances to give advice to players like Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz. When Christian Encarnacion-Strand was playing bad defense at first base, Votto invited him to join him for a workout.
In May, Votto sat down with a badly slumping Will Benson, and they broke down video of Benson’s swing. The conversation turned around Benson’s career. "I really thank God for Joey Votto,” Benson said.
Votto is playing with guys who grew up watching him. The 40-year-old loved the reception he got when he arrived back in the Reds’ clubhouse in June. When he came off the injured list, McLain walked up to him and said, "What's up,” treating Votto like more of a peer than an elder statesman in the clubhouse.
In his postgame press conference on Sunday, Votto wore a McLain T-shirt. In May, sitting with a few teammates in the sauna, Votto announced that the Reds’ season was about to take off with him coming back from the injured list and reinforcements getting called up from Triple-A.
Votto is the 40-year-old on a team full of rookies. He says he has learned just as much from them as they’ve learned from him. Votto has given the rookies advice on how to hit and how to stick in the big leagues. And the rookies have Votto wearing a backwards hat and untucking his uniform when they celebrate wins.
“I’ve been playing with guys from a younger generation for a while now,” Votto said. “You learn that listening is helpful. Learning from what they have to share. A lot of these guys are sharp. They’ve got a lot of wisdom to share. We’re on the same team. I just don’t think about the age gap too much. I think about them as teammates.”
Votto's injury presented a season-long battle
Quietly, Votto was battling the most difficult injury of his career. During spring training, he pushed himself to try to be ready for Opening Day. He took long batting practice sessions on players' off days. He started playing in spring training games earlier than anyone expected. He stayed behind in Goodyear when the rest of the team left for Cincinnati, hoping that he could take advantage of a few extra days of work between the end of spring training and the first game of the season.
It turned out that Votto wouldn’t be ready until June. He started a rehab assignment in April, but he still felt pain in his shoulder. He felt pressure in his rehab games to hit well, but he wasn’t ready.
Votto returned in June and had an impressive month, but his production fell off in August. He went on the injured list on Aug. 24 and returned on Sept. 10.
“The gap in my well-being even between two weeks ago, two months ago, six months ago, I can’t describe it,” Votto said. “I’m coming back from an injury that required more work to get back to game speed. I’m not going to fall flat on my face. I refused to do that. For me to come back and perform at the level I’ve performed, I’m proud of it. I don’t like doing the I’ve worked hard thing because a lot of guys work hard. But I’m proud of my work. I’m proud of coming back and performing at this level.”
Down the stretch, Votto made a positive impact. He didn’t want to be the aging veteran getting token at-bats on a retirement tour, and Votto justified his spot in the lineup.
Last Monday against the Minnesota Twins, Votto had two key RBI in a Reds win. On Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Votto’s hustle on the bases initiated a rally. On Saturday, his pinch-hit single and the run he scored nearly started a comeback that could have saved the Reds season.
It was a rare opportunity for Votto to play meaningful baseball in late September, and he cherished every moment of it.
“I signed (with the Reds) at 18, and I’m 40 now,” Votto said. “I just love it. I cannot believe how much I love it. The preparation, the competition, the camaraderie amongst teammates. The introspection. The moments at home by yourself and the shared moments with your teammates. And the fans.”
Votto spoke for 10 minutes in his postgame press conference, and Reds center fielder TJ Friedl listened to most of it from the back of the room. Friedl views Votto as someone who helped him become the player he is now. Standing behind the cameras, Friedl got a chance to pick up a few more lessons.
Then, Friedl sat down for his interview and replaced Votto at the podium. He said he didn’t know how he was supposed to follow what he had just seen.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: In a potential goodbye, Joey Votto gets a ‘Thank you’ from the city
