After a 17 year career, first baseman Joey Votto has announced his retirement.
"That's it, I'm done. I'm officially retired from baseball," Votto posted on Instagram.
Votto played his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds before signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in the offseason.
During spring training Votto sustained an ankle injury which sidelined him for more than two months. He struggled during his Triple-A Buffalo rehab assignment and decided it was time to end his career short of his goal of playing for his hometown team.
"I wanted to play a year in Toronto at home, in front of family, in front of my country. I'm really saddened that I wasn't able to make it happen, that I wasn't able to arrive and perform at the Rogers Centre in a Blue Jays uniform representing the city I grew up in, country that I grew up in and my people. The feeling of playing in front of the fans here would have meant a lot to a lot of people that I'm close to. But I've taken pride in playing well. I want to play well, and I wasn't doing that, so I don't think I would have given them a satisfying experience," Votto said.
Votto's Career Stat Line...
.294 Average, 2,135 Hits, 356 HR's, 459 Doubles, 1,144 RBI's, 1,171 Runs Scored over 2,056 games...
By - SC
Comments