Joey Votto (40), who reigned as the best on-base machine in the major leagues, and the Cincinnati Reds’ 17-year association appears to be coming to an end. Votto remains anxious about extending his active career rather than retiring, but it is unclear whether he will be able to achieve his goal.
Votto started as the sixth hitter and first baseman against the Pittsburgh Pirates held at their home stadium, Great American Ball Park, on the 25th (Korean time). When Votto first came to bat in the second inning, the home crowd of 31,191 gave him a standing ovation. The cheers continued for over a minute, although Votto stepped away from the plate after calling for time and took off his helmet to return the favor. The standing ovation stopped only after Votto said, “You have to go to bat,” and he put on his helmet.
Today is Cincinnati’s last home game of the season. It was virtually the last game that Cincinnati home fans could see Votto. As they are ranked 5th in the National League wild card, hope for fall baseball is still alive, but it is not easy to overcome the 2.5 game gap in the remaining 5 games. This year is the final guaranteed season of Votto’s 10-year, $225 million contract extension with Cincinnati.
Next year’s $20 million contract is extremely unlikely to be implemented as a club option. This might be Votto’s last season. Cincinnati’s home fans showed their respect by giving a warm standing ovation to the franchise star, who has been with one team for 17 years since his debut in 2007. Votto, who hit a base hit in his last at-bat in the 8th inning, received another round of cheers as he entered the dugout. He responded to his fans again with a curtain call.
According to local media such as MLB.com, after the game, Votto said, “I almost cried. “He didn’t cry because he was concentrating on the game, but it was a really cool and special moment for me,” he said. “It was an overwhelming and humbling experience.” “I thought about how I could repay them with my performance, and I’m really happy that I won today,” he said. On this day, Cincinnati came from behind to win 4-2, breaking their four-game losing streak.
Votto, who debuted in 2007, is a legend who played only in Cincinnati for 17 years until this year and has a batting average of .2095, 2,135 hits, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI, 1,362 walks, an on-base percentage of .409, a slugging percentage of .511, and an OPS of .921 in 2,053 games. He is the 2010 National League MVP, a six-time All-Star, and a seven-time leader in on-base percentage. He is one of 16 players in Major League history with 2,000 hits, 350 home runs, and an on-base percentage of .401 or better, and is likely to be in the Hall of Fame. 레모나토토
Although it had a long run with an extremely strong pioneering plan, its performance has plummeted over the past two years. After undergoing left shoulder rotator cuff and bicep reconstruction surgery in August last year and being out for the season, he focused on rehabilitation and prepared for this season. However, he failed to rebound this year with a batting average of .205 (42 hits in 205 at-bats), 14 home runs, and 38 RBIs in 62 games with an OPS of .748. As his 10-year contract with Cincinnati comes to an end, the weight of his retirement is growing, but it appears that Votto has not yet let go of his regrets.
He said, “I want to keep playing. “I love playing baseball,” he said, “and I hate not being able to be a productive player. It is unclear how well his injury will recover, but it seems like he can still do more. He doesn’t want to miss out on a situation where his teammates, coach, and front office management think, ‘This is enough.’ “I don’t know what will happen, but I want to keep playing and see what happens,” he said, putting weight on extending his active duty.
Cincinnati’s fellow players supported Votto’s decision to extend his career. Second baseman Jonathan India said, “Votto is a player I respect. He is an inspiration to many people. He trains really hard behind the scenes. “I learned a lot along the way,” he said. “A lot of people think Botto is done, but he’s not done yet. “I hope he will be wearing a Cincinnati uniform next year,” he said, hoping to stay.
Catcher Tyler Stevenson also said, “Even though he’s 40 years old, he still trains the hardest on his team, which explains Votto’s entire career. Baseball is a business, and it’s out of my control, but I hope Votto comes back to the team. He is a player who means a lot to everyone in this clubhouse. “He has been with us for a long time,” he emphasized.