Reds Fans Pay Tribute to Joey Votto in Potential Final Home Game
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto remains uncertain about his future beyond the 2023 season. But on Sunday, he made the most of what could have been his final home game at Great American Ball Park.
As part of a much-needed 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, which snapped a four-game losing skid, Reds fans took advantage of every opportunity to express appreciation for Votto’s 17 seasons with the franchise. And, in turn, the 40-year-old did the same.
The crowd began to roar as Votto walked to the plate for his first at-bat of the contest, prompting the left-hander to ask for time to savour the moment as the home faithful rose for a standing ovation. He raised his helmet and waved to the stands, causing the noise to grow even louder.
But then, in his usual charismatic manner, the franchise icon pointed toward home plate and reminded everyone he still had to “go hit” before returning to the batter’s box.
Votto struck out while watching a called third strike fly past him in the second inning, and he went down swinging in his second plate appearance in the fourth. The veteran slugger reached base safely on his third time up, albeit via a hit-by-pitch.
But that was just the appetizer. When the main course arrived in the eighth, it was everything the home crowd could’ve hoped for.
The second-round selection from 2002 notched hit No. 2,135th in his career by ripping a ball into centre field for a one-out single. He was removed for a pinch-runner shortly after approaching first base, allowing him to enjoy a curtain call from the 31,191 fans in attendance.
It was a special moment that, if this was indeed his final home game with the Reds, Votto will be able to cherish forever. But he was just as glad it came alongside a victory for the only franchise he’s ever known.
With the win, Cincinnati improved to 80-77, keeping them 2.5 games back of the final NL wild-card seed with only one week left in the regular season. All five remaining contests are on the road, adding to the difficulty of surging into a postseason position.
Those circumstances helped incentivize Votto to soak up as much as he could on Sunday, knowing another chance to don the red and white from the home dugout may not come.
“For you, to stop me in my tracks, stop the game, it means a great deal to me. So, thank you. You almost had me crying,” Votto said about receiving a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat.
Votto made his MLB debut with the Reds on Sep. 4, 2007. So it was only fitting to have his potential final home game with the organization occur in the same place it started just over 16 years later.
The Toronto, Ont., native ranks second all-time in home runs (356), third in RBIs (1,144), fourth in wRC+ (145), five in hits (2,135) and sixth in games played (2,053) and fWAR (58.1) in franchise history. He also leads the team in total walks with 1,362.
This season, Votto is hitting .205/.309/.439 with 14 home runs, 38 RBIs and a 97 wRC+ in just 62 games. The six-time All-Star returned in June after recovering from surgery to repair a torn biceps and rotator cuff in his left shoulder.
The future Hall-of-Fame hitter is in the final season of a 10-year, $225-million contract signed in 2012. It includes a $20 million club option for 2024, but the Reds are expected to exercise its $7 million buyout this winter.
Votto, the 2010 National League MVP and a finalist in 2015 and ‘17, is among an elite group of 16 players in MLB history to record at least 2,000 hits, 350 homers and an on-base percentage of .410 or higher.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Hayden Schiff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.