Votto said baseball has changed in recent years, adding that he wasn’t able to play at the top level any more.
TORONTO, ON — Former NL MVP and six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball in a short video posted to social media Wednesday.
After recording the video outside Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, where he’d been playing for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A team, Votto drove across the border to Toronto’s downtown stadium, where the Reds had just beaten the Blue Jays 11-7.
Votto went into the Cincinnati clubhouse to meet former teammates and manager David Bell, then spoke to reporters about his retirement decision.
The Toronto-born Votto signed a minor league contract with his hometown team in March and, following a lengthy layoff because of an ankle injury, had been playing at Triple-A. He went 6 for 42 with one homer and four RBIs in 15 games, striking out 22 times.
“I had moments where I was like, ‘Is this …