Baseball fans interested in a different side of a potential future Hall of Famer will want to check out a new interview with Toronto native and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto.
In a one-on-one sitdown with the CBC’s Ian Hanomansing, Votto opens up about dealing with depression and anger following the death of his father in 2008 and how he became a better version of himself as a person and athlete by attending therapy. He also touches on his developing love of chess and the fun he’s having playing around on social media, noting however, that both can be distractions that take his focus away from baseball.
Votto, who describes himself as intensely competitive and focused, is now 39 and playing his 17th season in MLB. Given his singular focus on being the best he can be at baseball, one senses he was deeply affected by an uncharacteristically poor 2022 season, one in which he was hampered by a nagging rotator cuff injury.
He had surgery last summer to repair that and a torn biceps muscle.
In the interview, the career Reds player talks candidly about overcoming challenges, especially as a veteran athlete still looking to contribute to his team’s success.
His commitment to that goal was evident when he agreed to open the 2023 season in a rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats, the Reds’ AAA-level Minor League affiliate in the International League. His goal? To get himself back into game shape, mainly his swing and his legs, he told redlegnation.com last week.
While it came against a Minor League pitcher, Votto used his first at bat with Louisville on Saturday (April 1) to smack a 448-foot homer to right field, part of a 1-for-3 day at the plate.
Now remember, this is a guy who, despite the off year, still entered this season with career numbers on par with many Hall of Fame players: a .297 batting average, 342 home runs and 1,106 runs batted in.
Something tells us Joey Votto will come back with a vengeance this season.
You can watch his interview on the episode of It Changed Everything on CBC’s YouTube channel by clicking here.
