For the first time in nearly two decades, Joey Votto is focused on something other than baseball.
After the former Cincinnati Red and Toronto Blue Jay announced his retirement from MLB in August, following a 17-year career that included an NL MVP and six All-Star selections, the biggest question was what was Votto going to do next?
Well to many, joining the media world makes a ton of sense for the often boisterous Canadian. Just ask Chris “Mad Dog” Russo who was on the receiving end of one of Votto’s best interview moments.
Votto’s media chops were only further demonstrated when he joined Russo on MLB network’s High Heat on Friday and mid-way through their interview he changed into a suit and put on a wig to mimic the show host.
“I started thinking about you Chris,” Votto said during the interview on High Heat when asked about his retirement plans. “This guy is in every household … I want a little taste of that.”
But amid the chaos and jokes about hosting a show with Russo one day, in typical Votto fashion, he snuck in his real (or at least, immediate) retirement plans
The 40-year-old is set to restart school in October, heading to Arizona State as a Spanish major. And that was as much detail as he would provide on that topic.
Pretty on brand for Votto, considering his retirement announcement was a nine-second video by way of Instagram. In his trademark fashion, not wanting to speak about himself, the answer to “what’s next?” was as quiet as his goodbye.
And for those who were hoping for chatter on Votto’s Hall of Fame case, don’t worry he was asked about it and answered.
He spoke fondly about his productivity and longevity in the majors while acknowledging some statistical shortcomings along the way — even admitting that it’s a subjective thing and he understands the debate around his case — before ultimately coming to a simple conclusion.
“If I don’t get into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, it would be a bummer, but there is also a part of me that says there’s no shame in a 17-year MLB career and achieving all your goals.”
