Joey Votto, a six-time All-Star and former National League MVP, has announced his retirement from baseball.
The 40-year-old made the announcement in a short video on social media Wednesday night accompanied by a longer written post.
\"I was myself in this sport,\" Votto wrote. \"I was able to be my best self. I played this sport with every last ounce of my body, heart, and mind. Thank you for everything.\"
The longtime Cincinnati Red had been playing for the Toronto Blue Jays\' Triple-A club, the Buffalo Bisons.
After recording the video outside Buffalo\'s Sahlen Field, Votto took a ride across the border to Toronto, where the Reds had just beaten the Blue Jays.
\"I had moments where I was like, \'Is this the right thing to do?\' and, \'Do I want the organization to tell me I\'m done?\'\" Votto said. \"I just decided, you know, you\'ve played long enough, you can interpret what\'s going on, and I was awful. I was awful down there.\"
Votto said he had \"zero regrets\" about ending his career but acknowledged disappointment in not playing for the Blue Jays this season.
\"I wanted to play a year in Toronto at home, in front of family, in front of my country,\" he said. \"I desperately wanted to participate in games here. I\'m really saddened that I wasn\'t able to make it happen.\"
Via ESPN