"It's a dream": Joey Votto shares baby photo of him wearing Blue Jays bib
Joey Votto is very excited to finally be a part of his hometown, Toronto Blue Jays.
The 40-year-old veteran first baseman of over 17 seasons spoke to the media on joining the Jays for the first time since signing a non-roster invite with the team, which means he will be with the team for the remainder of Spring Training.
To say he is pumped to be a part of his childhood team would be an understatement.
“I was a Blue Jays fan. I watched [Joe] Carter hit the walk-off home run. I watched us win against the Braves on the road. Those were the most exciting moments of my childhood,” Votto told the media. “The idea that I’m back with the opportunity, that I’m possibly going to be a part of the team down the road that has championship aspirations… it’s a dream.”
āI have wanted to play here since I was wearing a #BlueJays bibā – @JoeyVotto ā¤ļøšØš¦ pic.twitter.com/ly2E1JsPpX
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 10, 2024
Toronto fans will also appreciate that he shared a photo of himself as a baby wearing a Blue Jays bib, proving that he wasn’t kidding about his lifelong fandom of the team. It’s reminiscent of John Tavares sharing a photo of him sleeping with Toronto Maple Leafs sheets before joining the team in 2018.
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Votto is hoping to play in his 18th MLB season after spending the first 17 with the Cincinnati Reds. A veteran of 2056 games and 7252 at-bats, Votto has run into some injury troubles, appearing in 65 games last season with a career-low batting average of just .202 in that span.
At 40, it wouldn’t be surprising to anyone to see the Canadian hang up the cleats, but it appears he won’t be doing that without giving it another shot with the Blue Jays.
The Jays are happy to have him with the team, but manager John Schneider says that Votto will have to earn his way on the team and that he is here to help the team win, not to provide a feel-good story.Ā
It’s not yet known when Votto will make his Blue Jays debut, but with just a few more weeks of spring training left, it’s safe to say that fans will get a glimpse of the legendary Canadian player sooner rather than later.
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