Joey Votto apologizes for his past comments on Canadian baseball

Joey Votto’s Blue Jays career got off to a hot start on Sunday, as the 40-year-old homered in his first at-bat of the spring against the Philadelphia Phillies. As the future Hall of Famer continues his push to make the Opening Day roster, Votto took to X in an effort to get back in the good graces of baseball fans across Canada.

Back in 2018, the former Cincinnati Reds first basemen was asked to comment on fellow Canadian James Paxton throwing a no-hitter in Toronto, to which he seemed to brush off the accomplishment:

“I don’t care at all about Canadian baseball … as far as Toronto, and Canadian baseball, and the country of Canada, and James Paxton being Canadian, I don’t care at all. Paxton or the Jays, or Canada, in general, may disagree with that, but I really couldn’t give a rat’s a-- about that.”

Now almost six years later, Votto wanted to take ownership and apologize for what he said. It appears that his Toronto District School Board education has served him well, as he hilariously decided to handwrite a letter detailing his thoughts.

“I received, and still receive occasional criticism for my comments, but it was my mother’s disappointment that hurt me the most. a letter from her, while I was away working in the US. She admonished me for my words. The respect and gratitude I should have for growing up in and living in one of the safest, best educated, healthiest, and most peaceful countries in the world. She let me know, this is not how you were raised and that I should check my ego and perspective.”

You have to respect someone who owns up to their mistakes. It’s also easy to see what may have led him to react the way he did to a fellow Canadian receiving so much fanfare. It does raise a question as well: have we appreciated Joey Votto enough? Maybe it’s because he’s been in Cincinnati his whole career, or because he rubbed some people the wrong way by declining a World Baseball Classic invite back in 2016. But for a homegrown player who won an MVP and finished top 10 in voting five other times, it’s a shame that he hasn’t been the unquestioned face of Canadian baseball.

Votto still has to fight for a chance to wear his hometown uniform this season, but a return home to Toronto may be the perfect ending to an incredible career.