Joey Votto defends umpire's decision to eject him in potentially final Reds game: "He was completely justified"

Joey Votto was not fully part of the final regular season game of the 2023 season for the Cincinnati Reds. Amid rampant retirement rumors, the star first baseman played what could end up being his final game in a Reds uniform. He was ejected early in it.

A controversial decision was made by umpure Shane Livensparger to toss the franchise icon. Votto was talking from the dugout and the umpire had heard enough. This prompted an outcry from fans and the umpire drew their ire.

Votto, however, took the blame and defended Livensparger. He admitted that he made a mistake and that it cost him the rest of the game and could sour a potential retirement.

Votto took to X to officially apologize for his actions:

"I cannot holler at the umpire from our teams bench. He was completely justified in ejecting me. For those that wanted to see me play today, I am sorry."

This could be the last time he's seen in a Reds jersey. The iconic first baseman is 40 years old and not getting any younger like the rest of his team. Since they fell two games shy of a postseason bid, there's no guarantee he will ever play again.

He hasn't commented publicly on his decision yet. Many retiring stars like to say that it's their final season, so teams can honor them like they did Miguel Cabrera this year. Still, he's not guaranteed another inning, and he's remorseful that his actions ended a potentially final outing early.

Will Joey Votto retire?

Joey Votto is 40 years old and his form is fading. He is no longer the elite hitter he used to be, and it's reasonable to believe that he could see his performance fall off even more next year.

There's something to be said for retiring before it's too late, but the first baseman has not made a decision on that front. There are a lot of rumors, but they are only that- rumors. There's been no concrete decision, so if the season began today, he would be back in a Reds uniform.