Joey Votto knew it was time to retire when his childhood hero confronted him for skipping an at-bat

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Joey Votto recounted his final surreal moments as a professional baseball player during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday. 

Votto, who announced his MLB retirement at age 40 on Wednesday, revealed the decision came at a very low moment in his career – he had just passed on a plate appearance in a minor league game. Votto spent the entire 2024 season in the minor leagues, playing on the Toronto Blue Jays' triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. In a recent game, Votto wasn't in the starting lineup, and when he was offered the chance to come into the game to pinch hit, he turned it down. 

"The coach was like, ‘Do you want this at-bat?’ and I was like, 'I don't, I don't.' And I've never had that," Votto said. "I was like ‘I’m good.'"

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Joey Votto, #37 of the Toronto Blue Jays, looks on from the dugout during a 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training game against the Baltimore Orioles at TD Ballpark on March 19, 2024, in Dunedin, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Then, when Votto was sitting on the bench, he was confronted by Bisons first base coach and former Blue Jays World Series champion Devon White. For White, it was his and his late father's favorite player when he was growing up.

"We loved the Toronto Blue Jays, and our favorite player was Devon White," Votto said. But in that moment, as Votto's coach, White helped the 40-year-old veteran come to a realization.

"He said to me, ‘What do you think you’re going to do?' And he was talking about my hitting style and what adjustments I'm going to make," Votto said. "And I go, ‘I think I’m done,' and he goes, ‘you mean