Joey Votto, the longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman, retires - ESPN

Longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, a six-time All-Star and the 2010 MVP in the National League, has retired.

The 40-year-old made the announcement as part of a social media post Wednesday night.

«I was myself in this sport,» he 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.»

A post shared by Joey Votto (@joeyvotto)

Votto became a free agent last fall after the end of a 12-year, $251.5 million contract with the Reds, who selected him in the second round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Richview Collegiate Institute in Toronto.

He signed a minor league deal with his hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays, on March 9, but battled ankle and lower-back issues in the minors and never played for the big league team.

Votto finished his major league career with a .294 average, 356 homers, 1,144 RBIs and a .409 on-base percentage in 2,056 games.