BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — At age 40, Joey Votto appreciates the youthful ambition surrounding him in the Buffalo Bisons clubhouse. “Major League dreams,” the six-time All-Star says with a grin. “It’s like that scene when Rocky goes back to Apollo Creed’s gym and talks about the Eye of the Tiger.
Votto, making his long-awaited debut at Sahlen Field in a home white jersey this week, five months since signing a minor league deal with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays, is meditative on his odyssey to get back to the big leagues.
“I’m just hungry and happy to work,” Votto says. “That’s all it is. I’m content to work. And I love what I do for a living. I like taking on the challenge and I’m just grateful to have the opportunity. I’m going to use that gratitude as fuel to not cut any corners and make sure I push forward to do the very best that I can. And being amongst guys that are hungry that reminds you each and every moment of the day. Everyone else is working, everyone else is locked in. Everyone else is passionate. It’s almost contagious.”
Votto is playing in Buffalo for the first time since 2007 when he was a member of the Louisville Bats, three years before becoming Most Valuable Player of the National League with the Cincinnati Reds. He is the sixth major-league MVP to play for the Bisons and the third to do so after winning the award, the last being Juan Gonzalez in 2005.
Scheduled to play first base Wednesday when the Bisons open their series against the Rochester Red Wings with a doubleheader starting at 12:35 p.m., Votto is close enough to see his home country across the Niagara River. And just as close to making his MLB return. He will see a counterpart in the opposing dugout as two-time All-Star Joey Gallo begins a rehab assignment playing five innings at first base for the Red Wings.
Toronto hosts Votto’s former team Cincinnati in a three-game series August 19-21, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider says Votto could soon be promoted from Triple-A, so long as he stays healthy. “You sign him for a reason,” Schneider says. “I think you make room for him. And I think having a guy like him here within this clubhouse goes a long way.”
Getting his body right has been a season-long endeavor for Votto. He had an extended spring training in Dunedin, Florida after sustaining ankle and back injuries from stepping on a bat after homering in his first plate appearance. He arrived in Buffalo two weeks ago only to aggravate the ankle injury taking infield practice before what was to be his first game.
“You have hiccups along the way,” Votto says. “I’ve had great support from several members of the Jays health and performance staff. The language we use are speed bumps and blips just keep stacking days. I wasn’t happy about it. But I wasn’t distraught.”
Staying at a nearby bed and breakfast while rehabbing his ankle, Votto explored Buffalo on foot.
“I’ve had a great time,” he says. “Been going for walks in the neighborhood. I feel like I’ll probably never be a politician. But I feel like you have to connect with the community. Going out for walks and interacting with the neighborhood.
Debuting for the Bisons in Worcester this past weekend, Votto batted 2 for 5 with a home run and two walks. He’s still working on his swing timing. But that will come with more games played.
“It felt good to be back,” he says. “And it felt good to be healthy enough to compete.”
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.