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Thread: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

  1. #1
    Future Fame of Holler WildcatFan's Avatar
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    Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    I thought this was a really nice piece on MLB Tonight about Joey Votto's struggle with anxiety and depression after the death of his father in 2008. The most interesting part to me was that he said he "hated" being on the field and debated quitting baseball for more than one season, including his 2010 MVP year. He said he thinks the reason he performed so well is that he didn't care about the game enough to worry about slumps or bad plays or big situations. Highly recommended.

    http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/7417714...loss-of-father
    "I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn't. And that's what makes it great." - Joe Posnanski

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    Moderator RedlegJake's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    I should not have watched that this morning. Now my eyes will be red and puffy all morning. Once you experience the kind if intense loss Joey has, like your parent or your spouse, you can understand him and the pain he went through. When my wife died I went several months actually praying every night that I would simply not wake up. I lost my job and quit living. I just existed day to day. How I empathize with him!
    99% of all numbers only tell 33% of the story so when looking at the numbers remember that numbers is plural...

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    Member paulrichjr's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Thanks for sharing. It was really a great piece on a great person. I am so proud that my kids will get to watch Joey in a Reds uniform for probably his entire career. We as Reds fans should truly appreciate this era... "The Joey Votto Years".
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    I remember one time going out to the mound to talk with Bob Gibson. He told me to get back behind the batter, that the only thing I knew about pitching was that it was hard to hit.

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    I wear Elly colored glass WrongVerb's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    I can definitely relate. I'm nowhere near Votto in terms of overall ability in my sport, but in relation to most league bowlers in DC, I'm at about Votto's level in relation to the rest of MLB. I can say without a doubt that when I've got something bothering me in another part of my life that being out there on the lanes is one of the most relaxing experiences. It's a way to let go and not worry about anything but the task at hand.
    Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. -- Carl Sagan (Pale Blue Dot)

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    Joe Oliver love-child Blimpie's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Man, you cannot help but to root for this guy. Great segment.... thanks for sharing.

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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Thank you for sharing. Joseph Daniel Votto is a strong dude. God bless ya, Joey.

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    Member wally post's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    I love that Joey shared this. I am also pulling myself out of a four year old hole as the result of a similar circumstance. He is right about baseball and not caring too much. Detachment will enable you to perform better. I can personally add this has to do with making art/music as well. We get mad at the players for appearing to not care or laugh, but they are trying to remain in a performance zone (at least some of them are!) Not to change the subject, but I suspect Homer is going through this now as he tries to live up to the big money he is now receiving (and caring too much).

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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    I have to admit. I didn't realize it was so bad. I thought that was amazing and I appreciate him just that much more.

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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Thanks for posting. I hadn't appreciated the degree to which his issues had manifested physically. The juxtaposition between his on-field performance and personal suffering is both impressive and very intriguing.

    As somebody who also suffers with anxiety, I give him a lot of credit for opening himself up. Above and beyond all the good that his foundation has done and will do for the broader community, I hope his being open about his struggles will help de-stigmatize mental health challenges within the sports world.
    Last edited by RedsManRick; 04-15-2014 at 05:06 PM.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

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    AlienTruckStopSexWorker cincinnati chili's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Had no idea that this spilled into the 2010 season. He's amazing.
    Stick to your guns.

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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    just seeing the way Joey has changed since he first came up with the Reds has made me like him more and root for him even more...if he ever gets traded or moves on I will still root him on....his interview on Intentional talk shocked the heck out of me....

    I know he is not haivng the start we all would like but he is starting to put it together these past few games and he appears to be seeing the ball....when I watched the intentional talk interview live I called my dad, whom I knew would be glued to MLB network channel and my dad said Joey will have another MVP type year....just he fact that he looks like he is relaxed and having more fun.....I have even seen him smile 2 times this year on TV and my dad was at a home game already and said Joey was talking the fans around the dugout during the game....and if you pay much attention to Joey at the games, he rarely engages with the fans at any time let along during the game......

    I think he truly has had something or someone in his life help him open up and be himself regardless of if there are camera's around or not....you can act like a professional and still have fun....

    Dont get me wrong, I love Joeys professional manner in how he goes about his game and how it looks like he is always locked in.....but sometimes I cannot tell if he is locked in or lost in space.....maybe now that it appears he is opening up to everyone around him and not just his teammates,maybe it will help him in ohter areas of his game.....not that he needs much help or improvement but just imagine Votto when the world around him is in perfect harmony.....I think we are in for a good year from JV.

  20. #12
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    At one time or another, most of us lead lives of quiet desperation and sometimes don't know how we can face another day. I've been there at least. Nice to know ball players aren't immune to that. It's been a heart-warming thing to see the continued growth of Votto as a regular human being and him sharing that with fans.

    Maybe he'll change his intro from "Paint It Black" to "Happy"
    She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning

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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Joey Votto is unabashedly human. He isn't putting on a show. He's like Homer Bailey in that way.
    "Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?" ~ Jim Bouton

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  24. #14
    Member Redlegs's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Joey's a good guy. I know from experience that anxiety is a beyotch. Creating the Joey Votto Foundation is a classy move by a classy guy. Wish him well off the field and on.
    As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

  25. #15
    Member Beatlessp's Avatar
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    Re: Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

    Watching that made me call my Dad and tell him I love him.....wow. I had read that he struggled with it, but to hear how long and how depressed he was is very inspiring knowing that he worked through it. He really has opened up a lot over the last few months. Good guy. Glad he's on my favorite team


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