Joey Votto opens up on anxiety following father's death

[WildcatFan]

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

[RedlegJake]

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!

[paulrichjr]

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".

[WrongVerb]

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.

[Blimpie]

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

[OC_Red]

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

[wally post]

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).

[Reds1]

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.

[RedsManRick]

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.

[cincinnati chili]

Had no idea that this spilled into the 2010 season. He's amazing.

[lidspinner]

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.

[Roy Tucker]

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"

[Chip R]

Maybe he'll change his intro from "Paint It Black" to "Happy"

Well, Pharrell has been seen wearing a Mountie hat.

I heard the interview on my way home from work the other day. I have seen, from time to time, people use this to criticize Votto as being "mentally weak." I would implore those people to think again and realize how mentally tough he had to be to fight through the depression and the anxiety to not just get through every day but to play baseball at that kind of level while going through that. He also had and has to overcome the perception that athletes - and men in general - have to hide those kind of emotions.

[RedFanAlways1966]

... people use this to criticize Votto as being "mentally weak."

Kind of people that need a good butt kicking. Violence solves nothing of course, but sometimes the brain wants to do it to these types lol. Makes me think of a story my late grandfather told me about wife-beaters back in the 1940s-1960s. The police would pick up the "tough guy". They did not take him to jail. They took him under the 3rd street bridge in downtown Dayton. After they got done giving him what he gave his wife they'd take his pathetic self back home. As they dropped him off they let him know that the next time they came here he might not be so lucky. Most of the time they never had to come back.

[RedsManRick]

Kind of people that need a good butt kicking. Violence solves nothing of course, but sometimes the brain wants to do it to these types lol. Makes me think of a story my late grandfather told me about wife-beaters back in the 1940s-1960s. The police would pick up the "tough guy". They did not take him to jail. They took him under the 3rd street bridge in downtown Dayton. After they got done giving him what he gave his wife they'd take his pathetic self back home. As they dropped him off they let him know that the next time they came here he might not be so lucky. Most of the time they never had to come back.

I'm confused. Does violence solve wife-beating or solve nothing?