Blue Jays' Hayden Juenger hit with 'wow moment' seeing Joey Votto walk into Triple-A locker room
Blue Jays minor league pitcher Hayden Juenger used to watch Joey Votto as a kid growing up a Cardinals fan in St. Louis when the Reds came to the 618 as visitors to Busch Stadium. Fast-forward to 2024, Juenger shared a locker room with Votto after he signed with the Blue Jays during the offseason and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.
“I would say first and foremost, he's one of one,” said Juenger on the “To the Show We Go” Baseball Podcast, presented by Beyond the Monster. “There's no one like him. I will say it was a privilege to be able to share a locker room with him, and just the way he went about his business, you just watch a 20-year big leaguer do something.
“When it's two over two decades, it's like, yeah, the guy's doing something right. So just be able to watch him go about his business and prepare for the game and how he talks about the game. That was the biggest thing for me.”
Votto signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays in the spring that included an invite to spring training. The future Hall of Famer spent his entire career with the Reds, playing 17 seasons in Cincinnati, batting. 294 with 459 doubles, 22 triples, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI, and a .920 OPS. Votto is a six-time National League All-Star, an NL MVP (2010), a Hank Aaron Award winner (2010), and a Gold Glove-winning first baseman (2011).
The 41-year-old tried to extend his career with Toronto but never cracked the Blue Jays 26-man roster in 2024. His presence in the Buffalo Bisons locker room was felt by all members of the roster and players listed and took in the knowledge he would share.
“He would slow down the game and talk about the game to some of us,” said Juenger. “I was fortunate to kind of have his locker in the corner kind of by me. There were like six of us in the corner. And, you know, he would come in very super and very nice and welcoming.”
Juenger was hit with a “wow moment” when seeing the veteran walk into the locker room, reminiscing on watching him as a kid playing Reds, a rival of the Cardinals.
“I think the oh wow moment was when I actually saw him come into the locker room, and I was like, "That's Joey Votto."
I was more excited to just get an opportunity to play with him. Because if you would have told me, I mean, growing up in St. Louis, being a Cardinal fan, going to Busch Stadium and watching the Reds play, I've watched the Reds play a thousand times at Busch. If you had told 10-year-old Hayden that he was going to be a teammate with Joey Votto, I would have told you you’re crazy. Just sharing a field with him is awesome.”
Votto never wanted a “courtesy at-bat” from the Blue Jays, feeling it was disrespectful to take a roster spot away from someone who deserves it. He also shared his respect and admiration for the Blue Jays organization.
“I’m thankful to the Blue Jays for giving me such an opportunity,” Votto said while on the “Foul Territory” podcast with Ken Rosenthal. “They let me play. It’s rare in this sport where a team gives you so much space and so much leeway and so much respect that they let you, more or less, tell them when you’re going to play. And they did that for me. And so I’m thankful for that. They helped me along in my rehab. They gave me every opportunity to succeed. They wanted to see me in Toronto, and I wanted to be in Toronto for my friends, family, and my country.”
