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Six-time MLB All-Star first baseman Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds says that he plans on retiring around the age of 40 or 41 and when he does he knows very specifically what completely unexpected career path he wants to pursue.
At the end of the 2017 season the 2010 National League MVP was sitting at first in career on-base percentage (.428), second in OPS (.969), and third in batting average (.313) among all active players. This year, in his 12th season, he still has a .419 OBP and once again made the NL All-Star team. So he is in no way closing in on having to hang up his spikes. Still, he definitely knows what he wants to do when he does.
Speaking to MLB Network host Brian Kenny, Votto, 34, explained, “After I’m done playing, I want to drive a bus. I legitimately would like to drive a yellow bus when I’m older. I want to be either a crossing guard or drive a yellow bus, drive the kids to school or let ’em cross to school. That’s something I’m excited about. I’m serious about that. I think that will be great.
“I plan on retiring around 40, 41 years old and then from 40 until however long I live, I’ll drive that bus.”
“Everybody on? Good, great, grand, wonderful. No yelling on the bus!” – Joey Votto pic.twitter.com/hEWRv1wB2P
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2018
If Votto can manage to keep his numbers up around his career norms until he retires in six or seven seasons he has a legit shot at being a MLB Hall of Famer. Now imagine being a kid riding on a bus with a freaking Hall of Fame baseball player as the driver. How cool would that be?
The answer is, it would be at least as cool as having a NBA Hall of Famer, Adrian Dantley, serving as your crossing guard. That’s how cool it would be.