In a guest column for The Cincinnati Enquirer, Joey Votto discusses how his views have changed since the killing of George Floyd.

Count Reds first baseman Joey Votto among those in the sports world who have felt compelled to speak out in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing.

On Sunday, the six-time All-Star and former National League MVP penned a guest column for The Cincinnati Enquirer. In it, he discussed how his immediate reaction to the video of Floyd’s death was to defend the police officer—Votto recalls thinking, “Perhaps the man was resisting arrest? Maybe there is a story the video isn’t telling?”—but as time has passed, introspection has led him to the realization that his privilege has caused him to be ignorant about issues of racial injustice.

Votto describes coming up in the minor leagues and developing friendships with non-white players, though he says he was blind to the instances