After more than two decades in the MLB, former Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre announced his retirement on Tuesday, saying he came to the decision after “careful consideration and many sleepless nights.”
“After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, I have made the decision to retire from what I’ve been doing for my whole life, which is playing baseball, the game I love,” Beltre said in a statement. “I have thought about it a lot and although I appreciate all the opportunities and everything that baseball has given me, it’s time to call it a career.”
A native of the Dominican Republic, Beltre’s record in the league places him in a good position to get into the Hall of Fame. In addition to being a four-time all-star player, Beltre made 3,166 hits, 16th best of all time. Had he played a bit longer, the 39-year-old was poised to join the top ten in all-time hits, passing Cal Ripkin Jr.’s 3,184 hits.
Although a series of injuries have often derailed the third baseman, his 2,933 games rank him 14th in the most games played by an active player. Beltre spent all his career with four teams. He made his debuted for the LA Dodgers in 1998 and lasted for seven years. He had a spell in Seattle that lasted five years, one year with the Red Sox and then the Rangers.
