All of Fielder’s teammates, along with Rangers coaches and staff, filled the interview room to support him.
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Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder officially announced his retirement at a press conference in Arlington on Wednesday, fighting back tears at the end of a 12-year career. I’m happy I got to enjoy my career and play with these guys.
Fielder bashed a career-best 50 homers for the Brewers in 2007. It is his third season in Texas after the club traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for the first baseman on November 20, 2013. Fielder got off to an terrible start with his new club, hitting just.247/.360/.360, with three home runs, over 42 games.
Fielder, who signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Tigers in January 2012, hit.295/.387/.491 with 55 home runs and 214 RBI in his two seasons in Detroit.
His sons stared at the podium, overcome by emotion, as Fielder spoke with agent Scott Boras to his right.
Fielder, 32, had a cervical fusion on July 29 to fix a herniation between two disks in his neck.
The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. “That’s the thing that really hurts”.
Rosenthal noted Fielder’s contract pays him $24 million per season through 2020.
If he ever runs out of Kleenex fielder will still have plenty of paper laying around as he’s still owed $104 million on his contract.
“To not be able to play, it’s going to be tough”, said Fielder, once one of the most durable players in the majors.
The Tigers, who traded him to the Texas Rangers after the first two years of the deal, are still responsible for $6 million of his annual salary, with the Rangers paying the rest.
The six-time All-Star was the seventh overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Brewers, for whom he played from 2005-2011.
“That’s when I knew I was starting to get up there in years, when I started playing against former teammates’ sons at the major-league level”. “They’ve still got work to do, I’ve still got some cheerleading to do”.
“It’s emotional, I believe, for the entire baseball community”, Banister said.
“I’m going to be with the fellows”, Fielder said.
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“When I came home and told them what the doctor said, they never allowed me to feel bad”, Fielder said.
