Fielder has been deemed medically disabled, and his doctors will not clear him to play baseball.
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Texas Ranger Prince Fielder announces the end of his 12-year playing career after his second neck surgery in 27 months at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Fielder is still owed $96 million on his contract, according to the Star-Telegram’s Rangers beat writer Jeff Wilson.
Fielder underwent neck surgery to fix a disc herniation in July, and his medical condition left him unable to obtain medical clearance to return to the sport. The prodigal son of former Major League Baseball slugger Cecil Fielder, what the heavy-set Prince lacked in athleticism and fielding ability-no pun intended-he made up for in sheer hitting prowess. Fielder hit 50 home runs as a 23 year old sophomore in 2007, giving him a spot on the All-Star team. Fielder was also a showman, one of the game’s most entertaining players.
The stout first baseman had played at least 157 games every year since 2006, and appeared in 809 of 810 possible games the previous five seasons before joining the Rangers.
Fielder has four seasons remaining on a nine-year, $214-million deal that he originally signed with the Detroit Tigers.
Fielder, 32, recently had a second neck surgery that ended his 2016 season after 89 games (he had the initial procedure in 2014).
Over his 11-year baseball career, Fielder has hit 319 home runs, the same amount as his father, Cecil Fielder, did throughout his baseball career.
“I think you need surgery, and I wouldn’t advise you to play again”, Watkins told Fielder.
Over the first six years in the big leagues with the Brewers, Fielder earned many honors. Fielder got off to an terrible start with his new club, hitting just.247/.360/.360, with three home runs, over 42 games. His dad, Cecil Fielder, retired in 1999 with…319 home runs to his name. His career batting line will end at.283/.382/.506, while he will have accumulated 1028 RBIs.
There was also that time he somehow hit an inside-the-park home run, which just seems insane.
He went on: “My boys, always, no matter what I was the best to them”.
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The Tigers traded him to the Rangers in the 2013 offseason in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler.
