Prince Fielder’s playing career has ended because of two neck surgeries, but he will continue to have a place with the Rangers.
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With his sons, Jadyn and Haven, by his side and his Texas Rangers teammates in attendance, a choked-up Prince Fielder announced Wednesday that his 12-year playing career is over after he underwent a second season-ending neck surgery last month.
Fielder was a first-round draft pick of the Brewers in 2002 and played for the team from 2005 through 2011. He also has the Brewers record for most home runs in a season (50) and RBI in a season (141).
Texas was responsible for paying $18 million towards his $24 million per-year contract that the Detroit Tigers gave him back in 2012.
Prince and Cecil Fielder famously have had a complicated relationship, but it’s apparently gotten better over the past few years and the two are no longer estranged. Be more than the total team payroll for six of the teams in the league this season. Banister likes having Fielder’s presence in the clubhouse, particularly with young players.
From that point forward, tears were flowing freely the remainder of the time Fielder talked while wearing a neck brace from his surgery on July 29.
Fielder, a designated hitter for the Texas Rangers, is still recovering from his second spinal fusion surgery in the past three years.
The Tigers traded Fielder and $30 million in deferred money to the Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler after the 2013 season.
Fielder said that when he gets the brace off “This is killing me, this is awful”, he said he will be back with the AL West leaders.
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Fielder tied Mitch Moreland in 2015 for the team lead with 23 homers and led the club with 98 RBIs and a.305 average en route to multiple postseason awards as the league’s top comeback player. His career batting line will end at.283/.382/.506, while he will have accumulated 1028 RBIs. In an odd twist of fate, Prince will finish his career with 319 home runs, the same number as Cecil, who played for the Tigers from 1990 to 1996. But that proved to be a fluke, as his neck issues set him down again this season.
