Ex-Phillies All-Star 1B Ryan Howard Retires From Baseball At 38

Former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard announced on Tuesday his retirement from Major League baseball at age 38.

Ex-Philly Ryan Howard Retires From MLB

The three-time All-Star revealed the news in a letter posted on The Players’ Tribune website.

“I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game of baseball. It’s almost like I blinked, you know? It’s almost like I blinked — and suddenly, September 2004 … it became September 2018,” he wrote in the letter, titled “Thank you, Philly.”

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At the end of his letter, he thanked the Phillies organization and its fans: “Thank you to the crazy game that I’ll miss, and the crazy city that I love. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the most passionate group of fans in the world. Y’all took a chance on this big, quiet kid from St. Louis — and for that I’ll always be grateful.”

In the piece, Howard looked back fondly on his top moments with the Phillies — with whom he spent his entire 13-year playing career — including his Home Run Derby win in 2006 and the World Series title he helped lead the team to in 2008, Philadelphia’s first since 1980.

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Howard last played in MLB in 2016 and became a free agent in November 2017. The slugger signed signed minor league contracts with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves last year. Howard was named the National League MVP in 2006, and also won a Sliver Slugger Award that year. He also won NL Rookie of the Year in 2005 and was the league’s home run leader in 2006 and 2008.

Despite his many accomplishments on the field, Howard’s career was hindered by foot and knee injuries. In 2011, he sustained a torn Achilles during the NL Division Series.