Pitcher Brian Fuentes announces retirement – MLB News
Pitcher Brian Fuentes on Wednesday, November 14, announced retirement after playing 12 Major League seasons. Fuentes who was representing the St. Louis Cardinals this year after pitching for Oakland Athletics was on leave of absence because of family issues.
He was released by the Oakland Athletics the past season after which the pitcher joined the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he could only appear in six games and was then out of the line-up due to the aforementioned reason.
Explaining the reason for announcing retirement, Fuentes said he wanted to spend more time with his family members.
"Ultimately, I was just having trouble with the time away from my family," Fuentes told the Merced (Calif.) Sun-Star. "I've been playing baseball for all of their lives, but I'd never been so far away as when I was in St. Louis. "I think at one point I went like two months without seeing them. Coming home and being able to put them to bed at night made me realize what I was missing."
Fuentes shot to fame after he made it to three All-Star Games while representing the Colorado Rockies. Those three appearances came merely in seven years, which served as evidence of his consistency and effectiveness as a pitcher.
The pitcher also played for the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins before moving to the Oakland Athletics and then St. Louis Cardinals. Wednesday’s announcement was effectively an end to a career that spanned 12 years with numerous accomplishments to his record.
With a career ERA of 3.62, Brian Fuentes had 204 saves to his credit, having held a 26-43 record. It was in 2009 when he led the Majors with 48 saves, garnering immense attention due to his quality performance.
"I've had a great career," Fuentes told the Sun-Star. "I never dreamed I'd have had the opportunities or some of the successes that I've had.”
Although he did not enunciate what his future endeavours might be, Fuentes’ immediate concern – so it seems, will remain his family. With this announcement, the Cardinals will have to look for another pitcher to add to their bullpen in the near future.
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