Former Philadelphia Phillies star Ryan Howard announced his retirement from baseball in a letter posted Tuesday on The Players’ Tribune website.
Thank you, Philadelphia. It's been a dream come true. https://t.co/ze8JOF3iNO
— Ryan Howard (@ryanhoward) September 4, 2018
Howard, 38, has not played in the majors since 2016 and has been a free agent since November. The former National League MVP signed minor league deals with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies last season, but his entire major league career was spent with the Phillies.
In the Players’ Tribune piece titled, “Thank You, Philly,” Howard reminisced about some of his most memorable moments during his 13 seasons with the Phillies. The three-time All-Star noted “some interesting bookends” in his career, which he called “a wild ride.”
Howard finished his career as a .258 hitter with 382 home runs and 1,194 RBIs in his 13 seasons with the Phillies.
He twice led the majors in homers and led the majors in RBIs three times during a dominant six-year stretch from 2006 to 2011, when he averaged 44 homers and 133 RBIs per season. Who knows how much more productive he would have been if he had not injured his Achilles.
When Ryan Howard retires 5 years after you thought he retired pic.twitter.com/MorAegL2OD
— SportsGossip.com (@sportsgossip) September 4, 2018