San Francisco Giants great Brandon Crawford has announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 37.
Crawford, who became a two-time World Series champion in his iconic 13-year stint with the Giants, revealed it is ‘time for the next chapter’ after spending a season with the St. Louis Cardinals in an emotional post on Instagram.
The legendary shortstop also thanked his hometown team for ‘allowing me to live out my dream and be a part of so much throughout my career in San Francisco’.
‘During this time of the year, I am constantly being reminded of the things in my life that I am most thankful for. Baseball is one of them,’ Crawford said. ‘Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and for the rest of my life I will be thankful for the opportunities and experiences it has given me.
‘Time is precious. I’m incredibly grateful for all the years I spent playing the game I love, but now it is time for me to spend it with the people who I’m most thankful for. Thank you to all of you who have there for me throughout the years. It’s been an unbelievable ride…’
As well as paying tribute to the Giants, Crawford also gave a shout out to the Cardinals – where he spent what turned out to be the final year of his baseball career.
He then concluded: ‘Baseball has given me, [wife] Jalynne, and the kids more than we ever thought possible, and for that we are so thankful. I wouldn’t have been able to have the career that I did without their love and support along the way.’
Crawford, who played college baseball for UCLA Bruins, was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
He went on to become the sixth player in MLB history to hit a grand slam on his debut, and the first shortstop ever to hit one in a postseason game.
Along with winning the World Series in 2012 and 2014, and becoming a three-time All-Star, Crawford made the most appearances at shortstop for the Giants in franchise history with a total of 1,654.
