Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley announced on Friday that he’s retiring after 15 seasons in the majors. He’s retiring so that he can spend more time with his family.
“I have young kids, and now it’s time to be a dad, first and foremost,” Brantley told MLB.com’s Jon Paul Mororsi. “It’s time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up, and not miss important milestones.”
In 2008 Brantley was traded to Cleveland by the Milwaukee Brewers, who got CC Sabathia. He played for Cleveland for nine years. With Cleveland, he was a three-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger award in 2014.
Brantley signed with the Astros as a free agent in December 2018. Last year he played in just 15 games because of recovering from a shoulder injury and surgery. With the Astros, he was a two-time All-Star and won a World Series title in 2002, even though he didn’t play in that World Series because of his shoulder injury. The outfielder retires with a .298 batting average, 129 home runs, 720 RBIs, 125 stolen bases, and a .794 OPS.
Brantley won’t be going into the Hall of Fame. Even though he won a World Series title, his numbers aren’t Hall of Fame-worthy. Brantley was one of the top hitters of the game during his career. We don’t know how good he would have been if he hadn’t injured his shoulder and needed surgery. Without the shoulder injury and surgery, then there might have been a case for him to go into the Hall of Fame.
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