DENVER — 4-time All-Star Charlie Blackmon will retire on the finish of the season after spending his whole main league profession with the Colorado Rockies.
The outfielder identified for his bushy beard introduced his determination Monday. The Rockies will have a good time Blackmon all through their last homestand this week and maintain a tribute for him earlier than the season finale Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Blackmon spent 14 seasons with the staff and is the franchise’s all-time chief in triples (67). He is additionally second in video games performed (1,618), runs scored (991), hits (1,797), doubles (333), extra-base hits (626) and complete bases (2,942). Blackmon received an Nationwide League batting title in 2017 with a .331 common.
In a put up on Instagram, Blackmon wrote: “As a child you play the sport since you adore it, like nothing else issues. I nonetheless play the sport that means, however I do not really feel like a child anymore. My perspective has modified. I’ve been blessed to name the town of Denver and the Colorado Rockies my baseball house for the whole thing of my profession. I’m grateful for the assist of this group, my teammates, and most of all Rockies followers. It’s with a grateful coronary heart and a profession’s value of recollections that I select a brand new path.”
Blackmon was taken by the Rockies within the second spherical of the 2008 first-year participant draft out of Georgia Tech. He made his main league debut on June 7, 2011, in opposition to San Diego.
The 38-year-old Blackmon has a .292 common with 226 homers and 148 stolen bases heading into his last few video games. He additionally was a two-time Silver Slugger.
“When Charlie instructed me of his plans to retire I acquired a bit of emotional, as I am certain many followers will once they see the information that one of many biggest Rockies of all-time will now not take the sector,” Rockies proprietor Dick Monfort stated in an announcement. “Charlie’s ardour and dedication to the sport of baseball, this group and our nice followers was on show each single day and I can not thank him sufficient for pouring his coronary heart into each recreation and each at-bat over the course of his 14 years right here. Charlie is a Rockie to his core.”
Blackmon closed his Instagram put up by writing: “I will jump over that fence, pickle the beast and embrace the following part of my life.”
