Over the last few years, veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer had been on a steady decline and couldn’t find consistency, or even a team that welcomed him.
It’s important, however, not to forget that he was one of the best players on a World Series-winning squad: the 2015 Kansas City Royals.
That player is hanging up his cleats after a lucrative, successful career in MLB, per FOX Sports: MLB.
Eric Hosmer has announced his retirement from baseball pic.twitter.com/xAt5nSkgnr
Hosmer last played in MLB with the Chicago Cubs, and he hit a disappointing .234/.280/.330 in 100 plate appearances in 2023.
He decided to retire and spend time with his family and other endeavors.
Hosmer calls is a career after winning that 2015 Fall Classic in spectacular fashion against the New York Mets.
He was also an All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove award winner, and a Silver Slugger.
Hosmer famously left the Royals to sign a huge eight-year deal with the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2018 campaign.
He is retiring with a .276/.335/.427 line, a 107 wRC+ (100 is considered league-average performance for this rate stat), 198 home runs, and 893 RBI.
Most of that production came with the Royals, from his debut in 2011 to 2017.
Royals fans will never forget that Hosmer was the one fueling a game-tying rally in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series.
The Royals were down 2-0 against a very stingy Matt Harvey.
Hosmer, however, hit a run-scoring double that put the game at 2-1 and then had a game-changing baserunning play to score from third on a fielder’s choice, beating Lucas Duda’s throw home to tie a game that Kansas City would later win in extras.
4x Gold Glove Award 1x All-Star1x Sliver Slugger2015 World Series Champion
Eric Hosmer will always be a Kansas City legend 💙 https://t.co/HnnETw0AdY pic.twitter.com/jYtcJsHmDc
He is part of the franchise’s modern history and contributed a World Series, no less.
Fans will never forget him.