Torii Hunter announces retirement

Twins outfielder Torii Hunter has decided to retire, as first reported by LaVelle Neal of the Star Tribune. Hunter considered returning to the Twins for his twentieth major-league season, but has decided to call it a career after discussing the situation with his family.

"I’m sad because it’s all I’ve known for half of my life," Hunter said. "This great game of baseball has done so much for me. I have learned a lot of lessons. They say baseball is life and life is baseball, and I used baseball and applied it to my life. So I got through a lot of hardships and a lot of hard times and I learned from them and I made adjustments, which you have to do in the game of baseball as well as the game of life. So baseball taught me a lot.

"But mentally, I think it’s time. I still love the game, but time has taken a toll on me mentally and physically."

Hunter, 40, ends his career with a lifetime .277/.331/.461 line and 353 home runs and 1391 RBI in nineteen seasons with the Twins (1997-2007, 2015), Angels (2008-2012) and Tigers (2013-2014). He was named to the American League All-Star team on five different occasions and won nine Gold Gloves during his career.

Hunter was considered one of the most consistent performers and best clubhouse presences throughout his career, and appears to be a strong candidate to continue working in baseball in his post-playing career. He joins Tim Hudson, A.J. Burnett, Aramis Ramirez, Barry Zito and Dan Haren as notable veterans to retire this year.