RADIO
Torii Hunter announced his retirement from baseball on Monday after a 19-year career.
The outfielder could have rejoined the Minnesota Twins for another season but elected to put his career to rest instead. The 40-year-old will now await the possibility of being selected to the MLB Hall of Fame.
"I’m sad because it’s all I’ve known for half of my life," Hunter told The StarTribune. "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 never won the World Series but enjoyed a great career. The centerfielder played with three teams, including two stints with the Twins. He will finish his career with a .277/.331/.461 batting line, 353 HR, 1,391 RBI and 195 SB. He was a five-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner. The Hall of Fame could be calling at some point once he’s eligible.
