13-Year Veteran Catcher Retires
After 13 seasons and 542 games in the major leagues, veteran catcher and former 2nd-round draft Rene Rivera has announced his retirement.
He took to Instagram to bid adieu to the game.
Rivera, 39, played for 10 different MLB teams, most notably, three years with the Seattle Mariners to begin his career, and two different stints covering four seasons with the New York Mets. He last played in 2021, splitting 25 games between the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Nationals.
The high water mark of his career came in the 2014 season with the San Diego Padres, when he had career highs of 329 plate appearances, 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .751 OPS.
“In June 2001, I had the opportunity to make one of my dreams come true, to get signed as a professional baseball player,” Rivera wrote in his IG post. “21 years later, I thank God for the career he has allowed me to have. Today I want to announce that I am retiring as a professional baseball player.”
After nearly 4,000 innings donning the tools of ignorance, Rivera finished his career with a .221 average and a .627. But it was his defense and handling pitchers that won him his lengthy career.
He thanked each and every one of those 10 teams, and concluded by thanking the paying customers who helped make it all possible.
"To the fans, thank you for all your support, to all those who supported me, you inspired me to work harder...
"I'm ready for the next step of my career."
Photo: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
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