3,000-Hit Club Member Adrian Beltre Announces His Retirement from MLB

After 21 seasons and 3,166 hits, Adrian Beltre is hanging up his spikes.

The Texas Rangers third baseman announced his decision Tuesday in a statement released by the team.

Beltre, 39, debuted in the big leagues at the age of 19 with the Dodgers in 1998. He went on to play for the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox before joining the Rangers in 2011.

A four-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, Beltre passed Ichiro Suzuki on Major League Baseball’s all-time hits list for players born outside of the United States last season.

In 2,933 career games, Beltre hit .286 with 477 home runs and 1,707 RBIs.

Ranked as similar to Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., and Carl Yastrzemski by Baseball Reference, Beltre has an excellent shot at making the Hall of Fame.

Here’s the full statement from Beltre which the Rangers posted on their website:

After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, I have made the decision to retire from what I’ve been doing my whole life, which is playing baseball, the game I love.

I have thought about it a lot and although I appreciate all the opportunities and everything that baseball has given me, it’s time to call it a career. I have enjoyed the privilege of playing professional baseball since I was 15 years old. I have been blessed to have played 21 seasons at the highest level in Major League Baseball.

I want to thank God, my amazing wife Sandra for your unwavering and unconditional love, support and understanding throughout my entire baseball career, my three awesome children, Cassie, A.J and Camila for being the best baseball kids, my parents, and my entire family for all your love and support.

I also want to thank my agents, Scott Boras, Mike Fiore and the entire Boras Corp. for always believing in my talent. A huge THANK YOU goes to the numerous teammates, managers, coaches, and staff members from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and especially the Texas Rangers. These past eight seasons playing in a Rangers’ uniform have been the best of my career and were made possible thanks to Rangers’ owners Ray Davis, Bob Simpson, and Neil Leibman, General Manager Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan, and the late Don Welke.

I also owe a huge part of my success in Texas to the amazing Rangers’ fans. You guys are the best!

I also have to acknowledge and thank Tommy Lasorda for believing in this young kid from the Dominican Republic when others thought I was too young to be called up to the Big Leagues.

To all my fans in the Dominican Republic, the United States and Latin America, my sincerest THANK YOU for your continuous support throughout my career. While I will forever cherish the memories from my time playing the greatest game on earth, I am excited to become a fulltime husband and father, and I am ready to take on the next chapter of my life.

It’s been one hell of a ride!

Muchas gracias,

Adrian Beltre