After spending 16 seasons in the Major Leagues, former Kansas City Royals star Mike Sweeney will announce his retirement from baseball on Friday at the Royals' complex in Sunrise, Arizona.
Mike Sweeney, Royals Great, Retires From Baseball At 37
Sweeney retires after signing a one-day contract with the Royals so that he can go out with the organization with which he first came up and established himself. Sweeney was a Royal for 13 years between 1995-2007, batting .299 with nearly 1,400 hits and a .492 slugging percentage. He ranks sixth all-time in Royals history in hits, fifth in RBI and second in home runs.
Sweeney spent the last few years of his career bouncing around as a DH and a bench player, and the last time he managed to play 100 games was 2005. Nagging and chronic injuries are to blame for holding him back and preventing him from achieving more, as Sweeney was once among the game’s best pure hitters. Nevertheless, the beloved fan- and player-favorite gave everything he had to the sport, and the last game he ever played was his first-ever game in the playoffs. He went 1-for-1 with a single.
On Friday, Major League Baseball has lost one of its biggest hearts. You’ll be able to find more on Sweeney over at Royals Review, and from our own Rob Neyer.
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