Many MLB players get the opportunity to play the game for a long time.
Anyone who can play for 10+ years should be very proud of their longevity.
But, there comes a point when every player must hang up the cleats.
For veteran reliever Joe Smith, that time is now.
According to Excel Baseball, Smith has decided to retire from MLB after 16 seasons.
16 incredible seasons on and off the field.
Congratulations, @JSThree8!! #exceling pic.twitter.com/hWN9uG87JO
— excel baseball (@excel_baseball) January 31, 2024
Smith may not be a reliever known to many casual fans.
But, he was a good player for a long time.
You have to be to be able to play for 16 seasons.
He spent time with eight different organizations across his time and posted a career 3.14 ERA in what was a middle-relief role for most of his career.
What Smith was most known for was his throwing motion.
He threw from a sidearm/submarine position and that made him so difficult to hit.
Not every pitcher has to throw in the high 90s to be effective.
Smith showed that there is more than one way to be effective.
Smith did make it to one World Series in his career.
That was in 2019 with the Houston Astros when they lost to the Washington Nationals.
So while Smith never reached the pinnacle of the sport, he has plenty to be proud of.
For a player drafted in the third round of the 2006 MLB Draft, Smith certainly carved out a career for himself.
Smith began his career at age 23 and his final season came at age 38.
Now he moves on to his post-baseball life with plenty of memories.
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