Torii Hunter To Retire

Hunter told Neal today, "I'm sad because it's all I've known for half of my life."

He spent parts of 19 seasons in the big leagues. He won nine Gold Glove Awards. He played in five All Star games. He won a Silver Slugger Award. He played for the Twins, the Angels and the Tigers, playing in the postseason most of those seasons.

He turned 40 in July, and now he says it's enough.

“But mentally, I think it’s time. I still love the game, but time has taken a toll on me mentally and physically.”

Hunter retires with some pretty impressive career numbers. Overall, he hit .277/.331/.461 (.793) with 498 doubles, 39 triples and 353 home runs. He stole 195 bases and supplied many web gems for his fans.

He also retires a Twins player, something that meant a lot to him, his teammates, the organization and to the fans. He leaves as one of the best players in organization history. He is in the top ten among Twins hitters all time in many statistical categories despite spending seven season in other organizations.

Hunter is a leader. He has ties around the game. He has expressed interest in front office positions.

Congratulations to Torii Hunter on a great career – one that began in 1993 when he was selected by the Twins in the first round out of Little Rock Arkansas and ended with the same organization and a fan base that loves him!