Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Player and 18-Year Professional Baseball Veteran Retires

Ronnie Belliard, a former All-Star second baseman who played for six major-league teams throughout his career, announced his retirement from the game today. Belliard had signed a contract with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, earlier this season. Belliard was hitting .251 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 53 games at Triple-A. He played his last game with the team on Monday, going 1-for-4. Belliard will be remembered by Los Angeles Dodgers fans for the role he played down the stretch in the ’09 season, as he posted a .351/.398/.636 line in 83 plate appearances, helping LA advance all the way to the NLCS. Belliard’s retirement, coupled with Gordon going to the Yankees and Podsednik’s stress fracture, concludes a rough several days for the IronPigs.