Kole Calhoun, the Angels' primary right fielder during their last run of playoff-contending teams, announced his retirement from baseball on Friday.
Calhoun, 36, took to Instagram to thank the Angels (among many), saying "the best years in my life happened in that organization."
The love for Calhoun among Angels fans was mutual. Listed at 5-foot-10, Calhoun was never the tallest player on the field. What he lacked in height, he routinely made up for in hustle.
That was particularly true on defense. In 2015, his second full year as the Angels' primary right fielder, Calhoun won the only Gold Glove award of his career.
Calhoun also demonstrated surprising power for his size, averaging 22 home runs a season from 2014-19, his peak years in Anaheim.
In Dec. 2019, Calhoun signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ending his tenure with the Angels. He spent the next two years in Phoenix before signing with the Texas Rangers prior to the 2022 season.
Calhoun spent time in four organizations (Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians) in 2023 as he tried to accrue the 10 years of service time required for a fully vested pension fund. He got there — by 17 days — by appearing in 43 games with the Guardians at the end of last season.
In 1,239 games for four different major league teams, Calhoun batted .242 with 179 home runs and 582 RBIs. In the Instagram post announcing his retirement, Calhoun did not indicate what was next for him in his career.
"While I step away from baseball as a player, I am not closing the door on other opportunities in the future in a variety of capacities. I do not know when that day will come and for the time being I can not wait [sic] spend my time with my family."
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