Joe Smith , a veteran MLB reliever, has announced his retirement. The 39-year-old called it quits from the sport after spending 16 seasons in the major league.
The American international had been a journeyman in his career and appeared for eight franchises. He is fondly remembered for his time with the Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians) and the Houston Astros.
In a lengthy post on social media, Smith announced his decision. He would express his gratitude to the MLB and all the teams that he appeared in his 16-year MLB career.
With deep humility and gratitude, I am officially announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball after 16 remarkable years. I cherished the experience of sharing the great field with great teammates across eight franchises, backed by the most loyal fans. Joe Smith on his retirement on Instagram.
His wife, Allie LaForce, would later share his statement on her Instagram account and express her support towards him. She would claim she was humbled to see witness his journey and be at her side. While acknowledging his accomplishments, she further directed him to keep his head high and signed off the post by saying, “Hats off baby“.
Joe Smith’s MLB career
While Joe Smith might not have won any individual awards or team championships, he was often considered a reliable reliever. After appearing in college baseball, he was drafted as a third round pick in the 2006 draft by the New York Mets.
After spending a year in the minors, Smith was named in the Opening Day roster of the Mets. On April 1, 2007 he would make his official MLB debut. It was later that month on April 24 when he earned his first win.
The southpaw would spend two seasons with the Mets before joining the Cleveland Indians. He would spend five seasons with them. This stint was followed by a three-year stay with the Los Angeles Angels before moving to the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
He would then become a part of the World Series winning squad. However, he did not make any postseason appearances. Smith would later make trades with the Toronto Blue Jays , the Houston Astros, the Seattle Mariners and the Minnesota Twins.
Speaking of his stats, Smith appeared in 866 games during his career. In this span, he managed to finish his time with a positive win-loss record of 55-34 and a 3.14 ERA. He also managed to pick up 666 strikeouts, further showcasing his abilities as a relief pitcher.
More must-reads: