Former Tigers Infielder, USA WBC Champion Josh Harrison Announces Retirement

Former Detroit Tigers infielder Josh Harrison announced his retirement from baseball on Saturday.

"Thank you to the Pirates, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, White Sox, and the Phillies for all letting me represent your cities," Harrison wrote in a farewell post. "I wore each and everyone of those jerseys with pride. Each place holds a special place in my heart for different reasons. I'll be sure to take a piece of each city with me everywhere I go."

Harrison, a 37-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio native, spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball and played for six different teams, including a one-year stint with the Tigers in 2019.

A longtime Pittsburgh Pirate, Harrison spent the bulk of his career in the Steel City, where he made two All-Star Games and finished ninth in National League MVP voting in 2014.

After departing the Pirates organization, Harrison signed a one-year, $2 million deal to become a Tiger, as Detroit looked to add veteran experience to a team that was rebuilding at the time.

Harrison's stint in the Motor City did not go as planned for either side, as he hit .175/.218/.263 in just 31 games played before an injury in May robbed him of the rest of his campaign as the Tigers sputtered to a 47-114 season.

Because Detroit struggled so mightily that year, they had the opportunity to select Spencer Torkelson with the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft.

Outside of his poor performance with the Tigers, Harrison was one of the most unique and versatile utility players in MLB, a role that greatly expanded in popularity and usage league-wide during his career.

In addition to making his second All-Star team in 2017, Harrison also made Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, where he helped the United States capture the gold medal.

Fortunately for Tigers fans, the 2019 season is a distant memory now, as the club currently stands as the best team in MLB with a record of 38-20.