Buster Posey's illustrious, 12-year MLB career is over.
The longtime San Francisco Giants catcher announced his retirement in an emotional press conference Thursday afternoon at Oracle Park, thanking the organization, his coaches, teammates and fans in the process.
"I look forward to creating new memories of my own, and sharing them with family and friends, as I pull for the Giants for the rest of my life," Posey said.
Posey, 34, was the face of the franchise for over a decade. The Giants won three World Series – their first since moving to San Francisco – with Posey behind the dish, and he made seven All-Star apperances.
Giants Chairman Greg Johnson and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer said Posey called them late last month to inform them of his decision to retire. President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi, whom the Giants hired in 2018, said he felt "overwhelming gratitude" for all Posey had accomplished on and off the field during his time with the Giants.
Zaidi said Posey was one of the first people who reached out to him after his hiring, holding an hourslong conversation in the days after.
"There's nothing anybody else could have done that made me feel more comfortable, and more like a Giant, than you taking that time in my first few days," Zaidi recalled, praising Posey's "incredible empathy" for teammates, coaches and the organization's employees. "Those were the moments when I truly felt like I first became a Giant."
A first-round pick in 2008, Posey made his MLB debut the following September. By May 2010, he seized the reins as the Giants' starting catcher, winning National League Rookie of the Year and his first championship that fall.
Posey was the NL's Most Valuable Player, its Comeback Player of the Year and its batting champion two seasons later, all after sustaining a season-ending injury in 2011 following a nasty home-plate collision. He won another World Series that year, followed by his third in 2014.
After struggling with injuries in the prior two seasons, Posey didn't play during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season after he and his wife adopted twin girls with underlying health issues. He returned to the Giants in 2021, but he said he entered the season anticipating it could be his last.
"It was just getting to the point where things I was enjoying were not as joyful anymore," Posey said, noting he wanted to spend more time between February and November with his family.
Posey was back at his best in 2021, batting .304 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI while leading the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins. The season ended with a heartbreaking National League Division Series loss to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Posey said he told his agent before the season he wanted to prove to himself he could still play at the highest level. He then made his seventh All-Star team and is considered the odds-on favorite to win his second NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Zaidi opened his remarks by jokingly double-checking that Posey was sure he wanted to retire.
"(Everything) we were able to accomplish was because of you, and I think all of us feel that way," Zaidi said of the 2021 season.
Posey, his wife, Kristen, and their four children will move to Georgia to be closer to their respective families. San Francisco won't be far from his mind or his heart, though.
"I think, in my mind, I'll always be part of the Giants organization," Posey told reporters. "I couldn't tell you in what capacity that is right now, but Kristen and I and our kids are so grateful that this was the organization that drafted us."
Related
