Long-time Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts officially called it a career on Friday.
Roberts, who turned 37 on Oct. 9, was released by the depth-starved New York Yankees in August. He signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Yankees after they'd lost Robinson Cano to free agency and Alex Rodrirguez to suspension, but never got on track hitting just .237 in 91 games. After his release, he elected to sit out the remainder of the season despite receiving at least two contract offers. Now he's decided to step away for good.
From the Baltimore Sun:
He [Roberts] said two "very good teams" were interested in signing him in August, but he decided against it. As the year went on, he said it became clear that he could no longer play at the level he demanded.
"It was just kind of my time. There were numerous reasons that I felt like I couldn't play at a level that I was accustomed to and wanted to play at if I continued to play," Roberts said. "I always said that I wasn't going to be the guy that tried to hang on as long as I could."
Roberts was drafted by the Orioles as a supplemental first round pick in 1999. He quickly worked through the minor league system, debuting in the big leagues on June 14, 2001, but wouldn't become a true regular until May of 2003. Once established, he became a fan favorite in Baltimore and a fixture at both second base and the leadoff spot in the batting order.
His career peaked between 2005-2009. Over those four seasons, he hit .294 with a remarkable 228 doubles, 65 home runs, 387 runs scored and 183 stolen bases. He was named to his only two All-Star teams in 2005 and 2007.
Unfortunately, a series of back and leg injuries, along with a self-induced concussion when he smacked himself on the helmet after a strikeout, limited him to just 192 games between 2010-2013. After 13 seasons in Baltimore, he was granted free agency following the 2013 season. He'd hoped his opportunity with New York would help him reestablish his value, but he just couldn't get to a level that helped New York or satisfied his own expectations.
"I still wanted to play baseball. If people fault me for that, I really don't know what to say. I took, at the time, the best offer I had," Roberts said. "Do I wish in some ways that I had spent every day with the Orioles? Sure, that was a dream of mine for a long time. I don't think I ever shied away from making that pretty clear. It will always be the organization I feel like is home for me. … If I had ended up with the [Houston] Astros, nobody would have cared, maybe."
It wasn't the ending he'd envisioned. Watching the Orioles soar to the ALCS probably didn't make things any easier, but at least he got the one last shot he was looking for. And hey, even with the unsatisfying conclusion, a career with 1,527 hits, 367 doubles and 285 steals is one to be proud of.*
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813