Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann announced his retirement following his team's Game 5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series on Wednesday.
A seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger, the 35-year-old was also a member of the New York Yankees and Houston Astros during his 15-year career.
"I had a long career. Fifteen years is a long time catching every day. And I got to do it my hometown."
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) October 10, 2019
— @Braves catcher Brian McCann pic.twitter.com/TQehAywvZw
McCann was lifted from the game during the ninth inning for pinch hitter Tyler Flowers, and he noted it was an emotional moment with Braves skipper Brian Snitker, who was also the veteran's manager during his minor-league tenure as a prospect with the club.
After he hit free agency this past winter, McCann and the Braves agreed on a one-year deal worth $2 million. The pact reunited the two parties after McCann spent his first nine seasons with the organization before signing as a free agent with the Yankees. He was later traded to the Astros.
McCann concludes his career with a .262/.337/.452 slash line and 282 home runs, the eighth-most among catchers in MLB history.
| Rank | Catcher | Home Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Piazza* | 427 |
| 2 | Johnny Bench* | 389 |
| 3 | Carlton Fisk* | 376 |
| 4 | Yogi Berra* | 358 |
| 5 | Gary Carter* | 324 |
| 6 | Lance Parrish | 324 |
| 7 | Ivan Rodriguez* | 311 |
| 8 | Brian McCann | 282 |
| 9 | Brian Downing | 275 |
| 10 | Jorge Posada | 275 |
* - denotes Hall of Famer
Former teammate Alex Bregman was among many MLB players to congratulate McCann on an incredible career on Twitter:
Brian McCann is one of the best catchers to ever play the game but also the best dude I met in Professional Baseball. Love you bro.
— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) October 10, 2019