Dan Haren jokes he won’t be available to pitch in Home Run Derby

Well, it looks like this year’s Home Run Derby just got a lot less entertaining.

Retired MLB pitcher Dan Haren joked on Twitter Thursday that he won’t be available to pitch in the Derby on Monday.

No I'm NOT available to pitch in the Home Run Derby monday. Don't @ me.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) July 7, 2016

The 35-year-old Haren, who pitched in the league for 13 years and made three All-Star teams before hanging up his cleats after the 2015 season, was known for, amongst other things, his tendency to serve up the long ball. Haren gave up 305 total home runs in his career to 212 different batters in 33 different ballparks (per Baseball Reference).

Fairly or unfairly, Haren’s MLB days are often associated with that one major character flaw. But it’s good to see that he’s maintaining a self-deprecating sense of humor about the whole business even in retirement. Keep up the Twitter gold, Mr. Haren.