After three All-Star appearances, 153 victories, and stints with eight different teams over a 13-year career, the time has finally come for veteran righty Dan Haren to hang up his cleats.
The 35-year-old Haren officially announced his retirement with a fitting goodbye on Twitter after his Cubs were eliminated in the NLCS by the New York Mets on Wednesday.
Thank you baseball. I played this beautiful game for 30 years. I took my jersey off for the last time tonight. It was an honor. #ithrew88
— dan haren (@ithrow88) October 22, 2015
Haren ends his career with a 153-131 record, a 3.75 ERA, and 2,013 strikeouts. He will definitely be missed with his commanding presence on the mound, his sweeping delivery, and that split-fingered fastball of doom and destruction.
I personally will have fond memories of Haren from his brief stint as an Angel when he formed daunting 1-2 punch atop the rotation next to Jered Weaver (when Weaver could still hit 90 on the gun; you know, back when The Pony Express was the preferred method of communication). I’ll never forget his 6-foot-5 frame rushing out of the dugout to mob Ervin Santana after the latter no-hit the Cleveland Indians in 2011.
Never quite an elite pitcher, Haren will probably fall through the cracks of the history books as time goes by. But for anybody that might be coming back to read this in 2025 or later, make no mistake: the man could flat-out throw.
Happy trails, Mr. Haren.
Image Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
H/T theScore
