Sinatra’s “My Way” is officially playing for one veteran MLB infielder.
Speaking with local media at his alma mater, the University of Hawaii, this weekend, former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong announced that he is officially retiring from Major League Baseball. Wong, who was in town to throw out the first pitch at a Rainbow Warriors game, said that he is looking forward to spending more time with his family, including his two kids.
“Pretty much right now, I’m done,” said Wong of his pro career, per Brian McInnis of Spectrum News Hawaii. “I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that I’m probably going to be hanging them up. It’s just one of those things where, the game how it’s going now, there’s no sense of chasing [it] … I’m a dad now, yes, I’m enjoying that. I’m trying to be the best big league dad that I can be. So I’m going to stick to that.”
Wong, now 34 years old, began his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 and remained with them until 2020. While initially known for a major mistake that he made on the basepaths in a 2013 World Series game, Wong would eventually become a playoff hero for St. Louis. He also went on to win Gold Glove Awards at second base in 2019 and 2020.
From 2021-22, Wong served as a regular at second base for the Milwaukee Brewers, batting .262 over those two seasons. But he bounced around with Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers from there, last appearing in an MLB game with the Dodgers in 2023. Wong would earn a minor-league contract from the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 but never made back to the big-league roster.
The last that we had heard from Wong has when he was making outspoken comments about Orioles phenom Jackson Holliday. Now with 11 career MLB seasons under his belt and over $47 million in salary earned, Wong is ready to step into his next era.
