One Texas Rangers player is pulling a Chad Henne and going out on top.
Rangers pitcher Ian Kennedy told Evan Thompson of Sport Relay this week that he is now retiring. Though Kennedy indicated that he made the decision before the season began, he now goes out as a champion after Texas’ victory in the World Series.
“There’s no better way to go out,” the veteran right-hander was quoted as saying. “You can’t top this feeling.”
The 38-year-old Kennedy made 16 appearances in relief for the Rangers during the regular season. While Kennedy was not on the team’s postseason roster after being placed on the 60-day injured list in September with a right rotator cuff strain, he is still getting a ring from the Rangers.
Kennedy, a first-round draft pick back in 2006, pitched 17 MLB seasons for six different teams. He was an effective starter for many years, leading the NL with 21 wins as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011. But Kennedy would transition into a relief role later on in his career as the injuries began piling up for him.
At one point, it seemed like Kennedy might be remembered more so for the wacky mishaps that happened to him during his career. But with Texas’ win over Kennedy’s former team, the Diamondbacks, in this year’s World Series, he now gets to be remembered as an MLB champion.
H/T MLB Trade Rumors
