Charlie Blackmon is looking it a profession. The four-time All-Star introduced this night (on X) that he’s retiring on the finish of the season.
“As a child you play the sport since you find it irresistible, like nothing else issues,” Blackmon wrote. “I nonetheless play the sport that approach, however I don’t really feel like a child anymore. My perspective has modified. I’ve been blessed to name town of Denver and The Colorado Rockies my baseball house for the whole thing of my profession. I’m grateful for the assist of this group, my teammates, and most of all Rockies followers. It’s with a grateful coronary heart and a profession’s price of reminiscences that I select a brand new path.” Blackmon went on to thank his household as a part of an extended assertion.
Blackmon spent components of 14 seasons within the majors and performed 17 years professionally. That total run got here with the Rockies. Colorado drafted the lefty-hitting outfielder out of Georgia Tech within the second spherical in 2008. Blackmon reached the large leagues three years later and broke out among the many greatest outfielders within the Nationwide League in the course of the last decade.
Colorado traded Dexter Fowler to Houston over the 2013-14 offseason. That paved the best way for Blackmon, who’d been a part-time participant over the earlier couple years, to take over in heart subject. Then-manager Walt Weiss penciled him into the Opening Day lineup in ’14. That kicked off a stretch of 11 straight years (together with this season) wherein Blackmon was a part of Colorado’s season-opening lineup.
Blackmon ran with the chance, hitting .288 with 27 doubles and 19 house runs to earn his first All-Star nod. He had comparable numbers the next yr earlier than actually rising as an offensive drive in 2016. Blackmon hit .324/.381/.552 with 29 longballs to earn his first of consecutive Silver Slugger awards. He returned to the All-Star Sport amidst a profession yr the next season.
Throughout his age-30 marketing campaign, Blackmon raked at a .331/.399/.601 clip whereas main the majors with 725 plate appearances. He drilled 37 house runs, 35 doubles and an MLB-best 14 triples. Blackmon gained the NL batting title whereas main the majors with 213 hits and 137 runs scored. That’s unimaginable manufacturing even at Coors Subject and deservedly earned him his second straight Silver Slugger award. Blackmon completed fifth in NL MVP balloting and helped the Rox to their first playoff berth in eight years.
Extra to come back.
