Kansas City, Missouri (AFP) – Kansas City Royals player Alex Gordon, whose roller coaster career led him from near Depression to All-Star and Gold Glove winner, is retiring after this season.
He said during a press conference at Zoom on Thursday that the epidemic reinforced his feelings that he wanted to spend more time with his family and “catch up with the things that I have missed all my life.”
Gordon signed a one-year deal to play for the royal family, and now he will do what few have done in professional sports: end his team career where it began.
“It’s hard.” Gordon, who turns 37, said in February, “I think any baseball player would say that. “You grew up playing this game, it’s a game you love, but you came to that day when you know it’s over – it’s tough.”
Gordon contemplated retirement last year, when the royal family was hiring Mike Matheny to replace their longtime manager, Ned Yost, and the team seemed to be rebuilding. But as teammates like Danny Duffy and Salvador Perez continued to be in the club, Gordon decided to continue playing for a team he thought was close to winning.
That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the game closed, Gordon realized this would be the end.
He said, “At the end of the day, I feel that I miss my children and their activities more than I will miss this.” “It’s kind of bittersweet because it’s hard for me to do. That’s what I’ve done all my life. But at the same time I’m excited about being around my family, being with my kids, catching up with the things I’ve missed all my life.”
Gordon said his immediate plans are to hit the bonds. He often plays golf with teammates Whit Merrifield and Greg Holland during the season, and Gordon wants to be left-handed finally defeating them by this time next year.
And after sticking so hard to a healthy diet, he’s dying for some pizza.
“It’s very difficult to express your feelings and emotions at a time like this,” said Royal’s General Manager Dayton Moore, “but Alex set the standards on the field, off the field. His work ethic and commitment have truly reached legendary status.”
Gordon was the second overall pick in the 2005 First Player of the Year draft after a notable career in Nebraska, winning the Golden Spikes as Best Amateur in Baseball. He made his league debut two years later, and after a few years of hopping back and forth to the palace, he moved from third base to off the field and finally achieved success.
He ended up playing his 14-year career in Kansas City, joining George Brett and Frank White as central players with this long-running franchise. It heads into a series of four weekend matches against Detroit with the third-largest number of walks (682), the fourth-largest number of playmakers (190), the fifth-largest number of players (357) and the sixth most matches (1749) in the club’s history.
The Triple All-Star also holds the dubious distinction of being the Royals’ professional leader in being hit through the courts.
He said, “There will always be ups and downs, but this is part of life. You have to keep looking ahead.”
Although he never bumped into the kind of medium that the royals were hoping for, Gordon with fierce determination has transformed himself into one of the best defensive players in the game. He is the only defensive player to have won seven gold gloves in a nine-year period, a number that tracks only eight for White in the franchise’s history, and there are enough replays for him as he crashes the pitch wall at Kaufman Stadium or throws a runner on the board to run for hours.
Gordon won his first three Best Defensive Player Awards in 2014, when he helped Kansas City return to the World Series for the first time since the 1985 tournament. The royals ended up losing to the Giants in a thriller of seven matches, but they returned to Fall Classic the following year They beat Mets in five matches to win the World Series.
During 2015, Gordon struck one of the leading figures in the history of the royal family. His equalizer shot Mets close Jeurys Familia in the first game forced extra rounds, and the royals won 14 to set the tone for the rest of the World Series.
“I’ve always been respected and admired for the way Alex played the match and the way he wore the jersey,” Mattini said. “He is one of the players who embodied the style and distinction that comes with the Kansas City Royals brand.”
Gordon admits he rarely cries – his wife Jimmy often scolds him about it. But he’s finally torn apart this week when text messages poured in from his teammates, competitors and old friends. And when Gordon thought about spending more time with his two sons and young girl, it was hard to stop them.
“I remember telling my teachers that I wanted to become a Major League Baseball player, and it sure happened.” He said. “This game has been great for me throughout my career, but at the same time – I’m so happy to do this as long as I do – but it takes family time. It’s kind of bittersweet. I’m going to miss my teammates there, and compete with them, but at the same time I’m excited about the class.” Next in my life. “
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