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SPORTS Friday 26 July 2019

5-time All-Star Tulowitzki retires after leg injuries

By JIMMY GOLEN .290 average, 225 homers
AP Sports Writer and 780 RBIs in 13 seasons
BOSTON (AP) — Troy Tulow- with Colorado (2006-15),
itzki, a five-time All-Star with Toronto (2015-17) and the
the Colorado Rockies who Yankees. He is one of three
has missed most of the past shortstops in major league
two seasons with leg inju- history to with at least 20
ries, announced his retire- home runs and a .290 aver-
ment on Thursday, more age in six different seasons;
than three months after he the others are Alex Rodri-
played in his last game for guez (seven) and Nomar
the New York Yankees. Garciaparra (six).
“For as long as I can re- He wore No. 2 in honor of
member, my dream was Yankees shortstop Derek
to compete at the highest Jeter. “I look forward to
level as a Major League continuing my involvement
Baseball player . to wear in the game that I love .
a big league uniform and instructing and helping
play hard for my team- young players to achieve
mates and the fans,” he their goals and dreams,”
said in a statement issued he wrote. “I’m saying
by the Yankees before a goodbye to Major League
series against Boston. “I Baseball, but I will never
will forever be grateful for say goodbye 2 the game I In this Saturday, March 30, 2019 photo, New York Yankees’ Troy Tulowitzki is congratulated by
every day that I’ve had to love. Thanks again 2 all of teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning of a
baseball game in New York.
live out my dream. It has you!”q Associated Press
been an absolute honor.”
Tulowitzki was NL Rookie of
the Year runner-up in 2007,
when he helped the Rock-
ies reach the World Series
for the only time in fran-
chise history. He finished in
the top 10 of the NL MVP
voting three straight years
from 2009-11; in all, he re-
ceived MVP votes in six
seasons. He was traded
to Toronto in the middle
of 2015 and hit .254 with
24 homers and 79 RBIs the
next year, his last full sea-
son in the majors. He spent
most of 2017 on the dis-
abled list with and ankle
injuries, and then missed all
of last season with following
April 2018 surgery on both
heels. The Yankees signed
him in the offseason, and
he won the shortstop job in
spring training while starter
Didi Gregorius opened the
season on the injured list
following Tommy John sur-
gery. But Tulowitzki lasted
just five games before go-
ing on the IL himself, strain-
ing his left calf on April 3.
“Even though injuries cut
him short a little bit, it was
a great career,” Yankees
manager Aaron Boone
said. “What I’ll remember
is obviously a great player
and a guy that played
shortstop, a great short-
stop, but played it in such a
unique way and with a flair.
... He looked at home out
there playing shortstop.”
Tulowitzki finished with a