By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports activities Author
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas Metropolis Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, the previous first-round decide whose rollercoaster profession took him from close to bust to All-Star and Gold Glove winner, introduced Thursday he’ll retire after the season.
Gordon was the second total decide within the 2005 first-year participant draft following a standout profession at Nebraska, the place he received the Golden Spikes Award as the very best newbie in baseball. He made his massive league debut two years later and, after a number of years shuttling backwards and forwards to the minors, moved from third base to the outfield and eventually discovered success.
He wound up taking part in his complete 14-year profession in Kansas Metropolis, becoming a member of solely George Brett and Frank White as place gamers with that a lot longevity with the franchise. He heads right into a weekend four-game sequence in opposition to Detroit with the third-most walks (682), fourth-most homers (190), fifth-most doubles (357) and sixth-most video games performed (1,749) in membership historical past.
The three-time All-Star additionally holds the doubtful distinction of being the Royals’ profession chief in getting hit by pitches.
Whereas he by no means fairly hit with the sort of common the Royals hoped he would, Gordon did by means of sheer grit flip himself into among the finest defensive gamers within the sport. He’s the one outfielder to earn seven Gold Gloves in a nine-year span, a quantity that trails solely White’s eight for essentially the most in franchise historical past, and there are sufficient replays of him crashing into the outfield wall at Kauffman Stadium or throwing out a runner on the plate to run for hours.
Gordon received the primary of three defensive participant of the yr awards in 2014, when he helped Kansas Metropolis return to the World Collection for the primary time since its 1985 championship. The Royals wound up shedding to the Giants in a seven-game thriller, however they returned to the Fall Traditional the next yr and beat the Mets in 5 video games to win the World Collection.
It was through the 2015 that Gordon hit one of many iconic homers in Royals historical past. His tying shot off Mets nearer Jeurys Familia in Sport 1 compelled further innings, and the Royals received in 14 to set the tone for the remainder of the World Collection.
Gordon signed a one-year contract to return this season, and he by no means thought of opting out when the coronavirus pandemic triggered spring coaching to be halted and compelled Main League Baseball to play a dramatically diminished 60-game schedule.
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