Rafael Furcal ends comeback bid, retires after 14 seasons
Rafael Furcal has retired from baseball after 14 major-league seasons.
Furcal made the announcement through the Kansas City Royals, with whom he had been attempting a comeback after signing a minor-league contract in spring training.
The veteran shortstop last played in the majors during 2014 as a member of the Miami Marlins, appearing in just nine games and suffering a left hamstring strain that caused him to miss most of the season.
| Years | Team | GP | R | HR | SB | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-05 | LAD | 617 | 407 | 44 | 109 | .283 | .757 |
| 2006-11 | ATL | 817 | 554 | 58 | 189 | .284 | .756 |
| 2011-12 | STL | 171 | 98 | 12 | 16 | .262 | .690 |
Furcal spent his best years in Atlanta and Los Angeles, winning the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year and making a pair of All-Star teams before the Dodgers dealt him to the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline in 2011. He helped the Cardinals to a World Series title that year and followed it up with his third All-Star appearance the next season.
Furcal, who missed the entire 2013 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, owns a career .281/.346/.402 slash line with 113 homers, 69 triples and 314 stolen bases across 1,614 games.
Some of Furcal's most notables seasons include:
| Years | 2B | 3B | SB | HR | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (ROY) | 20 | 4 | 40 | 4 | .776 |
| 2003 (AS) | 35 | 10 | 25 | 10 | .794 |
| 2006 | 32 | 9 | 37 | 15 | .814 |
| 2005 | 31 | 11 | 46 | 12 | .777 |
| 2010 (AS) | 23 | 7 | 22 | 8 | .826 |
| 2012 (AS) | 18 | 3 | 12 | 5 | .671 |
Furcal's 33.1 fWAR since entering the league ranks eighth among all shortstops.