2-time World Series champ Shane Victorino retires after 12 seasons
The Flyin' Hawaiian is hanging it up.
Shane Victorino, a two-time All-Star most famous for keying championship runs with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, officially announced his retirement from baseball Monday night following a 12-year MLB career.
In an interview with KHON's Rob DeMello, the 37-year-old Victorino revealed that he plans to make his retirement official by signing a one-day contract with the Phillies on Aug. 3.
Mahalo BASEBALL ⚾️⚾️⚾️
— Shane Victorino (@ShaneVictorino) July 3, 2018
I hope I made you all PROUD🤙🏽
Preciate ya @RobDeMelloKHON pic.twitter.com/cB5SVWQ9wR
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999, Victorino was twice claimed in the Rule 5 Draft before finally finding success with the Phillies in 2005.
The switch-hitter quickly became one of the most popular Phillies during their dominant run in the mid-2000s, as he helped them to five consecutive division titles, two NL pennants, and a World Series championship in 2008. In eight seasons with Philadelphia, he was a two-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and twice led the league in triples.
Victorino won another World Series title with the Red Sox in 2013 as a popular and vital cog in their improbable run. He earned a place in Boston lore by crushing a grand slam that essentially sealed the pennant in Game 6 of the 2013 ALCS.
But injuries began to take their toll following that 2013 season, as Victorino was limited to 101 games across 2014 and '15. He last appeared in the majors with the Angels in 2015, and hasn't played since a nine-game stint with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in 2016.
Victorino finishes his 12-year career with a .275/.340/.425 slash line (102 OPS+) along with 1,274 hits, 108 home runs, 489 RBIs, and 231 stolen bases in 1,299 games with five teams. All told, he earned two All-Star berths and four Gold Gloves, and received MVP votes in three different seasons.
The native of Wailuku, Hawaii, will also go down as one of the most prolific players to ever come out of the state, retiring as Hawaii's all-time leader in both hits and stolen bases. He's one of just two Hawaiians with at least 100 major-league homers.