Rangers star infielder Adrian Beltre announces retirement

Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Longtime Texas Rangers star Adrian Beltre is retiring from baseball.

Beltre, 39, announced his retirement on Tuesday. The four-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner owns a career .286 batting average with 477 home runs. He was also the league's active leader with 3,166 hits, 12,130 plate appearances, 11,068 at-bats and 2,933 games played.

Beltre played eight seasons for the Rangers. He played the first seven years of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beltre also played five seasons for the Seattle Mariners and one season for the Boston Red Sox.

He appeared in one World Series, when the Rangers lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

"After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, I have made the decision to retire from what I've been doing my whole life, which is playing baseball, the game I love," Beltre said in a statement released by the Rangers.

"I have thought about it a lot and although I appreciate all the opportunities and everything that baseball has given me, it's time to call it a career. I have enjoyed the privilege of playing professional baseball since I was 15 years old. I have been blessed to have played 21 seasons at the highest level in Major League Baseball."

"I want to thank God, my amazing wife Sandra for your unwavering and unconditional love, support and understanding throughout my entire baseball career, my three awesome children, Cassie, A.J and Camila for being the best baseball kids, my parents, and my entire family for all your love and support."

Beltre went on to thank his agents, teammates, managers, coaches and staff memebers from the clubs he played at. He also thanked the fans and others who helped him reach stardom, including Tommy Lasorda.

"I also have to acknowledge and thank Tommy Lasorda for believing in this young kid from the Dominican Republic when others thought I was too young to be called up to the Big Leagues," he wrote.

"To all my fans in the Dominican Republic, the United States and Latin America, my sincerest thank you for your continuous support throughout my career. While I will forever cherish the memories from my time playing the greatest game on earth, I am excited to become a full-time husband and father, and I am ready to take on the next chapter of my life."

Beltre made nearly $220 million in salary during his MLB tenure from 1998 through 2018.