Jim Edmonds retires from baseball

JUPITER, Fla., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Jim Edmonds announced his retirement Friday, ending a 17-season Major League career that included eight Gold Gloves won as an outfielder.

Edmonds, 40, had signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals but was bothered by an Achilles tendon injury. He said he'd been told playing with the injury could lead to permanent damage.

"Although I feel that I can still play and contribute, the risk of permanent injury is too much for me to chance," Edmonds said Friday. "As much as I regret this announcement, I feel that it is for the best."

Edmonds broke into the major leagues in 1993 with the California Angels and was with the team through 1999. He joined the Cardinals for eight seasons and also played for San Diego, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

In addition to the eight Gold Gloves, Edmonds was a four-time all-star selection -- 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2005. He appeared in 2,011 games, hitting .284, with 393 home runs and 1,199 runs batted in. He made just 58 errors in his career for a fielding average of .989.