Advertisement

Former Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki retires from MLB

By Connor Grott
Former Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki was a five-time All-Star with the Rockies. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Former Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki was a five-time All-Star with the Rockies. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

July 25 (UPI) -- Former Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki is retiring from the league after a series of leg injuries derailed his last three seasons.

Tulowitzki announced his retirement Thursday with a statement through the New York Yankees. The announcement came over three months after he played his final game with the organization.

Advertisement

"For as long as I can remember, my dream was to compete at the highest level as a Major League Baseball player ... to wear a big league uniform and play hard for my teammates and the fans," Tulowitzki said. "I will forever be grateful for every day that I've had to live out my dream. It has been an absolute honor.

"I will always look back with tremendous gratitude for having the privilege of playing as long as I did. There is no way to truly express my gratitude to the fans of Colorado, Toronto and New York. They always made my family and I feel so welcome."

Tulowitzki played only five games with the Yankees this season before sustaining a strained left calf April 3. In his lone season with the club, the shortstop had a .182 batting average with one home run.

Advertisement

"I know he loves this game. We certainly wish him well," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "I know the guys in there love him and hopefully at some point this season we'll get to see him again. Even though injuries cut him short a little bit, it was a great career."

The Rockies selected Tulowitzki with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft. He was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year in 2007, helping guide the Rockies to their only World Series appearance in franchise history.

Tulowitzki finished in the top 10 of the NL MVP voting for three consecutive seasons (2009-11), receiving MVP votes in six seasons.

The Rockies traded Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2015 campaign. In his last full season in the majors, he had a .254 batting average with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs.

Advertisement

Tulowitzki spent most of the 2017 season on the injured list, playing in only 66 games. He missed all of last season after undergoing surgery on both heels.

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner finished with a .290 batting average, 225 home runs, 1,391 hits and 780 RBIs.

Latest Headlines