2x World Series champion Brandon Crawford announces RETIREMENT from MLB after 14 seasons, fans react

Three-time MLB All-Star Brandon Crawford announced his retirement from baseball after 14 seasons in the major leagues.

2x World Series champion Brandon Crawford announces RETIREMENT from MLB after 14 seasons, fans react

Brandon Crawford (Image via The Mercury News)

After spending 14 seasons in the big leagues, two-time World Series champion Brandon Crawford decided to call it a day on his career. This 37-year-old informed about this decision on Instagram on Wednesday.

A Bay Area native, Crawford grew up supporting the San Francisco Giants and dreamt about playing for them. His dream came true as he made his major league debut with the National League West side in 2011.

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In his very first game, Crawford wrote his name in history books. On May 27, 2011, Crawford hit a grand slam against Shaun Marcum of the Milwaukee Brewers. This saw him become the sixth player in MLB history to achieve this feat.

The shortstop went on to spend 13 seasons with his hometown club. During this tenure, he won the World Series twice in 2012 and 2014, and was named as an MLB All-Star on three occasions. After leaving the Giants, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals.

In the 2024 season, the veteran played just 29 games and had 71 plate appearances. He managed to hit just one home run and collected four RBI while batting with a low average of .169. Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, Crawford decided to hang up his cleats.

In a post on Instagram, he expressed his gratitude towards baseball and thanked everyone who supported him in this journey.

Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and for the rest of my life I will be thankful for the opportunities and experiences it has given me. Time is precious. I’m incredibly grateful for all the years I spent playing the game I love, but now it is time for me to spend it with the people who I’m most thankful for.

Brandon Crawford said on Instagram

Social media reacts to Brandon Crawford’s retirement

After an unsuccessful stint with the St. Louis Cardinals, Brandon Crawford was released from his contract in August 2024. Instead of being thrown at the waivers, the Cardinals granted him an unconditional release and allowed him to explore other options.

Brandon Crawford
Brandon Crawford (Image via SF Chronicle)

However, Crawford did not sign with any other team and decided to see out the season. In the end, he decided it was enough and announced his retirement from the game. Fans on social media would hail him for his efforts and thanked him for his contributions.

Check out some of the top reactions from X below:

After Crawford announced his retirement, the Giants informed that they would honor him on April 26 next year at the Oracle Park. Before that, the team will look to strengthen the roster for 2025 as they aim to turn around their fortunes following an 80-82 finish in the 2024 season.