Darren O’Day is looking it a day.
O’Day, a key cog within the Orioles’ bullpen for seven seasons from 2012 to 2018, introduced his retirement from baseball Monday after 15 years within the main leagues.
O’Day, 40, pitched for six totally different organizations and is greatest recognized for his submarine supply — a method that made him one in every of baseball’s greatest set-up males throughout his prime. The Jacksonville, Florida, native ends his profession with a 2.59 ERA and 21 saves in 609 innings.
“The mental, physical, and time demands have finally outweighed my love for the game,” O’Day wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “When I started in 2006, I didn’t know if I was good enough to compete in MLB, but I was determined to keep going until someone told me otherwise. I hope anyone out there who does things a little different can find inspiration in my story.”
O’Day was signed as an undrafted free agent out of faculty and made his main league debut in 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels. After a short stint with the Mets in 2009, he was claimed by the Texas Rangers and had back-to-back profitable seasons. But after struggling in 2011, he was waived by Texas and claimed by Baltimore.
While in Baltimore, O’Day was arguably probably the most efficient relievers within the majors with a 2.40 ERA, a 0.994 walks and hits per innings pitched, 19 saves and a 28-14 document in 374 1/3 innings. After good seasons in 2012 and 2013, O’Day was dominant in 2014 and 2015 — posting sub-2.00 ERAs and sub-1.00 WHIPs. His lone All-Star nod got here in 2015 amid one of the best season of his profession, during which he threw 65 1/3 innings with a 1.52 ERA and saved a career-high six video games.
The Orioles traded O’Day and beginning pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Atlanta Braves in a deal that initiated Baltimore’s rebuild. O’Day pitched in every of the following 4 seasons — three with Atlanta and one with the New York Yankees — however solely totaled 54 innings. He had a 4.15 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2022.
“As a lightly recruited high school player, to a college walk-on, to an undrafted free agent, to a non prospect entering pro ball, I am extremely proud of playing with the best players in the world for so long,” O’Day wrote. “Finally, after 17 seasons in professional baseball, it is time to go home.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com