Mark Ellis announces retirement from baseball
Free-agent second baseman Mark Ellis has decided to retire.
"It was definitely time," Ellis told The San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday. "My kids are getting older and I kind of realized it was time to do something else."
Spending the majority of his time with the Oakland Athletics, Ellis finishes his playing career with a .991 fielding percentage, good for fifth all time.
"That's cool, I took a lot of pride in my defense," Ellis said. "That’s what kept me in the big leagues. All those great pitching staffs I played behind, I tried to do anything I could to help them win."
After moving on from Oakland in 2007, Ellis spent time with the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers and, most recently, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ellis's most memorable season was 2006, when he established a .997 fielding percentage - a then-MLB record. He was an extremely reliable fielder, but retires with a .262 lifetime batting average.
A's general manager Billy Beane gave Ellis a glowing review, expressing a desire to bring Ellis back to the team in an off-field capacity.
"Mark was the consummate professional, both on and off the field," Beane said. "He brought a work ethic and consistency that you want all young players to emulate. In my 18 years as a GM, we have had a lot of players I have been particularly fond of; Mark was one of those.
"After some deserved time with Sarah and his children, I’m hopeful, when he is ready, Mark will continue his baseball career with the A's."