Washington Nationals World Series Champion And NLCS MVP Howard Kendrick Retires From The MLB
MLB All-Star, NLCS MVP, and World Series champion with the Washington Nationals, Howard Kendrick, is retiring from the MLB.
Kendrick, affectionally known as Howie, announced his retirement in an Instagram post holding the World Series trophy with his family.
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“After 15 MLB seasons, I’ve decided to retire from the game of baseball. A dream that started as a 5 yr old boy in the town of Callahan, Florida. I will be forever grateful for the many life lessons baseball has taught me on this 32 yr journey. I want to give praise and thanks first to God and secondly my grandmother, Ruth Woods, who laid the ground work and introduced me to the game of baseball. To my Wife Jody, my sons Owen and Tyson, I love you more than anything in this world. Thank you for sticking it out on this ride I called a dream. After all of this we’ve made it to dad being home everyday. I’m looking forward to being a constant pain in your butt day in and day out. To everyone in Callahan who did their part to keep me on the straight and narrow, you’ve never been forgotten.”
Howard Kendrick, Instagram post
Of course, Kendrick is recently known for this:
As the MLB put it, a “clutch” homer in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series in the top of the seventh inning that put the Nationals in the lead.
And also this:
A grand slam in the NLCS, helping Kendrick get the NLCS MVP.
Kendrick played 15 years in the MLB, including this shortened 2020 season. The clutch home run hitter put up numbers and started his career in 2006 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The utility man on-the-field who played multiple positions also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kendrick thanked all the fans and those MLB teams he played for, including his “Beloved Washington Nationals”:
“To the LA Angels, thank you for taking a chance on me in 2002 and helping me blossom into the consistent player I became. To the Dodgers, although the opportunity to wear Dodger Blue was brief, it will always be cherished. To the Philadelphia Phillies, thank you for helping me understand what it meant to become a leader and veteran. Last but not least, my Beloved Washington Nationals, thank you for embracing me as one of your own. I feel as though I’d been a National my whole career and the wild, humbling and crazy ride we had in 2019 truly culminated everything I’d learned in my career, and we all became World Champions. To my teammates throughout the years, thank you for the times and hardships we’ve shared. I’ve learned from you and hopefully taught some of you the bits and pieces I got from the guys before me. To the fans, without your support and love for the game, our stage and lights would not shine as brightly as they do. Know you will be missed as well.”
Howard Kendrick, Instagram Post
What an incredible career Kendrick had. Now, he gets to continue his career as a father, a husband, and a family man.
“I will always love the game of baseball and will constantly reflect on the lifelong memories made,” Kendrick said. “For now, it’s time to drop the mic and enter a new stage of my life. Thank You!”
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