For some professional athletes, retirement looks like the perfect time for quiet and relaxing time with family. For Kyle Farnsworth, former pitcher for the New York Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays, his retirement looks a little bit different.
In 2014, the 46-year-old played his last game of Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros. Following a one-year contract, he was released by the team and he went on to casually play with the Mexican Baseball League. However, after only a short amount of time, Farnsworth decided to permanently terminate his career in baseball.
So, what exactly has the former pitcher been up to? A lot, apparently.
After a 16-year-long career in baseball, the pitcher’s most recent passion has been gym-orientated. But, not just casual lifting: he is now a professional bodybuilder who dedicates his strength to national competitions. Taking to Twitter, he shared a “rare” bathroom selfie and revealed to his audience just how seriously he takes this new lifestyle.
Kyle Farnsworth shows off his insanely sculpted body on Twitter
“Very rare bathroom selfie,” Farnsworth wrote at the beginning of his post, attaching a photo that showed off all his progress and impressive gains. “4 days out to my first body-building competition. Classic Physique. These past few days have been fun with no carbs!”
He also included hashtags such as “#pitcherswholift,” “#hardwork,” and “#tats.”
Upon media outlets getting wind of his insane new passion, his body is being called unrecognizable. During his time in the MLB, he was always considered a powerful pitcher.
Standing in at six-foot-five and weighing up to 240 pounds, he garnered his strength into 90-mile fastballs that could scare any opponent and even physical attacks, an example being when he charged Paul Wilson at the plate during a Cubs game.
“It’s one thing to wonder if a pitcher is crazy, or more accurately, brave enough to go after you,” Bobby Cox, a former manager of Farnsworth, reported to ESPN in 2010. “It’s another thing entirely to know that he will absolutely, positively do it. Everyone knows where Farnsworth stands on that issue.”
Yet, the pitcher hasn’t played baseball professionally in over 8 years. With his newfound incredible strength, does this mean a possible comeback? Unfortunately, the answer is looking bleak.
After his years with baseball, Farnsworth picked up semi-pro football. When asked on Twitter if a return to baseball is in his cards, he admitted that he threw his shoulder out while playing football. “After I blew my shoulder out completely playing semi-pro football, I am only hitting 87-88 right now,” he expressed.
