San Diego Padres outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay will retire at the end of the season, according to U-T San Diego's Bill Center. The 37-year old is known as a clubhouse leader, and told Center that he would like to get back into baseball in another capacity after he hangs up his cleats.
“The game is what I know and what I love,” said Kotsay. “I haven’t thought about a future direction at this point. There is no specific plan or time about when and how I get back involved.”
In 95 games with San Diego this season, Kotsay has hit just .190 with 1 HR and 12 RBI, signaling that it may be time for him to move on from the game. He has remained with the major league club all season, serving as a mentor to the many young players on the Padres' roster.
After being selected by the Marlins as the ninth overall pick of the 1996 draft, Kotsay spent four years with Florida before being traded to the Padres in 2004. He has always thought of San Diego as his home, and returned to the Padres before the 2012 season after spending time with five different teams between 2007 and 2011.
In 1,905 career major league games with the Marlins (1997-2000), Padres (2001-2003, 2012-2013), Athletics (2004-2007), Braves (2008), Red Sox (2008-2009), White Sox (2009-2010) and Brewers (2011), Kotsay is a lifetime .276 hitter with 127 HR and 720 RBI. His best season came in 2004 with Oakland, when he finished fourteenth in the voting for American League MVP after hitting .314 with 15 HR and 63 RBI.
Kotsay is one of three veterans to announce their retirement this week, joining Vladimir Guerrero and Todd Helton.
