Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood posted a long message on social media Friday announcing his retirement after 12 major league seasons that included a World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
Wood began his post on Instagram by saying he had “immense gratitude” following a career in which the 34-year-old was an All-Star selection in 2017 and reached the postseason seven times.
“I never could’ve imagined it would turn out this way,” Wood wrote.
“Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has,” he added. “Even writing this, I can’t help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time.”
Wood’s retirement comes after he went 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in nine starts for the Oakland Athletics last season. Overall, the 6-foot-4 pitcher from Charlotte, North Carolina, went 77-68 with a 3.78 ERA over 278 games split between five teams, including two stints with the Dodgers.
He played collegiately at Georgia, was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Braves and made his major league debut with Atlanta a year later. Wood’s best season came in 2017 when he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 27 games for the Dodgers.
After spending 2019 in Cincinnati, he returned to Los Angeles and pitched four scoreless innings during the Dodgers’ six-game World Series win over Tampa Bay. He also spent three seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
“Playing for five iconic franchises and becoming part of those communities is something my family and I will always cherish,” Wood wrote.
He then closed his message by writing: “Cheers to what’s next. See you at the park! Love, Woody.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
