Former Rays, Dodgers 1B Loney announces retirement
Former major leaguer James Loney, who was trying to revive his career playing for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, announced his retirement on Friday.
Loney, who turned 35 on Tuesday, who last played in the major leagues in 2016 for the New York Mets, played 11 games with the Skeeters this season. His retirement was announced on the Skeeters' website.
The first baseman played 11 major league seasons, batting .284 with 108 home runs and 669 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Mets. He finished sixth in the National League rookie of the year voting in 2007 but was never an All-Star.
Loney batted .331 with 15 home runs in his rookie season with the Dodgers, but never managed to reach those standards again, although he was highly regarded for his defensive abilities at first base.
The former 19th-overall selection in the 2002 draft out of Missouri City, Texas, made $38 million in career salary. He was well known among Chicago Cubs fans for his grand slam at Wrigley Field in the 2008 National League Division Series off Ryan Dempster that helped the Dodgers dispatch a 97-win Cubs team.
--Field Level Media
