Talk about going out on top.
Fresh off of winning the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers star relief pitcher Daniel Hudson announced that he’s retiring from baseball.
Hudson told The Orange County Register “this was the only reason I came back — to go out on top.”
“And that’s what’s happening,” Hudson added.
Hudson was a mainstay in the Dodgers bullpen and provided a reliable presence for manager Dave Roberts, who had to rely on pitching “bullpen” games due to injuries with their starting rotation.
Hudson was a fifth-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox, and it didn’t take long for him to make his big league debut. In 2009, Hudson pitched in six games (18.2 innings), two of which were starts for the White Sox.
Hudson played for seven different teams, spending his most time with the Arizona Diamondbacks over six seasons, where he had a 3.17 ERA in 133 appearances.
His breakout season came in 2011, when the 24-year-old threw 222.0 innings with 169 strikeouts in 33 starts with a 3.49 ERA for Arizona.
Hudson pitched for the Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals (where he won his first World Series title), San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays over his long career.
Hudson had a 3.74 ERA in 855⅓ innings over 15 seasons, and he has two World Series rings (one with the Nationals, and one with the Dodgers).