Longtime center fielder and 2016 World Series champion Dexter Fowler is retiring, he announced in a Tuesday morning tweet.
“It’s here. I’m hanging up my cleats,” Fowler wrote. “Today is one of those moments where you metaphorically step down from your throne with a standing ovation, tip of the cap, and the world stops spinning. I’m mostly proud to look back at my career knowing that I played the game the right way and did my best to make a positive impact beyond the win.”
Fowler most recently hit .250 in seven games with the Angels in 2021, his age-35 season.
Before that, he authored a well-traveled, memorable career that spanned over a decade.
Drafted by the Rockies in the 14th round out of high school in the Atlanta area, Fowler won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and was called up in September of that year. In 2009, he finished eighth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. His 14 triples in 2010 tied for the league lead, and he retires as the active career leader in that category with 82.
Traded twice in a 13-month span—first to the Astros in Dec. 2013 and then to the Cubs in Jan. 2015—Fowler hit .276 in 2016 and was selected to the NL All-Star team. He helped Chicago win its first World Series in 108 years that season, leading off Game 7 with a home run.
After winning a title, Fowler spent four years with the Cardinals, playing in two more postseasons before wrapping up his big-league playing days with Los Angeles.
