Brian Roberts: Leaving the game for good

Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Roberts announced his retirement from the game of baseball today, ending his 14 year career in the Majors. Despite finishing his career in New York with the Yankees, Roberts will always be considered a Baltimore Oriole.

After being drafted by Baltimore in the first round of the 1999 amateur draft, Roberts made his Major League debut at the age of 23 in 2001. In his first 12 years in the Majors, No. 1 was one of the few bright spots Orioles fans could look forward to while the team was in a streak of losing seasons.

The two-time All-Star never won a Gold Glove Award. However, that does not take anything away from his defensive ability. While at second base, he dazzled fans with his leaping ability and tremendous range. In 14 seasons at second base, Roberts maintained a .986 fielding percentage.

He was a solid hitter as well. For the majority of his career in Baltimore, Roberts was put into the leadoff role. And he thrived there. Although injury plagued his career in his final four seasons with the Birds, his numbers are still good. In 13 years with the Orioles, he batted .276/.347/.409 with 92 home runs and 521 RBI.

Unfortunately, when Roberts’ contract ended at the end of the 2013 season, the Orioles did not resign him and he went to the Yankees where he played 91 games and batted .237 with 25 extra base hits. The Yankees let him midseason and no other team picked him up.

It was just today that on Fox Sports Radio that Roberts announced he is retiring from baseball and moving on to the next stage of his life. Although he did not have the type of career that will get him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he will most certainly be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame and will be held highly in Baltimore baseball lore.

He will always be an Oriole to the city that embraced him when they did not have much to cheer for and now Baltimore can appreciate the career he had for years to come.