Beltran retires at 40 after winning 1st World Series title
HOUSTON — It took quite some time, but Carlos Beltran finally got there, winning a World Series title after 20 seasons in the majors.
Now he is leaving the Houston Astros and leaving baseball, retiring after a career in which he was a nine-time All-Star and was Rookie of the Year. The 40-year-old designated hitter and outfielder made the announcement Monday, 12 days after the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series.
He announced his retirement in an essay written for The Players’ Tribune website. His story touched on what finally winning a championship meant to him.
“I realized early on that my purpose in this game was to share knowledge with younger players and to give back to the game of baseball,” he wrote. “I always wanted to do that — that, and be the best teammate I could possibly be. Over 20 years, I feel like I accomplished that.