Prince Fielder Calls an End to His Career

On Wednesday, the media room for the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Part was jammed full of coaches, teammates and other staff from the team when in walked Prince Fielder with Jadyn and Haven his two sons, to announce his baseball career was over.

Fielder told everyone present that doctors told him that with his two spinal fusions he could no longer play pro baseball.

From that point forward, tears were flowing freely the remainder of the time Fielder talked while wearing a neck brace from his surgery on July 29.

He thanked his coaches and teammates and said he would miss being around them all as his career had been great fun.

Fielder also thanked Scott Boras his agent, who was beside him. He also thanked Justin Mashore, his assistant hitting coach, was always on the bench with Fielder, while the slugger was the DH, and Tony Beasley the team’s third base coach, who has been inspirational for everyone on the team due to how he has handled his battle the past year with cancer.

Fielder spoke about his wife Chanel who was present in the audience and Haven and Jadyn sitting beside him. The Texas slugger called his two sons his homies.

Fielder joined the Rangers in November of 2013 from Detroit for Ian Kinsler. He herniated a disk his first season with Texas and had surgery that ended his season in May of 2014.

In 2015, he returned strong. That season he hit .305, with 23 homers and 98 RBIs. His slugging percentage was .463. He won numerous comeback player awards and most thought this year would be another strong one.

That did not happen. Fielder has struggled since the season started hitting just .212 with 8 homers and 44 RBIs.

On July 18, while the Rangers were playing the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Fielder spoke to the team about his physical problems.

Results from an MRI showed he had another herniated disk, which was above the first one. That is when he was told surgery was needed and he could no longer play.

Officially, Fielder will not retire, but will be on the 60-day disabled list for four years. The four years remaining on his contract will be paid, by the Rangers, Tigers as well as an insurance policy.

Fielder is the son of Cecil Fielder a former player in the league and was picked in 2002 in the first round by Milwaukee.