I just felt all along that if I could get a certain amount of years in the league, have great years and still have my health when I walked away, that would be great.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Hey, I'm just looking for an excuse to retire so I can play summer league baseball, go coach my nephews, play pickup basketball. I've always had that ability to move on to the next thing.
I've put in 63 years now in the big leagues as a player, coach, manager. And now just being around these young guys, it keeps you going pretty good.
I feel as though I've proved myself these last five years that I can be one of the top players in the league.
The positives of retiring outweighed the positives of returning and my desire to still play.
'm so fortunate to have done what I love to do for so long, but the day I retired was one of the best days of my life. Not because I was happy to get away from the sport, but because it was clear in my mind that I had done all I possibly could, and that it was time to go.
When I retired in 2002 I had retired to stay home with my family and didn't necessarily think my playing days were over.
I know the blessing of having a dad who played 16 years in the league. That experience, and seeing him as an example, let me know that it's possible. It's not easy, but it's possible.
No matter how many years you play, it's always something new and exciting. It's sports, you never know what may happen.
I mean, coming into this season I was just hoping to come back, stay healthy and help the team.
I never felt I would get to the stage where I would to have to actively think about retiring from international football as I always thought it would pass me by.
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