Saltalamacchia cited a desire to spend more time with his family

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesJarrod Saltalamacchia has retired from MLB after 12 seasons Thurman Munson Jersey , the veteran catcher confirmed to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.as his rationale for stepping away from the game:"For that reason it's time for me to hang up my gear and start the next chapter of my life and start following them around and being there cheering section and enjoy being a part of their lives year round. I have spent 30 years playing this game and it's all I know so I fully expect to continue to give back to this game that has given me and my family so much. I enjoy spreading the knowledge that every veteran has given me on my 16 year journey so that's what I plan to do! See you at the ballpark!"The Atlanta Braves selected Saltalamacchia with the 36th overall pick of the 2003 draft. He was with the Braves organization for four-and-a-half years before Atlanta traded him to the Texas Rangers in August 2007 as part of a deal for Mark Teixeira.Saltalamacchia played for seven different teams: the Braves, Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. His last appearance came on Sept. 29 for the Tigers in a 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.A switch hitter Jorge Posada Jersey , the 33-year-old was a platoon option for the bulk of his time in MLB. According to Baseball Reference, he had 2,320 plate appearances against right-handers, compared to 871 plate appearances against left-handers.When facing righties, Saltalamacchia was a solid hitter, posting a .243/.321/.436 slash line. However http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey , southpaws clearly had his number, as he slugged just .336.Saltalamacchia's best season came in 2013 with the Red Sox, a year that also ended in his only World Series title. He hit 14 home runs while driving in 65 runs and slugging .466, and he ranked eighth among catchers in WAR (3.5), per FanGraphs.More than anything he did on the field, Saltalamacchia will forever be remembered for something else. At 14 letters Johnny Damon Jersey , his surname is apparently the longest in MLB history. Mark Brown/Getty ImagesLast offseason, Derek Jeter helped strip the Miami Marlins roster of its best players. Now, he's going after the most identifiable feature of Marlins Park.The Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks reported Tuesday the Marlins received approval fromMiami-Dade County(Florida) to remove the team's home run sculpture from center field. The sculpture will instead sit outside the stadium.Some are sad to see the unique piece go:Jesse Spector jessespectorWhen do you think was the precise moment Derek Jeter started hating fun? Was it when he made the stands catch against the Red Sox?Andy Martino martinonycThis sculpture is a work of art by Red Grooms. Beauty is subjective but to discard this work is so small-minded. Baseball is middle school, and Grooms鈥?work was deemed uncool. Art dealer Jeffrey Loria, for his flaws, knew what he was doing here. Ugh ugh ugh IKO5Fg633YJon Heyman JonHeymanagree with martinonyc 100 percent. what jeter knows about art couldnt fill a thimble. jeffrey loria may not have been a great mlb owner but he knew art. and he knew Miami. lrkyaxjR79The sculpture's days were numbered as soon as Jeter and his ownership group took control of the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria."I just don't think they're all that crazy about it Masahiro Tanaka Jersey ," Miami-Dade County MayorCarlos Gimenez said in January regarding the group's attitudes toward the artwork, per Hanks. "I'm not a fan. We're looking at it. ... We'll see if anything can be done."It's too bad the Marlins are doing away with what was one of the trademark features of its stadium. The sculpture wasn't to everybody's tastes, but it helped Marlins Park stand out.On the plus side, the Marlins ranked last in home runs and attendance. More people might actually get to enjoy the home run sculpture once it's outside the ballpark.