Honolulu’s KHON2 reports that outfielder Shane Victorino is officially retiring from baseball. Victorino said, “I think it’s time to hang it up and call it a career. I’ve been blessed with that opportunity as a baseball player, as a little boy growing up in Maui, getting an opportunity to represent my state, represent my people, so it’s about that time. It’s time for me to say, it’s time for me to move on, time for me to enjoy retirement. Officially, Aug. 3 will be the date. I’ll go back to Philly and probably sign a one-day deal, and hang it up and call it a career.”
Victorino, 37, was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1999 draft. The Padres selected him from the Dodgers in the 2002 Rule 5 draft, returned him during the 2003 season. The Phillies selected him from the Dodgers in the 2004 Rule 5 draft and this time he wasn’t returned. Victorino helped the Phillies win the NL East five years in a row from 2007-11, winning the World Series in 2008. Over parts of 12 total seasons, eight of which were spent in Philadelphia, Victorino hit .275/.340/.425 with 108 home runs, 489 RBI, 731 runs scored, and 231 stolen bases in 5,164 plate appearances. He is one of the best Rule 5 players of all time.
Victorino was a two-time All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a two-time World Series champion, having also helped the Red Sox win it all in 2013. He last played in the majors in 2015 with the Angels and Red Sox. He signed a minor league deal in 2016 with the Cubs but injuries prevented him from getting back to the majors.
The Phillies will hold their Wall of Fame ceremony on August 4. While Victorino won’t be inducted this year -- Pat Gillick and the late Roy Halladay are the honorees -- it’s certainly no coincidence the selected retirement date is August 3. Victorino will likely be inducted into the Phillies’ Wall of Fame at some point in the near future.