Former Red Sox Second Baseman Mark Loretta Retires, Joins Padres Front Office

by John Beattie on Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 9:39AM

After 15 seasons, infielder Mark Loretta is calling it a career.

The former Red Sox second baseman announced his retirement Monday and will join the Padres' front office as a special assistant to baseball operations.

"It was clear to me that he could have a great impact on an organization in a front-office role once he finished his playing career," former Red Sox assistant GM and current Padres GM Jed Hoyer told The Associated Press. "I feel fortunate that the timing of my arrival in San Diego and Mark's retirement coincided, and I was eager to bring Mark on board to help in all aspects of the department."

Loretta played for San Diego from 2003-05 before landing in Boston for the 2006 season when he hit .285 in 155 games and earned a spot on the All-Star squad for the second time in his career. The 38-year-old retires with a .295 career batting average, 768 runs scored and 309 doubles in 1,726 games.