The 36-year-old formally announced his retirement on Tuesday, simultaneously stating he'll be joining ESPN as a baseball analyst.
"It is with a sense of pride, sadness and enthusiasm that I formally announce my retirement after 16 years of professional baseball," Boone said in a statement. "It has been a privilege and honor to have played in the major leagues for 12 seasons for six different clubs.
"While it's tough to leave the game as a player, I am eager to start my next career with my new team at ESPN," he added. "I am very grateful that I'll be able to stay in the game as an ESPN analyst and work with people who share the same passion for baseball that I do."
Boone played for the Reds, Yankees, Indians, Marlins, Nationals and Astros in his career, but he'll always be remembered for his 11th-inning, walk-off home run off Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (though according to his game log on ESPN.com, Boone never played that day).
He underwent open-heart surgery in 2009. He made it back to baseball following the surgery, playing 10 games for the Astros last September.
