Former Red Sox Mike Napoli Announces Retirement With Heartfelt Letter

Mike Napoli is calling it a career.

Napoli announced via a heartfelt letter shared to his Twitter and Instagram pages Saturday that he will be retiring from Major League Baseball after 12 seasons.

You can check out Napoli’s parting message here.

After coming up in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Angels, Napoli earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2012 as a member of the Texas Rangers before winning a World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

Napoli only played parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, but he quickly became a fan favorite in Boston. He had one of the best seasons of his career in that World Series-winning campaign, clubbing 23 home runs with 92 RBIs. Napoli also was instrumental in the Red Sox’s “Bearded Brothers” theme in 2013, and his former club made sure to tip their cap upon his announcement.

It goes without saying that Napoli will receive a hero’s welcome any time he returns to Boston.