Jason Giambi
Baltimore Orioles' Brian Roberts beats out an infield single in the third inning as New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi takes the throw in the final regular season MLB American League baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, September 21, 2008. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine

Jason Giambi is retiring from Major League Baseball, or MLB, and calling it a career. Giambi released an official statement about his retirement from the MLB in the New York Daily News published on Monday.

“After 20 seasons, I have decided to officially announce my retirement as a Major League Baseball player,” the 44 year old Giambi said in the piece which he has written. “To the managers, coaches and players, it’s been a tremendous honor sharing the field with you and thank you very much… Lastly, to the game of baseball: I started playing you when I was a kid and I’m leaving you a man. Thank you.”

Aside from thanking baseball personnel, Giambi also thanked the fans, members of his family, media and sponsors for supporting him in his MLB journey. For his MLB career, Giambi had a batting average of .277 with 2,010 hits, 440 home runs and 1,441 RBIs. The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the second round of the 1992 MLB Draft and debuted for the team in 1995. He played with the Athletics until 2011 before moving to the New York Yankees and suited up for the team from 2002 to 2008. He briefly returned to the Athletics in 2009 before playing for the Colorado Rockies from 2009 to 2012 and the Cleveland Indians in 2013 to 2014.

Giambi, who played in the first base and designated hitters for his teams, was a five-time MLB All Star named to the team in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and also won the Silver Slugger Award twice in 2001 and 2002. His best season arguably came in 2000 when he won the American League Most Valuable Player award. Giambi was involved in performance enhancing drugs, or PED, use controversy and admitted using such and apologised for it during his career. While Giambi will be walking away from the game as a player, there are reports that he’ll be back in baseball soon with interests of being a manager.

Email j.gloria@IBTimes.com.au to contact author.

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