Former Mets reliever Jake Diekman announces retirement after 13 seasons
Former Mets reliever Jake Diekman announced his retirement late Friday.
"The time has come for me to retire as a Major League Baseball player," Diekman wrote in a social media post. "Thank you, God, for this life and being able to live out my wildest dream."
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Diekman was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, where he spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career. The 38-year-old would go on to pitch for the Rangers, Diamondbacks, Royals, Athletics, Red Sox, White Sox, Rays before landing in Queens to play for the Mets in 2024.
He signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves this offseason but did not break camp with the team. He was later released by the organization in March.
"To the Diamondbacks, Royals, Athletics, Red Sox, White Sox, Rays and Mets, it was an honor to wear each and every uniform," he wrote. "The goal was always to try and win, not just for the front office and organization, but also for your city."
Diekman appeared in 705 career games, amassing a 27-34 record and a 3.91 ERA. He closed 19 games and struck out 764 batters across 602.1 innings. Last season with the Mets, he made 43 appearances, pitching to a 5.63 ERA and closing four games.
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His most memorable Mets moment came during last year's Subway Series. On July 23, Diekman was called upon to hold a one-run lead against the Yankees in the ninth. The left-hander walked Juan Soto with out, allowing Aaron Judge to come up to the plate as the winning run. Diekman got to a 2-2 count and challenged Judge with an inside fastball that the soon-to-be AL MVP would swing through for the second out.
Diekman would get Ben Rice to ground out to finish off the 3-2 win.
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