Former Phillies outfielder Jay Bruce announced Sunday morning that he is retiring after a 14-year MLB career. He’s available to hit off the bench for the New York Yankees today, which is slated to be his final game as a big leaguer.
“After 14 incredible seasons, I’ve decided to make the very difficult decision to retire from baseball,” Bruce said in a statement. “All I ever wanted to be ‘when I grew up’ was a baseball player, and to say that I got to live out my dream would be an understatement of a lifetime. This sport gave me than I could’ve ever asked for.”
Bruce, 34, spent two seasons with the Phillies from 2019 to 2020. He was originally acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for minor-league Jake Scheiner. He slashed .212/.242/.494 with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs. Some of his more memorable moments in a Phillies uniform include his debut in which he hit a two-run home run and grand slam against the San Diego Padres. As a Phillie, Bruce also has a walk-off hit against his former club, the New York Mets.
The outfielder spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. He faced the Phillies in the 2010 NLDS and was the only hitter to reach base safely in Roy Halladay’s playoff no-hitter. That season, Bruce hit a walk-off home run to clinch the NL Central title for Cincinnati.
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