Jim Edmonds has retired, the Cardinals have announced (on Twitter). The 40-year-old, who agreed to a minor league deal with St. Louis earlier in the month, is still bothered by his right Achilles, so his playing days are over.
Edmonds retires with a .284/.376/.527 line and 393 career homers. The eight-time Gold Glover and four-time All-Star played for the Cardinals, Angels, Padres, Reds, Cubs and Brewers over the course of a career that began in 1993. An elite hitter in his prime, Edmonds was also a standout defender who became known for highlight reel catches in center field.
The 17-year veteran spent eight seasons with the Cardinals from 2000-07. He hit .285/.393/.555 for the Cards and was a member of the 2006 World Champions. After missing the 2009 season, Edmonds returned last year and posted a .276/.342/.504 line for the Reds and Brewers, adding 11 homers and 23 doubles.
Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported Edmonds' decision.
Glad he retires as a Cardinal I guess but also happy Jon Jay will make the team now. The kid proved his value last summer, let’s see if he can do it again
Apparently, Jay helped Yonder Alonso try to learn the outfield in the offseason. I guess he’s okay in my book.
No mention of the Angels at all?
read again.
I think NathanielS was referring Ben leaving out Edmonds spending multiple years with the Angels (7), since Ben mentioned he spent 8 years with the Cardinals.
There was no one better (at making a routine play look impossibly hard).
Andrew Jones.
Who’s Andrew Jones? It’s annoying that after 13 years of MLB service people still don’t know how to spell Andruw’s name. Also, Andruw Jones made routine plays look impossibly hard? If anything he made them look incredibly easy, I think you are referring to Torii Hunter AKA Mr. -2.5 career defensive WAR.
I don’t see such a big deal over it. It’s not like there are 2 players with that name, so you obviously know who he’s talking about.
I’ll see your Andrew Jones and I’ll raise you a Derek Jeter. Imagine the drama that will ensue on a throw home that’s cut off.
“Slow roller up the middle, gets by a diving Jeter. Andruw Jones DIVES AND MAKES THE STOP!!! THROWS HOME TO GET THE LEAD RUNNER, JETER RUNS TO GET THE CUT OFF SPIN JUMP THROWS HOME WHILE DIVING INTO THE STANDS…and the runner scores standing up.”
He was out what are you talking about get off your knees ump you’re blowing the game.
If you got the actual play by play of the time Manny cut off Damon’s throw to the shortstop, that would have been funnier.
Really?!?! I submit one Manuel Aramis Ramirez for consideration.
he will always be a halo
What are the cardinals going to do with all the half shirts Jimmy Ballgame ordered???
static.flickr.com/54/131431948_89f177188c.jpg?v=0
Whoa, how’d you “attach” a file like that?!
copy the image location and paste it in the post. a moderator has to approve it before it posts though.
I think Edmonds was an underrated player with his bat. He put up some great career numbers- .284/.376/.527, OPS+ of 132. 393 HR (as shown of course in the article but just pointing it out again)
I don’t think I’d put him in the HOF, but if we can say it exists even though it technically doesn’t, the Hall of Very Good.
I’d put him in the HOF.
The guy is curently ranked 63rd All-Time in WAR. That puts him in the top 5 All-Time for CF’ers.
Edmonds was an amazing player that never got the respect that he deserved.
Well he definitely has a case for it. I think the only CF’s better than him in this era were Griffey and MAYBE Andruw Jones (Definitely Jones defensively, but his bat compared to Edmonds, average wise, was bad).
Coincidentally he has exactly 1 less HR and 1 less RBI per 162 game average than Andruw
33/98 for Andruw, 32/97 for Edmonds
Offensively- Edmonds wins (due to huge splits in BA/OBP/Slug). Jones is okay power wise but not compared to Edgar. Jones is .256/.338/.488
Edmonds has a much higher WAR (I Aassume due to a better bat, only because Jones is a lot better defnsively career wise, according to UZR)
I think I’d have to rank the 3 of them as the best CFers of this era. Griffey obviously number 1, but a toss up between Jones and Edmonds as 2 and 3.
Do the hall voters consider WAR when casting their votes? I know the net dorks love these stats but I’m not sure Peter Gammons is hitting up Fangraphs.com to see where Jim Edmonds ranks among other CF’s all time for WAR.
Writers may not look at WAR but most of the time they recognize greatness anyway. Even during Edmonds playing career He recieved MVP votes six times and was top 5 twice, so to say that because he ranks highly in WAR that writers won’t recognize him is kind of stupid. A high WAR is a indication of a great career and more often than not the writers will recognize a great career even if they don’t look at WAR.
I can’t believe he left baseball for a YEAR, came back, and still had an OPS of almost 850. The guy’s still got some left in the tank.
Joe Posnanski just put together a piece ranking the best players at every position in his lifetime. He comes to an amazing conclusion about Edmonds: He was the best center fielder not named Ken Griffey Jr. to play since the decline of Willie Mays (Andruw Jones may have an arguement that his glove makes up for the gap in their hitting). That sounds like a pretty solid hall of famer to me.
Thanks for your time in Chicago Jimmie, you were definitely a diamond in the rough when the Padres waived you. Have a good retirement, you earned it!
one of my favorite players. congrats on a great career!
That catch he made in Kansas City while with the Angels is one of the best catches of all time.
You shall be missed.
Also, he took quite a ribbing from Tony Phillips. What was he hassling him about again? Tampons?
Hell of a career Jim
I liked the way he played the game, except for in San Diego. He was awful here.
Well, the Padres more than got back at the Cardinals after serving us up Khalil Greene.
What no quotes saying how he belongs in the hall of fame?!
I love edmonds and looking over his career he is on the fence for the hall, I think he was a nice guy and put up really solid numbers but a case can be made either way for him. Def not first ballot, but I could see him maybe getting in 6-7 years after he is eligible.
Still, that catch he made in KC was OUTSTANDING! Good career edmonds, I hope you enjoy your retirement!
Quick, list all of the center fielders with a better career than Jim Edmonds since 1970? Here’s the list
1. Ken Griffey Jr.
2. No one else.
Maybe he can be a bench coach for LaRussa or some kind of roving minor league instructor for the Cards. I hope he sticks around in some capacity with St. Louis.
Maybe he can go in the front office for the Cardinals. He be able to replace Joe Cumminghan when he retires. That guy should be almost as old as Red.
Top story: Dodgers sign Lance Cormier to a minor league deal.
Not a top story: Jim Edmonds retires.
WTF?