Pitcher Ian Snell has retired, tweets B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com. The Cardinals sent Snell to minor league camp and he instead elected to hang up his cleats. Snell, 29, had signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals in January after being let go by the Mariners. He was described as eager and excited just last month upon arriving in Florida.
Snell's best season was 2007, when as a 25-year-old he posted a 3.76 ERA in 208 innings. That performance earned him a three-year, $8.6MM extension, but he quickly lost effectiveness.
JacksTigers
Whoa. Why? I mean, what? Huh… I’m confused. This came out of no where. Looks like “Ian Smell’s” user name is the first MLBTR name to become outdated.
woadude
Atleast his MLBT name was accurate.
Ian_Smell
I decided that playing baseball and posting on MLBTR was too difficult to juggle, so I’ve decided to post on here full time and give this my complete and undivided attention.
wickedkevin
That’s what I was hoping you would say.
inleylandwetrust
I came on here to make sure you released a statement.
rickjimbo
I’m with Leyland on this, happy to hear it straight from the failed workhorse’s mouth. Happy trails
wickedkevin
I think the regular posters here came on more for Smell’s statement opposed to news on Snell.
rickjimbo
One big happy smellting pot
wickedkevin
One big happy 105 *like* record.
rickjimbo
Reply Derp
JacksTigers
You have increased your likes by about 10% in the last 24 hours. Congratulations.
bomberj11
Holy crap, that’s the most likes I’ve ever seen for any post.
Stl_Great
125 and counting, Congratulations. Thank you for leaving Cardinals Camp, You deserve all the likes in the world Mr. Smell.
YanksFanSince78
is that a record?
Ian_Smell
I’ve actually been wondering that myself.
JacksTigers
someone should look it up for us.
s8n666
I think you may have set a record for ‘likes’ on one posting.
Jiujitsu411420
Hey Ian…… Smell ya later
Pseudonymus Bosch
I mean, it must have been bad if the Cardinals decided he couldn’t pitch for them.
55saveslives
Who?
one_more_red_october
Ian Oquendo
Infield Fly
Looks like someone else took a dose of reality – Eric Byrnes style. I give him props for that.
wickedkevin
If a guy loves playing the game, why stop? I have nothing against players who play as long as they can even if they’re awful.
Infield Fly
Well, obviously he thinks it’s time to stop, which is what matters most.
Bust A Posey
Is Rickey Henderson still trying to make a come back in the independent league?
YanksFanSince78
sergio mitre says “thanks for understanding”
Lunchbox45
I came here hoping it was the player who retired, not the mlbtr poster.
Corey Moen
H stunk anyways
JacksTigers
fail
Corey Moen
He stunk anyways
gangsta
*anyway
anyways- not a word.
Lunchbox45
Also everyone should Youtube the “how big is Ian Snell’s (word for male member) ”
It was from a phone in show and a caller with a serious tone asked that question. Its hilarious.
JacksTigers
I love how they cut him off half way through.
“And I’d just like to know how big is Ian Snell’s pe..”
Lunchbox45
haha its so good cuz the guy didn’t laugh or anything…
“we all know he has huge upside and a huge penis… but I’d like to know just how big Ian Snell’s Pe.. ”
haha
JacksTigers
You could tell that he had rehearsed it a thousand times. I love the look on the old guys face.
Motor_City_Bombshell
oh my goodness. if i’d have seen that on tv that would have been the funniest and most random thing i’d have ever watched…damn. hahaha
hoagiebuchanan
DELAWARE REPRESENT!
headsupkid01
Ian Snell retires? This is actually news worthy?
JacksTigers
Why yes. Yes it is.
wickedkevin
I want to say something snooty back, but it was his first post on the site, so I’ll be good.
JacksTigers
Trust me, it took every fiber in my body for my smart @$$ not to tell him off.
mrjjbond
Any relation to Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration?
Lee Steva
Or Bagger Vance?
Luis
We gave him a chance in Seattle, pitcher friendly park and he still sucked. Oh well..
goner
When asked what he planned to do after hanging up his cleats, Snell said he was going to buy “the world’s biggest jar of peanut butter” and smear it on his chest, then roll around in broken glass.
Hoosierdaddy92
If Dave Duncan can’t fix him, NO ONE CAN
Stl_Great
Bob can.
Tony Mattar
Snell, you failed in Seattle and realized that you weren’t good even in the minors you hung up the cleats. You coulnd’t keep up with the triple A kids haha. nice job on quitting. What an inspiration folks.
HerbertAnchovy
Classy comment. I’m guessing what baseball skill he had is more than you’ll ever have. At least he tried for a comeback, which is admirable.
marinersforlife
please inform me on this “comback” of his. Do you know how any times he would get replaced in the 5th sometimes 4th inning here in Seattle?
HerbertAnchovy
Actually I do, because I watch nearly every Mariners game. How many innings he worked is irrelevant.
Did you actually read what I wrote before you made a snotty comment? I said “tried for a comeback”, which he obviously did since he went to Tacoma, then moved on to The Cardinals to work with Dave Duncan.
BattingThird_Number34
He did become a Major League Baseball player – something I dreamed of when I was a kid. What have you done besides deride a guy for being mediocre at the highest possible level?
darkstorm97
I once saw him pitch at Busch stadium in 2006. He gave up 3 homers to Albert Pujols. That will always be my memory of Ian Snell.
cards612
in his defense, it was Albert Pujols…i’d give the credit more to Pujols’s talent level than to Snell’s lack of talent.
Mosca
When he left the Pirates, he peed all over them, saying that the team and the coaches were the reason he fell off the map. Then he went out and proved himself wrong.
Triteon
Ian Snell? I know people…and I have a very good feeling about you.
LongTimeFan1
Snell was suicidal a few years ago while with the Pirates and asked to be sent down to the minors because he couldn’t manage expectations at the big league level. I don’t know why he retired at such a young age, but it’s good bet his overall well being had something to do with it.
Skeeb Wilcox
It’s the other twenty four that we didn’t hear about…