Though he initially intended to extend his career in 2018, longtime Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier formally retired on Friday.
He was honored with an on-field ceremony prior to the club’s 2017 World Series rematch with the Houston Astros, which included speeches from former teammates and a video tribute that highlighted some of Ethier’s most memorable moments with the organization.
A second-round draft pick in 2003, Ethier found his way to the Dodgers via trade a mere two years later. He was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez.
Ethier soon emerged as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball before his breakout rookie season in 2006. In 126 games that year, he hit .308/.365/.477 with 38 extra-base hits en route to finishing fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
By the late 2000s, Ethier had firmly entrenched himself into the Dodgers’ longterm plans going forward. He became a staple in the middle of the lineup and played a pivotal role in helping the club reach back-to-back NL Championship Series from 2008-09.
The 2009 season, in particular, was one to remember for Ethier in terms of late-game heroics. Having earned the nickname “Captain Clutch,” he finished the year with six walk-off hits, including a whopping four walk-off home runs.
Ethier wrapped up the decade with his first Silver Slugger Award and placed sixth in NL MVP voting at the conclusion of the 2009 season. He rode that momentum into 2010, where the then-28-year-old was selected to his first All-Star Game following an excellent first half.
The 2011 season brought further accolades for Ethier, as he participated in his second consecutive Midseason Classic and later netted his first career Gold Glove Award for his defensive work in right field.
After slugging 11 home runs that year, Ethier became only the second Dodgers player in franchise history to start his career with at least 10 home runs hit over his first six seasons (Jackie Robinson).
Ethier also set another Dodgers record in accumulating at least 30 doubles over seven consecutive seasons (2007-13). Among his many other achievements include a 30-game hitting streak, which fell only one game short of matching Willie Davis’ franchise record of 31.
While injuries limited Ethier to just 38 regular season games over the final two campaigns of his career, he still found a way to crack the Dodgers’ postseason rosters in both years.
In 2016, Ethier recorded two hits in six at-bats across two series, including a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. The following year saw Ethier hit his 11th and final home run in the playoffs against the same Cubs team — this one, in a 6-1 victory at Wrigley Field.
As the Dodgers advanced to their first Fall Classic in nearly three decades, Ethier was once again included on the active roster for what would be his final series.
He wound up hitting .400/.500/.400 across six plate appearances (five games) and accounted for the Dodgers’ lone run in the deciding Game 7 — a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth inning, which marked the final at-bat of Ethier’s career.
Over 12 seasons with the Dodgers, Ethier compiled a .285/.359/.463 slash line across 5,425 plate appearances (1,455 games) with 303 doubles, 34 triples, 162 home runs and 687 RBI.
He ranks 12th in Dodgers history in home runs, 13th in games played, 14th in RBI, 17th in hits (1,367) and 22nd in on-base plus slugging (.822).
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