After a 12 year major league career, former Texas Rangers slugger Mike Napoli announced his retirement.
It took some time for Mike Napoli to get his career going. Originally a catcher with the Los Angeles Angels, he flourished once he was away from Mike Scioscia, traded to the Texas Rangers via the Toronto Blue Jays. There, in Texas, he became a solid slugger, a key part of their two AL Championship teams, and then, a part of the Red Sox 2013 World Series champions.
However, over the past year, Napoli has dealt with significant injuries to his right knee, which held him to just eight minor league appearances last season. Instead of giving it one last shot, Napoli announced via Twitter that he is hanging up his cleats.
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Considering his humble beginnings as a 17th round draft choice, Napoli put together a solid career. A 2011 All Star, he posted a lifetime .246/.346/.475 batting line, hitting 267 homers and 224 doubles. Although his ability to make contact had faded recently, Napoli was still a power threat, hitting 20 or more homers in eight of his 12 seasons, including 29 homers in 2017.
Even more than his statistics, Napoli was loved for what he meant off the field. He was beloved in the clubhouse, a player who was sought after not just for his production, but for his magnetic personality and leadership. it is not a coincidence that his teams won, as Napoli made the playoffs seven times in his career.
As good as his career was, it could have been even better. It took seven full years for Napoli to make the majors, and Scoiscia could never warm up to the idea of Napoli behind the plate. Instead, he would find reasons to put the defensively superior, but offensively deficient options like Jeff Mathis and Jose Molina in the lineup. Napoli, who eventually moved to first, probably should have made that move much earlier. Getting his bat into the lineup more often could have made a difference on some of those Angels clubs. It certainly did with the Rangers.
Mike Napoli finally broke through and became a solid player for the Texas Rangers, amongst other teams. On Saturday, with his announcement, he made sure that the next Party at Napoli’s will be a retirement celebration.