Arizona Diamondbacks Cody Decker hits walkoff homer, retires

Arizona Diamondbacks minor league outfielder Cody Decker hit the game winning home run on Friday night, and immediately retired.

One could understand if Arizona Diamondbacks minor league outfielder Cody Decker had a lot on his mind when he stepped to the plate during the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night. He had let his teammates know that Friday would be his final game, as he was set to announce his retirement. However, with the Reno Aces trailing 9-8, with a runner on first, Decker had one final at bat ahead of him.

That final at bat allowed Decker to leave the game in a truly epic manner. He belted a home run to deep center, a walkoff bomb in his final moments as a player.

It would be understandable if one had not heard of Decker until these past few days. His very brief major league career lasted for eight games with the Padres in 2015. He was hitless in 12 plate appearances, driving in a run and striking out five times. In fact, he may be best known for being Mr. Jennifer Sterger.

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However, Decker had a prodigious minor league career. He was the active minor league home run hitter when he retired, hitting 205 homers in his professional career. While he may be a long way from Mike Hessman or Hector Espino, Decker still showed solid power.

Unfortunately, he was considered a Quad-A player at best, never able to return to the majors to get a second chance to make an impact. He was a solid minor league player for seven organizations, including the Diamondbacks, producing a .256/.337/.505 batting line, with 215 doubles and 653 RBI to go along with those home runs.

Decker’s contributions did not just come in the minor leagues. He was also a part of Israel’s entry in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, when they were the lowest ranked national team to make the tournament. They swept through the first round, knocking off three top ten ranked teams in Taiwan, the Netherlands, and South Korea. Israel also won their first game in the second round, defeating another top ten team in Cuba, but lost their last two contests to be eliminated.

Of all those hits in the minors, it will be his final one that is most remembered. He received a well deserved curtain call from the home town fans, a fitting tribute to a player who never gave up on pursuing his dream. Just as importantly, he left the game on his terms, with the perfect ending to a solid professional career.

Cody Decker may have been a career minor leaguer, but the former Arizona Diamondbacks farmhand had an incredible final at bat, ending his career in storybook fashion.