Veteran outfielder Tony Kemp, who spent a majority of his nine-season playing career with the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros, has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

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“After 12 years of professional baseball and nine seasons in the big leagues, I’ve decided to hang up the spikes,” Kemp wrote in a statement on X.

Kemp, 33, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Astros. He debuted in 2016, and was a member of the 2017 World Series champion team who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers before it was revealed they were illegally stealing signs.

Kemp was with the Astros through the 2018 season and for half of the 2019 season before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.

Ahead of the 2020 season, he was traded to the Athletics, where he’d spend the next four years. He then appeared in five games with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.

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“Thank you to the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and the Oakland A’s for allowing me to represent your cities throughout my career. I never took for granted the privilege of putting on those uniforms,” Kemp’s post continued. “Also, a huge thank you to every training staff I came in contact with. I played in over 1,300 games as a professional and never spent one day on the injured list. Thanks to everyone for putting all the ribs, dislocated fingers, and body parts back into place!”

Kemp finishes his career with a slash line of .237/.324/.351. He had 35 home runs, 184 runs batted in, 53 stolen bases and an OPS of .674. In his best season in 2021 with Oakland, he hit .279 with an OPS of .800.

“To the undersized baseball player, I see you, I hear you, and I understand you,” Kemp continued. “With all of the metrics and data in the game of baseball today, there is still one measurement they can’t compute: your heart. Continue to play the game the right way and respect it. The game will reward you, I promise. Leave no doubt and give everything you have like someone is watching you play baseball for the first time. I’m rooting for you all.”

In addition to earning a World Series ring, Kemp was a four-time Roberto Clemente award nominee and is the shortest player to play as a team’s designated hitter in postseason history.

He finished his retirement announcement with a message to the fans:

“Finally, I would like to do something a little different, but I need everyone reading this letter to help. Fans, former teammates or opponents, or anyone who watched a game/I came in contact with from any point in time while I played, I have one last request. In the comments, please leave a story or how something I did made you feel; I would love to read the memories throughout the years! Thank you all so much! I’ll be able to keep these stories close to my heart for the rest of my life.”

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