NEW YORK – Jay Bruce had seen enough. Having been on the New York Yankees Opening Day roster, he couldn’t stand his poor start to the season.
So the three-time All-Star quarterback decided to retire at 34 after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Only low performance has been constant for me,” he said. “I felt like I couldn’t do it at a level acceptable to me.”
Bruce informed Yankees manager Aaron Boone of his decision during a 20-minute meeting at the manager’s office on Friday, and then made a public announcement ahead of Sunday’s game.
Bruce went to spring training with the Yankees on a minor league contract and entered the Major League roster as a first baseman when Luke Voit suffered a sprained meniscus in his left knee, winning a one-year contract for $ 1.35 million.
He is hitting .118 with a homer and three RBIs in 39 appearances on the plate, and remained active during Sunday’s game. He started the first eight games at first base, but only two of the next 7.
“I’ve been included in a lot of different and amazing situations,” Jay Bruce said as he looked back on his 14-season career.
Bruce has an average of 244 with 319 homers and 951 RBIs in 14 Major League seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2008-16), the New York Mets (2016-18), Cleveland Indians (2017), Seattle Mariners (2019), Philadelphia Phillies (2019-20) and the Yankees.
“I was very lucky to have set a standard for myself throughout my career that frankly was very good most of the time,” he said. “And I don’t feel like I’m able to do that, and I think that was the determining factor and in the decision. And I feel good about that decision and I feel honestly grateful to myself for being able to be honest enough with myself to understand that it is time to close this chapter “.
Bruce said his best memory was his inning at the end of the game against Houston Astres ’Tim Byrdak in 2010 which secured Cincinnati’s first division title since 1995.
“The weirdest part of that is that I was 23 at the time and I thought things like that were happening all the time,” he said. “Knowing that the only time I will remember most of my career was 10 or 11 years ago now is pretty crazy. And looking back, it makes me appreciate more everything else because a lot of things have happened since then. been included and around many different and amazing situations.
“I saw Ken Griffey Jr.’s homer 600, I’ve been part of multiple games without hits, great games, with the Indians we won 22 games in a row. I connected twice to win game number 22. I didn’t get to the top of the hill. I didn’t reach the top. I didn’t win this World Series, but it’s okay. “
Bruce spent 43 games with the Indians in 2017 after being acquired by the Mets in a change.
“He’s a great guy,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He’s a funny guy. We were only with him for a couple of months, but that doesn’t mean you don’t like someone. It was a pleasure to be with him.”
His decision to retire will cost him $ 1,219,355 in salary for the remainder of the season. Bruce spoke proudly of signing the autograph wall at the Yankees clubhouse, a feature at the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009.
“I chose the Yankees because they’re the New York Yankees and because I think the guys in that room are as capable or more capable than anyone of winning a World Series,” he said. “I love the opportunity the Yankees gave me to come in and prove that I’m healthy enough to play. And even more than that, the staff here were amazing at helping me work every day to essentially learn a new one. position “.
Bruce doesn’t know what to do next.
“My son starts kindergarten in August, so at least I’ll be the shuttle,” he said. “As for baseball, I love baseball. I love it. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of baseball. I’ve always been. I go home at night and watch baseball. And some people think this is crazy. Some people think it’s amazing. Who knows? “
Information from The Associated Press was used in this paper.