Yahoo Lifestyle 2018 World Series MVP Steve Pearce is considering retirement
Rreigning World Series MVP Steve Pearce is considering retirement, he told reporters on Saturday.
Over a 13-year MLB career, the Boston Red Sox first baseman hit .254 with 91 home runs and 303 RBIs, but he will forever be remembered for a hot stretch in the 2018 World Series in which he helped deliver the championship to Boston.
Pearce went 4-for-12 with three homers and eight RBIs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series as the Red Sox won in five games.
From growing up a @RedSox fan, to winning World Series MVP with them.
Steve Pearce simply took over when it mattered most. pic.twitter.com/KgRRMseURa— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2018
He had been a midseason acquisition, traded from the Toronto Blue Jays for a minor leaguer.
But Pearce, 36, finished the 2018 campaign hitting .279 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 50 games, splitting time between DH and first base.
After his World Series performance, the Red Sox brought him back on a one-year deal worth over $6 million.
Steve Pearce had a rough 2019
This season, however, has been a struggle for the veteran. He has appeared in just 29 games, and hit .180 in 99 plate appearances. He hasn’t played since May, hampered with back and knee issues.
“No regrets,” Pearce said, via MassLive.com. “I would have liked to have gone out a little bit different. If this year was a little bit different. But that’s baseball. That’s why it’s the most beautiful game in the world.”
Pearce played for six different teams before coming to Boston. He started his career in 2007 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but his best seasons were with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2014, he batted .293 with 21 home runs for the Orioles.
He was never an All-Star, and never had regular season awards or accolades attached to his name. But Pearce was a respectable big leaguer who hung around long enough for a huge shining moment in the World Series. And if he retires, he’ll forever be remembered for those heroics.
“I’ve accomplished a lot,” Pearce said to MassLive.com. “I’m 36. I’ll be 37 next year. I’ve grinded my whole career and I can lay my head down at night knowing I gave everything I had. We’ll see what the future holds.”
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