(SportsNetwork.com) - After playing for nine teams in 16 major league seasons, most recently for the Los Angeles Dodgers, longtime utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. said Wednesday he is retiring.
Hairston announced his retirement on Twitter, saying he decided it was his "best opportunity."
"Game will not miss me but I will miss it and (my) teammates immensely!" he wrote.
Hairston, 37, broke into the majors with Baltimore in 1998 and played parts of seven seasons for the Orioles. He also appeared in games for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers and Dodgers.
He played every position except catcher and pitcher, making more appearances at second base than anywhere else, and won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009.
Hairston was a .257 career hitter with 70 home runs, 233 doubles, 420 RBI and a .324 on-base percentage in 1,442 games.
He signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Dodgers in December 2011 and made over $21.2 million in his career.
According to a report, Hairston signed a deal to be an analyst for Dodgers games.
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