Die-hard Kansas City Royals fans who remember the pain of the late 2010s may recall a little-known utility man named Chris Owings.
Owings played the first six seasons of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, before the Royals signed him to a one-year, $3 million deal in free agency. Unfortunately, that deal quickly turned into a sunk cost, as Owings was designated for assignment at the end of May.
Though Owings never established himself as a regular, he managed to find his way back to the majors later that season with the Boston Red Sox, and saw four more years of limited big-league action. But after his release from the minors last year, Owings recently decided he’d had all the baseball he could handle.
On Oct. 7, Owings announced his retirement from professional baseball on his Instagram page. He thanked several individuals, but also made sure to shout out the Royals (and every other team he played for) by name.
“Thank you to the Arizona Diamondbacks for taking a chance on a 17-year-old kid from Gilbert, South Carolina, and giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of playing in the big leagues,” Owings wrote.
“I also want to thank each organization that gave me the chance to continue that dream — the Royals, Red Sox, Rockies, Orioles, Yankees, Pirates, and Dodgers. Every clubhouse, teammate, trainer and coach along the way played a part in my journey.”
The Kansas City stop was Owings’ worst, as in just 40 games, he managed to rack up negative-1.1 wins above replacement. He batted .133 with a .415 OPS for the Royals, managing only two home runs and striking out 55 times.
Playing in 11 major league seasons is a major accomplishment, anyway you slice it. Owings wound up with a career .650 OPS and only 1.4 WAR, but he also got to play for a team that made the postseason, sign a major league free-agent deal, and tour the country on planes and buses alike.
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