Former outfielder Kole Calhoun, who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona State, declared his retirement on Friday after a 12-season career in Major League Baseball.
Calhoun began his baseball journey at Buckeye Union High School and later excelled at Yavapai Community College before joining the Sun Devils. During his senior year at ASU in 2010, he achieved impressive stats, batting .321 with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs in 61 games. Notably, Calhoun was teammates with Merrill Kelly, who later became a pitcher for the Diamondbacks, during their time at Yavapai and ASU.
He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB draft and played eight seasons with them before signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Diamondbacks in December 2019. In the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic, Calhoun led the Diamondbacks with 16 home runs and 40 RBIs over 54 games, boasting a .226/.338/.526 slash line.
Unfortunately, injuries plagued Calhoun’s 2021 season, including right knee surgery for a torn meniscus and a split hamstring tendon in his left leg. He later signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers for the 2022 season, playing 125 games and recording 12 home runs and 49 RBIs with a .196/.257/.330 slash line. After starting the 2023 season in the minor leagues, he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in August, where he played 43 games and tallied six home runs and 25 RBIs while batting .217.
In his retirement announcement on Instagram, Calhoun expressed gratitude for fulfilling his dream of playing baseball professionally. He acknowledged the bittersweet nature of retiring but affirmed that he gave his all to the game without any regrets.
