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Ex-Blue Jays player Ryan Goins announces retirement with heartwarming letter

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Oct 10 2023, 2:34 pm
Ex-Blue Jays player Ryan Goins announces retirement with heartwarming letter

After a lengthy career in the MLB, former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins has officially ended his time in pro baseball.

“As an athlete, you never think it’s coming and then one day it’s staring you right in the face,” Goins said in a statement posted on social media. “As a lot of people know I spent this last year coaching but never officially announced that [I was] done playing the game that I’ve loved since I was a little boy with a dream. I was able to do some special things in my 14 years and developed relationships that will last a lifetime. I want to say thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for taking a chance on me and giving me my first shot.”

Goins hit .228 with 291 hits, 20 homers, 142 RBIs and 127 runs scored in 448 games for the Blue Jays in his career, spending the 2013-2017 seasons with Toronto while being a part of the team’s 2015 and 2016 playoff runs.

He was recently back in Toronto this past August to honour teammate Jose Bautista, who was named to the team’s Level of Excellence earlier this year.

After leaving Toronto, he also spent time with the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, last playing in the major leagues in 2020. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons playing for the AAA Gwinett Stripers, a minor-league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

“To all of my teammates along the way, and the friendships I leave the game with, I say thank you! Lastly to my family, who was there with me every step of the way and had my back no matter what, your support meant the world to me and I hope I made you guys proud every step of the way,” Goins added. “So this is my official goodbye to playing the game, and my hello to the next chapter of my journey as a coach.”

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