Former Seattle Mariners Outfielder to Retire From Professional Baseball After Season
Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Nori Aoki is set to retire from professional baseball at the end of this season. He has been playing in his native Japan.
Per the Yomiuri Shimbun:
Tokyo Yakult Swallows outfielder Norichika Aoki, whose combined 2,723 hits in Japan and the major leagues puts him fifth on the all-time list among Japanese players, will retire after the current season, the Central League team announced Friday.
The 42-year-old Aoki has spent 21 years playing professional baseball between the United States and Japan. The outlet reports that he was the Central League Rookie of the Year in Japan and also won three batting titles.
In the United States, he spent six years in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Mariners, New York Mets, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. He was at his most successful in Milwaukee, getting 150 hits in 2012 and 171 in 2013. He also helped the Royals get to the World Series in 2014, falling just short in Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants.
Aoki was one of the earliest acquisitions of the Jerry Dipoto-era in Seattle, playing the 2016 season with the M's. That was the first year for Dipoto and Scott Servais at the healm of the organization. They brought Aoki in because of his ability to run and make contact, as they wanted to focus on a more athletic kind of team to surround sluggers Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano.
With Seattle, he hit .283 and registered a .349 season. He had four home runs and 28 RBI.
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