Matt Diaz announces his retirement

By Craig CalcaterraFeb 5, 2014, 7:48 AM EDT
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Matt Diaz has announced — on his own blog — that he’s retiring:

I’m moving on in my life from playing baseball.  Notice, I didn’t say, I was done with baseball!  How could anyone who loves the game ever “be done.”  And certainly I love the game!  I love the way it taught me to fail and get over it.  I love the way it helped me become the man I am today.  I love the way it’s provided for me and my family.  There’s so much to love about this game.  I just don’t love playing it anymore, and that’s how I know it’s time to not pursue a job playing this year.

Diaz hit .290/.338/.429 in 11 years with the Devil Rays, Royals, Braves, Pirates and Marlins. He was mostly a bench/platoon guy, though he happened to have his best season as a major leaguer in the year he got the most playing time. That came in 2009 when he hit .313./.390/.488 with 13 homers and 58 RBI in 425 plate appearances for the Braves.

Not a bad little career. One that, in five years time, should see him inducted into the Hall of Pretty Good Lefty Mashers.

 

Bryce Harper shaved his beard

Al Bello/Getty Images
By Bill BaerJun 18, 2018, 4:23 PM EDT
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Big news out of Washington, D.C. — MLB.com’s Jamal Collier reports that Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has shaved his signature beard. We don’t have any photos as of yet, but Harper did recently post this photo of himself, with a mere five o’clock shadow, from six years ago which can give us a reference point.

6 years ago today!🙌🏻 #19to25

A post shared by Bryce Harper (@bharper3407) on

It hasn’t been the best sports day in the nation’s capital, as Capitals head coach Barry Trotz also announced he was stepping down as head coach after having led his team to a championship.

The Yankees, which coincidentally has a well-known no-facial-hair policy, are in town to make up a suspended game from May 15 and a postponed game from May 16. The suspended game will resume in the top of the sixth inning at 5:05 PM ET. The other game should start shortly after the conclusion of the resumed game. In that game, Sonny Gray will start opposite Erick Fedde.