MEXICO CITY.- Tamaulipas infielder Jorge Cantú announced that the 2022 season will be the last in his career as a professional baseball player, so at the end of the calendar he will put an end to his path within the diamonds.
“I’m retiring, this is my last season and when it’s over it will be time to hang up the spikes,” were Cantú’s first words. “I discussed it with my family, with my wife, with my children and I have made this decision and I consider myself well served for everything I lived and did.”
It was at a press conference held at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, where the “Bronco” announced its plans this year. There he was accompanied by the Sports Manager of the Red Devils, Jorge del Valle, and by the manager, Juan Gabriel Castro.
Cantú began his professional career in 1999, playing for the A- branch of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. From there he built a path that in 2004 saw him debut in the Major Leagues.
His last year in MLB was 2011, accumulating eight seasons of action in the Big Top, where he wore the shirt of five teams: Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Miami, Texas and San Diego.
In 2013 he reached the Mexican Baseball League but the following year he tried his luck in Asian baseball, playing with the Doosan Bears of the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization). For 2015 he returned to the LMB. After having played with the Tigres de Quintana Roo and the Toros de Tijuana, he joined the Diablos Rojos del México in the 2019 campaign.
“For me it is a pride to be able to say goodbye to baseball with the Red Devils. The most important thing right now is to let go. In my career I have left everything and this farewell year will be the same, I am going to leave everything I have on the field and I want to do it by winning a championship ring”, continued the player.
Red on the skin forever. ✨????????
our player @jorge_cantu3 announces his retirement from baseball. ⚾️????#let’s do H1S7TORIA ???? pic.twitter.com/e8Z3Auyl3J
– DiablosRojosMX (@DevilsRojosMX) April 4, 2022
With the ‘Scarlet Gang’ he has two seasons of activity, where he has played in 110 games, in which he has 97 hits, 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 57 runs scored, having a .268 batting average.
“I would have liked to have been here longer, but the three years I have been here have been totally worth it. It is an honor to be able to end up wearing this shirt”, continued the ‘Bronco’. “What I am experiencing is an extraordinary moment and I am going to continue leaving the whole field because it is what the Devils fans, the board and my teammates deserve”.
In the 2021 season, the player from Tamaulipas became the first Mexican player to have 100 home runs in the Major Leagues and 100 in the Mexican League. In addition, he played with the Mexican Baseball Team in three editions of the World Baseball Classic (2006, 2009 and 2013).
“I want to continue being a leader, for my teammates to see how I behave. As for the team, the plan is to go with everything, to go for that title that everyone here longs for and we want to give to the fans”, stated Cantú.
With information from the Red Devils of Mexico.
JLR
