TOKYO (AP) - Japanese infielder Tadahito Iguchi, who helped the Chicago White Sox win the World Series in 2005, will retire at the end of the 2017 season.
The 42-year-old Iguchi, the oldest active player in Nippon Professional Baseball, currently plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League.
“I’ve been thinking when would be the right time to quit,” Iguchi said Tuesday. “I want the fans and those who supported me to come and watch me as much as they can.”
Iguchi had a .278 batting average with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases during the 2005 season, the first of four in Major League Baseball.
He also had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres.
Iguchi, who started his career in 1996 with the Daiei Hawks, collected his 2,000th career hit in MLB and NPB combined in 2013 while with Lotte - a feat accomplished by only seven players. He now has 2,243 career hits.
Iguchi hit .271 with 250 homers and 1,010 RBIs in 1,885 games during his career in Japan.
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