Sure-handed infielder Ellis retires at 37
A's mainstay finishes career with fifth-best fielding percentage for second baseman
Second baseman Mark Ellis is retiring from baseball, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The 37-year-old Ellis, a ninth-round selection of the Royals in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, played 12 years in the Majors with the A's, Rockies, Dodgers and Cardinals. Ellis spent 8 1/2 seasons with Oakland.
"It was definitely time," Ellis told the Chronicle. "My kids are getting older, and I kind of realized it was time to do something else."
Video: Must C Clutch: M. Ellis homers to shatter tie in 10th
Ellis hit .262/.327/.384 for his career, spanning 1,435 games. His .991 career fielding percentage ranks fifth all time among second basemen.
Ellis concluded his career with a one-year stint in St. Louis last season, when he hit .180 in 73 games.