San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain announced his plans to retire today after a 13-year Major League career. The three-time All-Star will make his final start this Saturday, Sept. 30 as the Giants host the Padres at 1:05 p.m. at AT&T Park. The Giants will also pay tribute to Cain's career on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Cain, who turns 33 years old this Sunday, has posted a career record of 104-118 with a 3.69 ERA in 341 games (330 starts) in a Giants uniform. He ranks within the top 10 in several pitching categories in San Francisco Giants history (since 1958), including wins (tied for fifth with 104), games started (second, 330), innings pitched (third, 2,080.2), strikeouts (third, 1,690) and ERA (seventh, 3.69). Only Juan Marichal (446) has started more games than Cain in the Giants' 60-year history in San Francisco.
"Matt is one of the most accomplished right-handed pitchers in Giants history and has made a tremendous impact both on and off the field within our organization," said Giants President and CEO Larry Baer. "His play on the field and community service exemplifies what a true big leaguer should be and he will definitely be missed. On behalf of the Giants, I congratulate Matt on an outstanding career and wish him and his family all the best. He'll forever be a Giant."
Cain will become just the fourth player in Giants history to play their entire career with the Giants (minimum of 10 seasons), joining Jim Davenport (1958-1970), Scott Garrelts (1982-1991) and Robby Thompson (1986-1996).
The 2009 Willie Mac Award winner played a vital role in helping the Giants win three championships, as he excelled in the postseason posting a 4-2 record with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in eight starts. In 2010, he tossed 21.1 innings without allowing an earned run, which at the time was the sixth-longest streak in MLB history. Cain will be remembered not only for his postseason performances, but also for pitching the only perfect game in franchise history on June 13, 2012 versus Houston.