Milwaukee Brewers Great Ryan Braun Announces Retirement

Ryan Braun, who spent his entire 14-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers, has officially retired from MLB. He released a statement via the Brewers regarding his decision, as per the video below.

Today, more than 14 years after I first took the field as a Milwaukee Brewer, I’ve decided to retire. While it’s impossible to summarize my emotions, what I feel most is one, simple thing – gratitude.

I just wanted to take a moment to say ‘thank you’.

– Ryan Braun pic.twitter.com/pQxuW9qk1z
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 14, 2021

Braun retires at, or near the top, of every major offensive category in Brewers history: first in home runs (352), second in RBIs (1,154), extra-base hits (809), total bases (3,525) and doubles (408). He also ranks third in runs (1,080), hits (1,963), triples (49), stolen bases (216) and walks (586).

The first six years of Braun's career were remarkable - he won the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year and 2011 NL MVP and averaged a .313 batting average, 34 home runs and 107 RBI per year over the span. Add in two 30/30 seasons (plus one additional 20/20 season) as well as 1,089 total hits and Braun had the makings of a Hall of Fame resume on his hands.

Unfortunately for Braun and the Brewers, he was suspended halfway through the 2013 season for PED use and never quite recovered. Following his suspension, only once did he hit above .300 and hit 30 home runs, while never driving in more than 100 RBI the rest of his career.

Team chairman Mark Attanasio had the following to say about Braun upon his retirement announcement:

Ryan brought us many unforgettable moments on the field; from playoff-clinching, dramatic home runs to nearly 2,000 career hits, he is unquestionably one of the greatest players in Brewers history,

However, just because Braun is retiring doesn't mean he isn't going to get paid. According to Spotrac he will get the Bobby Bonilla treatment and collect a ton of money for the next ten years.

Officially retired, OF Ryan Braun secured $160M over 15 #MLB seasons, all with the #Brewers.

He’ll grab a $1.8M paycheck every July 1st thru 2031 from deferred salary in his final contract. https://t.co/oWNiUJAlp3
— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 14, 2021