Former Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara has called it a career. Uehara last pitched in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs in 2017, and he announced his retirement from baseball in Japan.
Uehara, 44, had most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants, the franchise he began his career with back in 1999.
After Uehara's retirement, Xander Bogaerts took a moment to honor Uehara with a touching Instagram post.
Bogaerts had been effusive in his praise of his former teammate over the years. Recently, Bogaerts said that the Red Sox wouldn't have won the 2013 World Series without Uehara's performance.
"The ’13 team was a big success because of him," said Bogaerts, per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe.
Boston Red Sox
In his four-year career with the Red Sox, Uehara posted a 14-13 record with a 2.16 ERA, 291 strikeouts, and 79 saves. During the 2013 postseason, he recorded 7 saves and struck out 17 batters en route to winning the ALCS MVP award.
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