Former Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis retires

Here's to Jeff Francis on a long, successful career. - Dustin Bradford/Getty ImagesThe tall, lanky left-hander was initially drafted by the Colorado Rockies out of the University of British Columbia in 2002.

Former Colorado Rockies rotation mainstay Jeff Francis, who was part of Colorado's memorable Rocktober run in 2007 and started Game One of the World Series that year, has chosen to retire from professional baseball, according to MLB.com.

Francis, 34, pitched in 197 games (185 starts) for the Rockies between 2004 and 2010, and then again from 2012 through 2013. He also played in the Major Leagues with the Blue Jays, Yankees, Athletics, Reds, and Royals, and finished his career at 72-82…