Royals infielder Rafael Furcal announced today that he is retiring from professional baseball after a distinguished 14-year career in the Major Leagues. He signed a minor league contract with the Royals during Spring Training of this year and played in seven games with Wilmington (A) and Northwest Arkansas (AA).
Furcal, 37, spent a majority of his big league career with Atlanta (2000-05) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-11), hitting .281 with 311 doubles, 113 homers and 1,063 runs scored. The 2000 National League Rookie of the Year was also a three-time All-Star (2003, 2010, 2012) and played on 10 teams that reached the postseason, helping the St.