MLB fans react to retirement of 14-year veteran Jed Lowrie: "One of my fav MLB players" "Will always hold a special place in my heart"

Veteran infielder Jed Lowrie announced his retirement via social media Thursday, bringing a 14-year MLB career to a close. Lowrie played for four teams from 2008-2022, earning an All-Star appearance in 2018.

In an Instagram post that also appeared on Twitter, Lowrie wrote:

"No one gets to play forever. And the time has come for me to close the chapter on my playing career ... To the fans in Boston, Houston, New York and Oakland, it wasn't always perfect, but I gave my all and I'm grateful for the opportunities to play for you."

Fans returned the appreciation in kind.

Jed Lowrie was a first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in the 2005 draft out of Stanford University. He debuted with the Red Sox in 2008 and played for Boston until 2011, when he was traded to the Houston Astros.

He played one year for Houston until he was traded to the team in which he found his greatest success and adoration: the Oakland Athletics. A's fans flooded social media to express their love for the longtime major leaguer.

Lowrie played seven seasons for Oakland in three different stints. He returned to Houston for one season in 2015, but then was back with the A's in 2016.

He signed a free-agent contract with the New York Mets in 2019, but his time in Gotham amounted to just nine games due to a knee sprain suffered before the season began.

After not playing a single game of the Mets' pandemic-shortened season in 2020, he returned to Oakland for the final two years of his career.

Jed Lowrie played 876 games with Oakland, collecting 847 hits, 205 doubles and 405 RBIs. He earned his lone All-Star Game appearance in 2018, hitting .267 with 23 homers and 99 RBIs. Overall in his 14-year career, he hit .257, with 121 home runs and 594 RBIs.

Jed Lowrie plans to coach softball in retirement

Jed Lowrie of the Oakland Athletics hits a double.

Jed Lowrie told the San Francisco Chronicle that he plans to spend more time with his family in retirement, and that includes serving as an assistant coach on his daughter's softball team.

According to CBS sports, Lowrie's batting line of .257/.330/.406 in over 5,000 plate appearances, is above average production for a player who played roughly 86 percent of his career games at second base or shortstop. He retires with 1,185 hits and 121 home runs and 15.8 WAR.