MIAMI — It was amore. But now, it has come to an end.
On Saturday, former Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli announced on Instagram that he was retiring from the game, starting the post with a simple but definitive, “It’s time!!”
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Cervelli is currently on the 45-day injured list after suffering his seventh known concussion. He has been left off the Marlins' playoff roster.
Cervelli’s post is in Spanish. Translated, his reason to retire reads: “I am retiring because the time has come to put my health before how much I enjoy this game. For a long time I fought my bruises because I thought that baseball was my life. And in a sense it will always be. But it is clear that my life is broader than baseball. And I must think first of myself, also my family, my own mental and physical well-being and what is to come. This is why I made this decision. It’s time.”
Cervelli spent 13 years in the majors, batting .268 with 41 home runs and 275 RBIs, while also being regarded as one of the best pitch framers in the game. He won a World Series in 2009 with the Yankees.
The Pirates acquired Cervelli before the 2015 season, and he spent five years as the club’s primary catcher. Tasked with replacing the beloved Russell Martin that year, Cervelli was arguably the game’s best catcher that year, finsihing in a virtual tie with Andrew McCutchen for the most valuable player on the Pirates' 98 win team with 5.9 fWAR.
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