One of the biggest stories of 2022 was the joint retirement of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. The two went out in a blaze of glory and deservedly so. They’ll likely enter Cooperstown in five years from now. Most everybody got the chance to wish them well, but it didn’t work out that way for a few other guys.

When guys of their stature leave the game, we usually remember all the big moments, but it’s those personal connections that individual fans will remember most. Maybe some fans had very personal interactions, but I’m guessing most fans connected with a couple of the more ordinary players that retired after 2022.

Were it not for Tyler Kepner’s annual quiz in the New York Times, I wouldn’t have known that Lhp David Price had called it quits after a pretty impressive career that spanned 14 seasons with the Rays, Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Dodgers.

Originally, he seemed headed towards a HOF career (yes, there was a boat load of hype), but baseball and injuries got in the way. Overall, he had a great career, going 157-82 with a 3.32 ERA. He won a CY and received votes three other years, but maybe more importantly, he burst onto the scene in the postseason for the 2008 Rays. He showed immediate promise-something all fans love-especially Rays fans.

Despite the ups and downs of his career, I’ll always remember him for donating some of his salary to minor league players impacted by the cancelled 2020 season-even before he ever pitched for the Dodgers.

In that same quiz, Kepner referenced two lesser-known ballplayers that called it quits this year. I’m not suggesting we hold a memorial service or parade for either of them, but the careers of Kurt Suzuki and Stephen Vogt are worth noting and not just because both caught for the A’s.

Suzuki had the longer (16 years) and more prolific career (19.5 WAR, Baseball Reference) and probably touched more fans because he wasn’t a big star. He played for the A’s,Twins, and helped the Nats win the 2019 World Series before ending his career with the Angels. He was looked at for his stability, defense and contact hitting and by today’s standards, his career .255 batting average seems ridiculously high.

Vogt was always one of those guys you rooted for because he seemed to get the most out of his abilities. In 10 ML seasons he batted .239 with 82 homers and 313 RBI in 794 games. He’s a guy that was easy to root for as he always busted his ass. He connected with fans everywhere he played because of his hard work and enthusiasm. Every homer he hit seemed to be dramatic whether it resulted in a win or not. Check out the video of his last game with the Athletics this year. He also put together a career slash of .302/.366/.467 in 12 minor league seasons. I know in his one year with the Brewers (2017) he was a fan favorite.

In professional sports, it’s the superstars that draw the fans and earn the big money, but it’s often the other guys that connect with most fans. Most of us recognize how hard it is to make it to the highest level in each sport and the challenges the lesser players face to remain and succeed.

Thanks to Price, Vogt and Suzuki for entertaining us over the years!

Editor’s note: I’m sure we’ll learn about other players calling it a career before the first pitch in spring training.

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