Former Royals’ World Series hero Ben Zobrist reportedly has ‘no plans’ to play
If this is indeed the end of Ben Zobrist’s career, he’ll walk away from Major League Baseball as a three-time All-Star with two World Series rings.
And, despite playing in just 59 regular-season games with the Royals, Zobrist remains a popular player in Kansas City.
But it appears Zobrist is calling it quits. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweeted Wednesday: “Ben Zobrist hasn’t announced anything but is at home and has no plans to play.”
Zobrist, 38, missed the majority of the 2019 season as he and his wife worked to “keep my family together,” as he told reporters in Chicago last September after returning to the Cubs following a four-month absence.
Despite Zobrist’s return, the Cubs missed the playoffs for the first time in his four seasons with Chicago. Zobrist also was in the 2015 postseason with the Royals, who had traded for him in July of that year.
Zobrist played second base throughout the 2015 postseason and batted .299 with eight doubles, two home runs and eight walks as the Royals won their first World Series title in 30 years. A day after the championship parade, Zobrist’s wife, Julianna, gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Blaise.
“It’s a special place for me,” Zobrist told The Star about Kansas City in 2018. “It holds a special place in my heart and in our family’s heart.”
A free agent after the 2015 season, Zobrist signed a four-year contract with the Cubs, who won the World Series in 2016. He was the MVP of that series.
Should it be the end of Zobrist’s playing days, he will finish with a .266 batting average, a .357 on-base percentage, 832 walks, 349 doubles and 167 home runs in 1,651 career games. He also played for the Rays and A’s and appeared in the playoffs eight times.
Known for his versatility, Zobrist played every position except catcher in his big-league career.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 12:51 PM.
