Veteran right-hander Guillermo Mota has retired, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter link). Mota signed a minor league deal with the Royals in January but, according to McCullough, wanted to spend more time with his family and left the club's Spring Training camp on Friday.
Mota, 40, originally signed with the Mets in 1990 as an infielder and ended up spending 14 Major League seasons on the mound with the Expos, Dodgers (in two different stints), Marlins, Indians, Mets, Brewers and Giants. That last stop in San Francisco earned Mota his first two World Series rings as part of the Giants' 2010 and 2012 championship teams. The righty was also suspended twice for PED violations, serving a 50-game suspension in 2007 and then 100 games in 2012.
Over 856 2/3 Major League relief innings, Mota posted a 3.94 ERA with a 7.3 K/9 and 2.10 K/BB rate and held right-handed batters to just a .683 OPS. According to Baseball Reference, Mota earned just over $18.2MM in his career.
There goes another person who played with Montreal. Who’s left ? Colon.
Cliff Lee and I think Brandon Phillips?
They were traded before they ever played for the Expos.
Bartolo Colon, Jamey Carroll, Ted Lilly (if he keeps playing), Scott Downs, Luis Ayala, Endy Chavez, Bruce Chen, Jon Rauch, Maicer Izturis, Brendan Harris.
Ted Lilly announced his retirement in November
I thought it was one of those Dempster deals where he’s taking time away?
MLBTR’s article on it said retirement without any allusion to it being temporary, it may be something that has come up since though.
Hit a 3-run homer off Mark Guthrie in his first MLB at bat.
Whenever I think of Mota, I’ll always remember when Piazza almost killed him in that Spring Training game after he hit Piazza with a pitch, throwing his glove at him and running for his life, even right after Piazza physically warned him before. I’ll never forget that look in Piazza’s eyes.
Ahh, The look of roid-rage?
Wheres your proof?
Now he can enjoy all the Mota he wants!
I am from Montreal and the issue is not the fan based, it’s the stadium. It is the worst place to watch baseball. There is a lot of interest in building a new stadium downtown that would be designed for baseball. That could be a stepping stone in the process of bringing back baseball in Montreal.
Well, the attendance towards games dropped dramatically the last two years of the team’s existence, so it’s probably the fan base.
Well, the attendance towards games dropped dramatically the last two years of the team’s existence, so it’s probably the fan base.