Lonnie Chisenhall is retiring after eight MLB seasons. As reported by J.J. Smith of the Carteret County News-Times, the former Indians third baseman/outfielder discussed his decision while attending a jersey dedication ceremony in his honor at his former middle school in Newport, North Carolina.
“I’ve only played 29 games in the past two years. So between that, and I have three kids at home, they are all in school, traveling around the country wasn’t practical anymore. It was a pretty easy decision,” Chisenhall said during a question-and-answer portion of the assembly with Newport Middle School students.
The 31-year-old hangs up his cleats after 688 Major League games, all with Cleveland from 2011-18. Chisenhall was a highly-touted young player, drafted 29th overall by the Indians in 2008 and given high placements (31st in 2010, 25th in 2011) on Baseball America’s top-100 prospect lists. Unfortunately, injuries were a constant presence in Chisenhall’s career and perhaps prevented him from fully living up to that top-prospect status, though he still managed to be a productive player over his eight seasons.
Chisenhall hit .268/.320/.427 with 64 home runs over 2360 career plate appearances, good for a 102 OPS+ and wRC+. Most of that success came against right-handed pitching for the lefty-swinging Chisenhall, though he produced good numbers against both lefties and righties over his final two seasons, which saw him post an .872 OPS over 365 PA while battling numerous injuries.
The most notable of those injuries was a series of nagging calf problems that, ultimately, brought an end to Chisenhall’s career. As he noted while talking to Newport’s students, he was limited to only 29 MLB games in 2018 and then didn’t appear at all in the big leagues last season, playing just seven games with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate after signing a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Pittsburgh last offseason.
MLB Trade Rumors wishes Chisenhall congratulations on a fine career, and wishes him well in his post-playing endeavors.
Congrats to him on his work within the game. I’m sad to see him go. A player like him deserved a bigger role.
me as well. he showed stretches of brilliance as a Tribe player and worked his ass off to become an excellent outfielder. so long, big lon
I liked him too. What I never understood was that he was considered the best base stealer in the minors, racking up 50+ easily. Then as soon as he came up, decided not to run anymore. I feel like he could have carved out a long career being a Vince Coleman type player.
FUNNY LONNIE STORY: About 7 or 8 years ago, I spotted him and Corey Kluber shopping together in a Cleveland-area Giant Eagle. I glanced into their cart and see nothing but a case of bottled water and about 10 bags of Cool Ranch Doritos. LOL – so much for MLB guys having the best nutrition.
Great story but I gotta say… Lonnie stole 17 bases in his entire minor league career (500+ games)
He stole 20 in the majors ♂️
Vince Coleman? Did you ever actually watch him play?
Matt
What’s with the male gender symbol? Is that like a wolf howl or something? Just curious.
Every once in a while I see it and I ask and I NEVER get an answer. Mysterious.
Good question as I have seen it to, then last week I did a smiley emoji and that is what it showed up as on the app. :/
Crazy to think he was the Pirates biggest pickup last offseason.
….and this offseason.
Lmao well played
he should give that money back to the Pirates
He stole the money like a Pirate. Grrrrr
Yeah… getting injured should mean you “give your salary back” to your employer… definitely what should happen… geez what is with people tonight claiming this — there were a couple of guys saying the same thing about Pedroia and that the “respectable” thing to do would be to retire so the Red Sox wouldn’t have to pay him. Like come on… If a guy signs a contract he should get paid period, whether he’s injured or not — and there shouldn’t be ANY question about it… or people complaining/trying to shame the player into saying they should “give the money back” like teams don’t give guys “extra money” if they play better than the amount of $ they sign for in a contract… Why in the world would/should a player “give back” money he rightfully earned by signing a contract with a team. Injury or not — this is an absurd premise.
Personal responsibility is not a legitimate value in 2020.
So workmans
compensation
is not a thing?
Hope you never
get injured on
the job…..
How can he get hurt on the job when he hasn’t work a day in his life? Lol
Would the owner have personal responsibility to pay him more for his performance if he over performed during the contract?? A contract is just that… you gamble on future performance. If a guy sucks or gets hurt, the team loses. If a guy outperforms the value of his deal, he loses the surplus on the free-market value of such performance. Both teams enter into such an agreement for the security of a middle ground.
*both sides
Underperforming is just a little different from not being able to perform. At all. Not one single inning. Just sayin.
So Chisenhall has to file Workers Comp? And Workers Comp pays every nickel of what you would normally make? Fully? I don’t think so.
then let’s see yo uh go out with the dedication he has to play tha TV game. work out every day for hours. practice everyday athletes work as hard at there jobs as you do at yours if not harder
then the pirates signing a injured player should have put some injury pay clauses into the contract. it like buying a used car. the purchasers responsibility to look over car for.for defects and damage. he had a injury there doc’s looked at medical info and cleared them to sign him.
It’s strange how people blame guys for getting hurt.
When the guy has a history of injuries don’t you think it’s smart to protect yourself? But really the Pirates would have been better off resigning him again this year because as of date the biggest off season addition has been the netting at the ST stadium and PNC park. That’s where the Marte savings went
I know it cracks me up. I am sure if people on here were injured at their job they would say don’t pay me what you owed me. No clue on life.
I agree with you but only needed a few lines before I did.
Let me be clear. No he should not be forced or shamed into giving money back. My point is that to compare this type of situation in sports to Workman’s Compensation Insurance is abjectly silly. In no way is it even remotely similar.
Team has insurance anyways lol
hear, hear!
He never played. He didn’t injure himself in an activity related to the Pirates. On May 20th he asked to take a break from rehab due to personal needs. The rest of us don’t get paid for those types of absences. I could go along with the argument that he should be paid until May 20, but not after when he never returned to the organization.
It’s Workers Compensation (I’m a former actuary). But yes, if you’re injured they don’t get to just toss you in the gutter to fend for yourself.
Jeff-No,injury is a reasonable excuse not to play.But with Chisenhall his injuries seemed to last inordinately long times.I questioned last year with the Pirates whether he really wanted to play.
It became a joke after a while.
I think that Lonnie actually retired last year after things went south after yet another injury and having to fight yet again to overcome it and never really had his heart in it anyway.His heart was with his family.Not a good signing by NH even though on the surface it had seemed to be.
Uh… yeah, like Bob Nutting deserves it
Hope YOU never get injured on the job.
Let’s see you give
money back…..
Wasn’t injured on the job. On May 20, he asked for personal time and never returned.
F the pirates and their ownership.
It’s almost as if PITT had absolutely no idea what they were getting into! Bamboozled!
A Pirate favorite <\3
Wow, back in MLB 2k 12′ this guy was projected to be the next Anthony Rendon. Luckily, he’s still only 31, and has a lot of time left to spend with his kids as they are growing up. Glad to see he didn’t try to stretch a dead career out any longer. Best wishes to him.
Stretch a dead career? Could you be more condescending? At least he made it to the show and made a hell of a lot of money playing a game! He gets to retire in his 30’s, the guy is living a dream life!
I think ‘dead career’ means it’s dead now and that is why he retired.
How could he be projected to be “the next Anthony Rendon” in 2k12 when he debuted before the first Anthony Rendon, who didn’t even make the bigs until 2013?
Ok… the next Kevin Youkillis… IDK, I was thinking about a power hitting 3rd basemen.
Sorry, wasn’t trying to bust your $%^&* or anything. I just found it funny. David Wright was my first thought.
Because Rangers29 doesn’t know what he’s talking about! Clearly.
You were trying to think of a power hitting 3rd baseman…and u didnt think to reference your username….Beltre?
Because Chisenhall wasn’t projected as a GREAT fielder, Beltre was a GREAT fielder.
Except Lonnie was never expected to be a power hitting 3B either…
He never hit more than 13 home runs in a season and never had more than 59 RBI.
8 seasons in the big leagues, most of them terrible. Congrats Lonnie at least you got to live your dream. That’s better than most of us can say.
What are you talking about!? Most were NOT terrible. He only had 1 bad season. Look at his hitting stats, tell me he wasn’t solid with the bat?! His last 3 years he hit north of .280 each season!! You have no idea what you are talking about.
Look at his OPS. It was barely league average. Considering his prospect rank, that’s highly disappointing.
Antibelt, do you even follow baseball? Many top 50 prospects don’t ever stick in MLB. This guy was a slightly better than average player, in other words one of the best in the world in his profession. Rsox, your terrible label is clueless.
Severe durability issues, played 100+ games in a season 3 times, 500 PA’s only once, barely league average OPS, offered very little power or run production considering the position(s) he played. Yeah he had a 3 homer game but so did Kirk Nieuwenhuis, let’s not pretend he was Jim Thome when he was more Brook Jacoby.
I mean.. how much did he really travel last year? 7 games for 2.75M? I mean… at least see if you can get a spring invite for some walking around money.
I mean…
He made millions that is the highlight of his career
I always really liked him, and it’s a shame he just couldn’t stay healthy. Congrats on retirement.
A friend of mine was his teammate in high-school and said he was one of the nicest kids he ever played with. It’s too bad his career never really took off… when he was drafted and coming up through the minors he looked like he had a ton of potential… But I guess things just never clicked for him. Anyway wish him the best in his post-playing life and good for him he gets to spend time with his family now while his kids are still pretty young!
There are some really crappy people on this thread. Just pitiful.
Exactly!
Jealous people . Just bitter jealous losers
They’re jealous because Chisenhall did at least two things that they will never do and those two things are making millions and playing Major League Baseball. No, MLB The Show doesn’t count.
And don’t forget the haters. You rarely find losers without haters nearby, especially at rallies.
Agreed. Their lives are bereft, therefor they feel the urge to pull everyone, even competent strangers, down to their level.
There seems to be crappy, bitter people on pretty much every thread, unfortunately.
So, it was a series of nagging calf injuries that held him back. That’s too bad…
Yes, which I think is an odd injury to do you in.
Made over 18 million.
He can afford to buy a laptop now.
Used laptop, windows 7.
Windows 9 lol
“2.75 million for 7 games at AAA seems reasonable” – Rusney Castillo
Article should have mentioned his monster game from back in July 2014:
Lonnie Chisenhall (7/9/2014 @ Texas): In 1 17-7 win, Chisenhall went 5 for 5 with 3 home runs and a double. He scored 3 runs and tied a franchise record with 9 RBI. He became only the fourth player in MLB history with 5+ hits, 3+ HR, and 9+ RBI in a game, and the first since Fred Lynn in 1975. WPA: 0.166
Good stuff!
Those kind of over production games really stick with you. Like JD Martinez’s 4 HR ‘s off of 4 different pitchers D-back’s game.
Good comment, I’d like to forget about that game, and the 2014 season altogether, but good comment nonetheless.
I remember the Fred Lynn game like it was 1975. I think it was against the Tigers???
best of luck, lonnie. always enjoyed watching you with the tribe
I remember being VERY disappointed when he was not part of the return to the Rockies in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. This was a couple years before Nolan Arenado debuted and third base was a black hole for the team after Garrett Atkins fell off a cliff. I was convinced that Chisenhall would have been awesome there. Who knows, in another reality, maybe he was.
If for some weird reason you ever read this comment, good luck in retirement.
Wasn’t good with the glove at third and not enough of a lower bat to be a full time corner OF.
In 2008 he was drafted one pick behind Gerrit Cole – who didn’t sign with the Yankees. Now 12 years later Chisenhall retires with his last professional games coming with the franchise that he was initially drafted by despite having only ever having played (at the Major League level) for Cleveland; meanwhile Gerrit Cole signs with the first team that he was drafted by but that he rejected.
Stole 2.75 from bucs last yr
Most teams have that much money in their couch cushions and yet Pirates fans cry about it.
You don’t think pirates fans should have anything to complain about? I would LOVE to see if your team’s owner was as cheap as Nutting. Be thankful.
My team is the Rockies. So you can see it any time you want.
Please won’t someone think of the poor gazillionaire owners!!!!!
Although Chisenhall had some nice career highlights(the homer off Price in 2016 playoffs,his huge game against the Rangers)his career was a disappointment for a #1 (29th) draft choice.
He wasn’t a bust,but he also wasn’t a solid day to day player.
Entertaining guy to watch though, with a flair for the dramatic.
I wouldn’t even call it a disappointment. He had 9.0 bWAR for his career. That is far more than the average first round pick. He won’t be regarded as one the best first round picks, but 9.0 bWAR would easily be a top 10-15 producer in most drafts. In his 1st round, he is currently 12th most productive. Not bad for the 29th selection. There is a chance he fall a couple of places, but most guys below him are long gone.
Seriously, go look up the numbers, you will be very surprised how little most 1st round draft picks have actually contributed in the big leagues.
Best of luck, congrats.
If memory serves me correctly I remember he had s 5 or 6 hit game and cranked like 4 Homers and the next day was picked up on waivers in every one of my fantasy leagues lol
One of the best names in baseball
I’d be willing to bet a million dollars Theo places a call to Chisenhall at some point. They used to absolutely love this guy.
Calves are tricky cats
Pirates fans love to complain about Nutting not spending enough money.
But, they howl at the moon whenever a player doesn’t “earn” that money.
He opened “Nutting’s Wallet!!!”. He should be a local hero.
just a bit of health and he could’ve stuck around. alas…
Congrats on a solid career. Enjoy your retirement!
How much blame should Neal Huntington honestly take with this one? Of all the cheap free agents available that year, he chose this bum. 2 years later, out of the league. NH will not be missed, that’s for sure.
There are plenty of other things to blame Neal for. One of the most overrated, terrible GMs of the last 20 years.
He set the Pirates back 10 years or more with his bizarre trades and terrible drafting at the top of the draft (Gerrit Cole excluded). And simply was the lucky guy to be around when Andrew McCutchen came into his own.
Who said that he was good?
what a world we live in. here’s a guy that few if any have ever heard of , spends his entire MLB career in total anonymity and makes millions for basically doing nothing. so he won the lottery. goodbye and good luck
“Spends his entire career in total anonymity” –
Huuuh? Lol
What a world we live in one someone gets upset that a baseball site posts baseball news. Get over yourself, dude.. you aren’t the only person reading the content.
I recall Lonnie’s nine RBI game, not many big leaguers can claim such an accomplishment. Best of luck to LC.
As a Royals fan I saw a lot of Chisenhall and actually hoped we’d sign him when he became a FA.. I don’t begrudge him one dime of what he made. As was stated above, both sides take a chance when a contract is signed and for some reason I’ve failed to come up with a reason to feel sorry for professional team owners. Especially when taken in perspective, the contract was basically chicken feed in today’s game.
Good player…hate to see him leave the game so soon. For most guys, getting married early in a baseball career will ruin it. Best of luck to you and your family.
Injury riddled, but I’ll always remember watching that huge game he had against the Rangers. 8 RBI (or was it 10?) in one game.
Here is the reality of these types of forums. People come on here and express that a overlying quality in the business of sports is for a player to be loyal no matter what. Unconditional loyalty. Whether anyone on here likes it or not players are employees under contract. They are negotiated in advance like any contract. Often it works out to the mutual benefit of both parties sometimes it does not.
For people to say that players should opt out of a signed contract because of the fans perception of assigned “unconditional loyalty” due to injury is hypocritical. If the same circumstance happened to them with their employer shouldn’t they demonstrate the same loyalty?
Go a bit deeper to understand that there are two kinds of fans for any given team now. Younger fans certainly would echo your sentiments while old school types like me come from an era where players often lived in the communities surrounding their teams and in some cases, had to work in the off season because salaries just weren’t what they are now
Too often, dinosaurs like me fail to remember times have changed and simply don’t understand the dynamics now. I can appreciate Cutch and Walker actually living in Pittsburgh but it shouldn’t cloud my thinking about a player’s loyalty if he doesn’t live here in the off season
Conversely, the entire dynamics of owner-player relationships have changed, as have contracts. These are things older fans like me need to remember
Best of luck to Lonnie and his family. I enjoyed him in Cleveland.
it was not the kids…..it was a poor bat he had !
When I think of the name Lonnie I think of Little Big League.
I think of the time Lonnie Smith broke both the Phillie Phanatic’s ankles. And then how he bought a gun and plotted to murder John Schurholtz.
Lonald, out…