Former big league catcher Tim Federowicz announced this evening that he’s retiring (on Twitter) after a 14-year professional career. That included parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, as the right-handed hitting backstop logged MLB action each season from 2011-19 aside from 2015.
Federowicz functioned as a second or third catcher for essentially the entirety of his big league tenure. His 173 plate appearances with the 2013 Dodgers marked a career-high, the only season in which he tallied at least 100 trips to the dish. Yet Federowicz consistently hung around as a priority depth option for clubs. That’s a testament both to his well-regarded work with pitching staffs and an impressive .293/.364/.483 line over parts of ten seasons in Triple-A.
Over the course of his career, Federowicz appeared with the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Reds and Rangers. He steps away as a .192/.241/.328 hitter in 443 plate appearances spread over 163 big league games. He hit twelve home runs and threw out a solid 30.7% of attempted base-stealers. In addition to his time in affiliated ball, Federowicz earned a Silver Medal as part of the U.S. National Team at this past summer’s Tokyo Olympics.
The 34-year-old is set to jump right into the next phase of his career, as Federowicz announced he’ll take over as manager of the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma in 2022. MLBTR wishes Federowicz the best in his post-playing days.
See you in Cooperstown! Tickets are $25
what do you have against this guy? he’s made more money than you’ll ever make in your entire life, are you jealous? are you upset your baseball career did not make big, so you’re here making fun of a retired man at 34
I bet you’re fun at parties
Not particularly mate, but if you got invited you’d have known that
Oh that was a good comeback
100%. mans aint rare, he’s well-done.
If this was Facebook, HankHill would block FormerlyCubsWln108 and claim he won the argument. Instead, he has to sit here and take it while his opponent sinks his battleship.
This is Tim F. Isn’t it?
No, it’s the guy who just burned the crap out of you
Nice edit “mate”
Nice comeback “mate”
To be fair you edited your this last comment
I did not like what I cameback with, so I revised.
Well done. And well within your rights on MLBTR. Carry on
no need, I think I already ended this discussion, I declare myself the victor in this internet battle.
Judges rule in favor of Hank over uptight, bizarre rant guy.
wtf
Btw, Tim only made about $2 mill for his whole career, not exactly Cole money— so that “you’re jealous that he’s so successful” argument is pretty weak.
You need to practice George Costanza’s art of leaving on a high note.
DragBunt: As a guy who is pushing 50, I wouldn’t be “jealous” over someone who “ONLY made about $2,000,000.00” and retired at the age of 34. A little envious since I haven’t made anywhere near that, maybe but jealous definitely not. Good for him.
Internet battle? You won a internet battle? Let’s break down what you are celebrating? The internet is a place that technically doesn’t exist? For example if MLBTR decides to stop paying for there domain space for this page it’ll go up for sale and nobody will be able to access it anymore. Happens all the time on the internet, nothing is real on it, and everything must be taken as temporary cause it might not be there tomorrow. So that’s what you won, and as your reward you get the lost city of Atlantis all to yourself? And when you try to share the location everyone just thinks your some conspiracy theorist and your crazy? But have fun being Completly Usless By September for the next 5 years
… Dusty’s advice should not be overlooked.
you must be fun at parties…
Only $2 mil? That sounds like a lot of $ to me.
@hippyboy
Wow dude, you’re deep! Ahahahaha!
Let me know when you’re safely back in the enchanted kingdom & we’ll all come visit you on Sunday. Ahahahahaha!
Hippy. Wot?
amazing
Internet fight!!!
Guys I’m late but I’m here for the internet break dance fight…am I in the right spot?
Dude parlayed a 14 year professional career into a couple million dollars and a job managing the Triple-A affiliate for one of the most talented farm systems in baseball. That says a lot about his work ethic and baseball intelligence, and he’ll no doubt be managing a major league team someday, maybe even sooner than we think. He’s accomplished more in under 35 years than you will your entire life. Not everyone has to be a Hall of Famer to be deserving of a MLBTR article, so get over yourself.
abc
“Federowicz? Who’s he?” -Rickey Henderson
Where is that from?
In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Robson? Who’s he?
It might be more fiction than fact, but when Rickey saw Mets teammate John Olerud wearing a batting helmet on defense, he supposedly told Olerud he played with a guy in Toronto who did the same thing. That guy, of course, was Olerud.
We all know the Olerud story is a urban legend
Great urban legend, though. If not for Rickey, it couldn’t possibly exist.
Rickey says “Rickey didn’t say that”
When I was a kid, I went to a Mariners vs Oakland game at the Kingdome. I was passed by a blur sprinting into the clubhouse entrances in a lime green suit obviously extremely late. Of course, it was Rickey.
Ok thanks
And undoubtedly, most people say the same thing about you.
Remember this retirement when people point at collusion as this gentleman was ONE GAME FROM FULL PENSION.
All he needed was one game the last two season.
10 seasons is pension.
Sometimes you get a week in the bigs. This guy needed ONE GAME.
I thought you needed 10 years of service time. He’s only got 3.1 years.
It is service time based, not seasons appeared in. Even if it was seasons appeared in, it’s a sliding scale – starting at 43 days of service and maxing out at 10 years. If he really was one day short he’d still be getting a big chunk of change.
I think – think! – it is based on 40-man, not 25-man, roster time. But, either way, I think Tim’s gonna spend a lot of the next 20 years in the majors. He’s had that “student of the game” thing going from way back. Given his Dodgers roots it would not surprise me at all if, somewhere down the road, he becomes Dave Roberts successor. But, no matter what path he chooses, best of luck in his new endeavors.
Yes. Tim’s retirement has been the defining cause of my life. I don’t know what I will do now that he has retired.
Giants74? Pick that one yourself, did ya? I hope you did. Who celebrates a 72-90 dud of a season?
Ole Big Balls Tim, as he was known around town at one of his many minor league stops.
Kind of like the late Nate “The Snake” Bowman, who was backup center to Willis Reed on the 1969-70 NBA champion New York Knicks. Word is that Bowman got that nickname in the shower, where he was apparently the biggest man on campus.
I heard from a former clubhouse employee it was BIG Dave Winfield and not because of his height
Then there was John Rocker 🙂
And why do they call you Thickie Don?
He played in 163 games, almost what a star or durable player would play in one season. Props to him for having as long of a career as he did, and best of luck as Tacoma’s new skipper.
“Jumping into” a AAA manager’s job is quite the feather in the cap. Usually back up catchers wound up starting their management career in the Developmental (nee “Rookie”) Leagues or on, at tops, the low-A level. Obviously, Jerry D. thinks pretty highly of the man.
No doubt
You really gotta love hard working catchers at any level.
We have all probably played with one at some time ourselves.
There’s a passion and brain there that really transcends.
Always loved having him in the LAD org for the young pitchers coming thru the pipes. Was happy when I read the header
Guys like that are baseball lifers, and the game is lucky to have them. They may not play much, but they’re constantly learning about the game.
Austin Barnes is said to be like that. He doesn’t sit on the bench on those frequent days when he’s not in the lineup. He’s completely plugged into what’s going on between the white lines. In a game against the Pirates this past season, Ke’ Bryan Hayes had a home run taken away from him for missing first base. Barnes noticed Hayes’ gaffe from the Dodger bench and pointed it out.
First ballot Hall Of Famer.
All the best in your much needed retirement.
Base on absolutely nothing, me thinks his position and journey will probably make him a good manager.
Anyone have his career earnings ?
1.003 Million not including minors according to BBREF
Dodgers to retire all 4 numbers he played as for them.
Him and Barnes coHOF case
Congratulations on a successful career as a professional baseball player. Something virtually everyone on this site can only dream of, in spite of their sarcasm.
While the rest of us were busy working for the man, he was chasing and achieving his (and our) dream of playing Major League Baseball.
So true.
Listen man I work behind Wendy’s, the sarcasm helps me forget about my awful life choices.
I understand working at Wendy’s, but what does one do when they work behind Wendy’s?
I’d rather not imagine that
I guess your IQ must be really low. You admitted to being really stupid.
Lavarnway taken pick before him by Boston and current catcher Christian Vazquez 2 picks later. Last draft they really hit on anyone who played at MLB level, other than NDFA Dan Butler, who was 2010-11 and was a backup for several teams.
Ummm…Kopech (14)? Benetendi (15)? Last four years have produced four Top 100 prospects. It’s not a great record, but Lavernway is hardly their last “hit”.
Pretty average, if not a tad above, considering they usually pick late.
Catching position Bob. I forget words sometimes..
boston has drafted mighty poorly at the position since ’08, despite half dozen or so top5 picks, including cpl 3rd round and up who were awful.
The sasssssssss
Was Kershaws catcher for a while. Checked off getting a stolen base his last season
I hope the manager train works out for him. I always liked him and he seemed respected for a AAAAer. Plus he’s born at the same hospital as my lady friend.
I gave you a thumbs-up, though I’m not sure why. Originality, I guess. I doubt my wife’s birth can match that. though I’ll be up all night checking.
His poor performance with the 2016 Cubs forced a catcher named Willson Contreras to be called up from AAA. So in a way he actually helped the Cubs break the curse. Lol. Good luck with life’s next chapter!
Seems like Federowicz has been playing since the 90’s
On an unrelated note, seeing his name made me think now, especially during the lockout, we need more Tim Dillard articles
Yep. I was surprised to read he is only 34.
Noooooooo
I wish Tim the best in his future endeavors.
never heard of this guy but wow! 12 HOME RUNS in 14 years? read that back, thats not by season, thats TOTAL, the fact that he ever became a MLB player at all, good for him, honestly to be that bad of a hitter to hang around for over a decade, i understand he was never a starter or even much of anything, but still, you need to really think how any major league hitter can be that bad.
He hit 12 home runs in 443 career plate appearances spread over all those seasons. I’m certainly not arguing he was a good hitter, but I think it was something other than the home runs that hurt his chances of being a first ballot Hall of Famer.
He had 12 HR in 443 PA over an 8 year MLB career
Of 135 catchers with 400 PA since 2011, he is tied for 106th most HR
He is tied with Blake Swihart (in 696 PA) and Tyler Stephenson (in 422 PA)
Not that this tells us anything about what kind of hitter he was or wasn’t, but it does highlight that 20% of the such catchers had even fewer HR
One of those with fewer is Chris Stewart, who actually had near 1000 more PA (1334) between 2006-2018, yet managed only 9 HR total in his career
All of that is to say, what a weird way to chose to judge a catcher
FedEx was a very beloved Ranger for his short time here. He’ll have a special place in my baseball heart for that. Wish him a happy retirement.
Doesn’t have the most impressive numbers, but he might want to reconsider retirement with there being such a need for catchers nowadays
I’ll always remember Fed’s big hit vs the Dbacks in that infamous Dodgers/dbacks brawl in 2013. Thanks for the memory, Tim!
Dodger legend. Carved out a nice career for never really playing in a full season. Involved in some player heavy trades, was a wanted man when a teams catching core went down. Hats off to Drew Butera and guys alike who getting paid as backups and bever have to take a hit at the plate, or get one, thanks to Posey.
Who?