Veteran left-hander Sean Doolittle announced on Instagram this morning that he’s retiring after 17 years in professional baseball. He spent the season with the Nationals organization, hoping for a comeback bid in the Majors after undergoing UCL surgery last summer, but the recovery from that procedure and a subsequent knee injury limited him to just 10 2/3 minor league innings this season. He’s been on the minor league injured list since late June.
“After 11 incredible seasons playing the sport I love, I can say with gratitude and a full heart that I am retiring from baseball,” Doolittle wrote in announcing his decision.
“Seventeen years ago the Oakland Athletics drafted me as a first baseman out of the University of Virginia. However, as some of you may know, my career nearly ended before it began. After a spate of early injuries, I was nearly ready to hang it up. But then the team approached me and asked if I’d be willing to give pitching a try. With the direction and unwavering support of A’s farm director Keith Liepmann and pitching coach Garvin Alston, I found my second chance. I am forever grateful to them for helping me turn a second chance into a career.”
Doolittle went on to issue heartfelt thank yous to his family, fans of the A’s and Nationals, his managers, his teammates, his coaches, and to the Reds and Mariners for his time spent with each organization (and, as the always-humorous southpaw notes, for “increasing [his] chance for getting on the Immaculate Grid”).
Doolittle’s second chance indeed became a career — and a very fine one at that. The No. 41 overall pick in the 2007 draft debuted with the 2012 A’s and hit the ground running, pitching 47 1/3 innings of 3.04 ERA ball with a huge 31.4% strikeout rate and excellent 5.8% walk rate. Doolittle almost immediately cemented himself as one of the top lefty relievers in the game, and by his third MLB season in 2014, he’d seized the closer’s role in Oakland and been named to his first of two All-Star teams.
For five and a half seasons, Doolittle anchored the Oakland bullpen, posting a 3.09 ERA in 253 innings with 68 holds and 36 saves. He and righty Ryan Madson were traded to the Nationals in a July 2017 swap that sent a struggling (at the time) Blake Treinen, then-prospect Jesus Luzardo, and minor league infielder Sheldon Neuse back to Oakland. It was a steep price for the Nats to pay, but it’s doubtful Washington has any regrets.
Doolittle stepped back into a ninth-inning role in D.C. and thrived, saving 21 games and pitching to a 2.40 ERA down the stretch with his new club before tossing three brilliant frames in the postseason. From 2017-19, the left-hander logged a 2.87 ERA and saved 75 games for the Nationals. The 2019 campaign saw Doolittle finish an NL-best 55 games and pick up a career-high 29 saves.
Despite a rocky month of August, he played a significant role in the Nationals’ now-legendary 2019 turnaround, particularly once the postseason rolled around. Doolittle was one of manager Davey Martinez’s most trusted arms during the Nationals’ playoff run, tossing 10 1/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA and 8-to-1 K/BB ratio. While it was teammate Daniel Hudson who threw the iconic final pitch of the Nationals’ World Series win, Doolilttle saved two games and collected three holds over the course of the 2019 postseason. That includes three shutout frames in the World Series itself, highlighted by Doolittle nailing down a four-out save when he set down Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel and Carlos Correa in order in a Game 1 victory.
Injuries have marred the final few seasons of Doolittle’s career, but he’ll nevertheless retire as a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion. He totaled 450 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball in parts of 11 big league seasons, adding in another 22 1/3 innings with a 2.42 mark in the postseason. Doolittle also logged 112 saves (115 including postseason play) and 82 holds (plus five more in the playoffs). Between his trips to free agency and an early $10.5MM extension that included a pair of club options for another total $12.5MM, Doolittle earned $26MM over the course of his career.
Beloved for his clutch performances, candid and often eccentric personality, and thoughtful approach to pitching, Doolittle would likely have myriad opportunities to continue his career in baseball as a coach, scout or executive if he aspires to do so. Congratulations on an outstanding career and best wishes to the southpaw in his post-playing days, whichever path he chooses to take.
Gotta respect a man who knows his Grid.
And best of all, he reached the sacred 10+ years of MLB service time. Full pension and a gold card.
How the time flies when you’re having fun.
Doolittle was a good pitcher
Doolittle, from the very incomplete glimpses I had into his life, seemed like a better person
I admired his and his partner’s activism, particularly for support of the LGBTQ+ community and support of refugees.
His personal life should not be broadcasted here. I respect him for his BB talent, but please shut up about what he does in his spare time, it has no relevancy with BB
What you do behind closed doors is your business. What you do on a baseball diamond is my interest. Stop trying to mix it up.
@curly – Calm down there, buddy!! It’s Friday, no need to get hostile with your comment. Actually, comments (was two really necessary?).
1. Activism by nature is not usually done behind closed doors.
2. This is a post about Sean Doolittle as much as it is about baseball.
3. While this may not be “YOUR” interest, plenty of other people seem to like his comment.
4. You seemed to take his comment very personally (what with the “… is my interest” segement), but I assure you, @andujar was not trying to personally slight you.
I guess you and Andjuar can cuddle up together. I just want to watch baseball
Right, I gathered that you “just want to watch baseball” from your other two comments. No need to repeat yourself in three separate comments. I was just informing you that it was, in fact, not a personal slight against you. And that @andujar’s comment was in no way harmful.
Also, this comment thread is about baseball and Sean Doolittle. What you want to see “Andjuar (sic)” and I do behind closed doors is your business.
MLBTR, I’ve enjoyed your site for 6 or 7 years.. You folks bounced me off once or twice because i got overly excited, but I have enjoyed being associated with you. however , when peoples sexuality becomes valid, I have to draw a line, I don’t care what their preference is, I just don’t want to know what it is. I’m done with this, it isn’t baseball. peace out
Curly, you gonna say anything about Doolittle’s career? Or you gonna just make it all about you and how your little feelings were hurt?
Read my last post idiot
Just the mere mention that Doolittle supports LGBTQ+ communities and refugees was all it took? Well, this isn’t an airport, no need to announce your departure.
And, just so we’re clear, Curly from the Three Stooges isn’t baseball either, so it’s odd you prefer to represent yourself as such on a website you so staunchly believe must be baseball only.
Shut up, you loser. Get gone.
What a snowflake!!!
I don’t know how Curly survives in the real world. He must live in a cave.
Curly had “unpure” thoughts about his teammates growing up and doesn’t want you to remind him of the times he didn’t let Jesus take the wheel. The mere mention of homosexuality brings his demons to the surface. And it’s on us to not bring his desires to a boil…for some reason.
He’s like Tina Belcher. Obsessed with boy butts and hides it terribly.
Also notice how he completely ignores the support of refugees?
Pathetic, Curly. Your mother will continue to be disappointed.
Curly, I agree with you on this sexuality issue.
That seems like all the news reporters want to talk about these days, and it has nothing to do with baseball.
Using a term to insult and demean homosexuals again. I don’t know what your problem with homosexuals and people that don’t want to talk about it, but you should get some psychological help resolving your inner-conflict and/or stop posting to other people because you seem like you believe you are defending the LGBTQ+ community, but you are doing it by insulting them, which is real strange.
It’s like telling some guy to stay away from your wife and to get his hands off her, when she’s feeling assaulted and meanwhile you keep substituting the term “my b****” for “my wife” while defending her. “Get your hands off my b****,” who do you think you are to talk to “my b****” like that?! Can you see how that would seem odd to anyone else?
Who defends their wife and call her the “b-word” while doing it?! That’s what you’re doing with the LGBTQ+ community every time you open your mouth. Just something to think about while you are going around telling others what horrible human beings they are for not “loving the LGBTQ+ community,” the same way you seem to love them!
You’re going to with a straight face compare a Three Stooges user name to sexual and political ideology? I didn’t know anyone felt so strongly about the Three Stooges that they stopped talking to friends and family who preferred a different Stooge! I know you’re trying to take the 0.0001% you know about him and turn it into a criticism of him and his choices in a way to justify your own belief that it’s acceptable to talk about sexual ideology here in a baseball blog that is part of a sports blog, which does not have specific conversations on sexuality, political ideology, or charity work.,
While this blog is a great source for baseball news and an opportunity to talk about interesting transactions and baseball decisions, there are better blogs and forums than a sports site to have this conversation. I would also note that this site blocks, bans, and deletes comments just for swearing, yet you think it’s less taboo to talk about where people put their genitalia sexually, and those who physically, emotionally, and financially support them, simply because the person supporting it happened to take part in the real activity that brought us here (baseball)?! Super weird.
@disadvantage How is Doolittle’s activism related to his baseball retirement? It has nothing to do with it and is not related to the subject of the post.
This is the subject according to the above;
“Sean Doolittle Announces Retirement”
Therefore, according to MLBTR commenting policy which is as follows
“Commentary that is unrelated to the subject matter of the post”
Matters to do with Doolittle’s political activism are “unrelated” because this is about his retirement from the sport of baseball, not Doolittle’s politics or affiliations with political causes and shilling for those causes.
Politics has no place on this sport site about baseball irrespective what side of politics it is, but I can see the hypocrisy here.
What does someone’s user name have to do with anything? Zero, unless it’s political or profane.
The “you” is redundant unless you are trying to differentiate him the loser from you the loser, in which case, thank you for clarifying, so we could follow your thought process more clearly. I do wonder how someone acquires “gone,” as I wasn’t aware that it was a tangible item or something that had a transactional value. Next time, you might try not talking like a Neanderthal, especially when trying to chase someone away for lacking proper culture or sociological development conducive with interacting online inside a community of bloggers and commenters!
I want to comment on this post for one reason and this is not a response to Curly, but rather a statement on the country and where we are as Americans. That people blur the lines between a specific topic within a blog or website that is intended to draw an audience for baseball and baseball alone, with the cultural, political, and personal ideology of the readers is why Curly is upset.
Then when people like disadvantage and BabeRuth attack Curly for not wanting to see it is the exact reason our country is being torn apart and people are resorting to violence and other stupid forms of retribution. If he feels that way, why does everyone here feel a need to confront him for voicing his opinion, and coincidentally by voicing their own opinion or essentially doing the same thing they are mad at him for doing originally!
I know I’ve also criticized, but the first guy had a valid point that this isn’t the right place and the person who brought up his LGBTQ+ involvement was unnecessarily throwing that in people’s faces to get a response, which makes him a jerk. The guys that confronted Curly should’ve allowed him to reasonably not like an off-topic comment simply because it conforms with your specific ideology.
My criticism is for the way this was handled across the board and I’m only doing it for the sake of improving the community. There should also be consideration of the fact that many of the readers on her are under 18 and shouldn’t be exposed to adult content including communications about sexual preferences of any kind regardless of preference. Sometimes we just need to be better humans that what we feel is justified or required.
Stop trying to be the social police, it makes you look pretty desperate to pick a fight with someone.
@mcgriff
It’s clear that Sean’s activism makes you uncomfortable, and you are bending over backwards to attempt to prevent others from talking about it.
The post itself literally brings up Sean’s “candid and often eccentric personality” which, *checks notes* has absolutely nothing to do with Sean’s retirement or the sport of baseball, and would directly violate the rule as you interpret it.
@angels
Nobody is going to read all of that.
Well said Fred.
It’s not the sport that’s taken front page news, it’s their sexuality, gender or race. Sports hasn’t only taken a back seat, it’s in the last row. I appreciate your backing amongst all these PC agitators who seem to infest so many sites.
If I live in a cave, I gotta ask you, how is it living under that rock?
That post was for Ignorant Son-of-a-b, whose handle is so apropos!
Undoubtedly the two most ignorant and insensitive posts I’ve read on this site
@ BabeRuthAteLiveBabies, you are obviously a “keyboard coward”
Keep clicking away
Weren’t you quitting this site?
Curly you say you just want to talk baseball but actually very few of your posts are baseball related. Usually you are just trying to make some quip/joke/pun about somebody’s name or making some other non-serious or irrelevant quip/joke/pun. Some people might be just as offended at your crude attempts at irrelevant humor as you are when people bring up race/gender/sexuality issues. So maybe your hyperventilating about non-baseball related issues being discussed would hold more water if you ever posted anything of consequence here besides yuck-yuck jokes.
@gnorant, you have pinpointed the saddest thing about the MLBtr blog very succinctly. And there are others besides Curly that gum things up for everyone.
A person has to wade through all the garbage trying to see if there is a meaningful comment anywhere.
These demented people seem to search for things to wreck for others, like it brings them joy.
Oh, well, it looks like the Mariners’ season is lost anyway. Solid Adtros and Rangers for seven more days.
The pitching couldn’t save their season without some of the bats stepping up. Well, that didn’t happen.
Maybe next year.
Fred, I know it looks bad, but if they win the rest of their games…we may have a shot. So my thinking is their pitchers are just spent and beat. You also can’t rely on two rookies for as long as we did in the rotation. Both of them have pitched more than they ever have anywhere. Additionally missing Robbie Ray all season was a big hit. These are just preliminary thoughts, I’m still letting it all sink in. Pretty bummed out.
Ignorant, there at least is the old “home field advantage” that we have not mentioned.
But I don’t know if that is enough to be of real help.
Of course, even Oakland beat the Astros. It can be done.
Go Mariners! anyway. I am too hard-headed to quit now.
Thank you, Fred. Spot-on. The guy who introduced Doolittle’s gay and illegal immigrant activism is the guy who transgressed the MLBTR guidelines. Play by the rules; that is all anyone asks. As for Doolittle, he had a decent career, except I still remember as if it was yesterday: 7/31/19, when Doolittle gave up a 10th inning homer to Josh Donaldson, and the Braves beat the Nats, 5-4. That was brutal, Sean had already started to lose something off his fastball.
LOL! PC agitators. Ain’t it the truth.
@disadvantage, sorry literacy on a site intended for reading and responding is too much work for you. I’ll let the people at http://www.mlbtr.com know you prefer pictures, would crayon be okay or do you prefer jpegs?!
@Angels
I come here to read the articles and other people’s comments, not be assigned required readings. If you could summarize your comments into a crayon drawing, (1) that would be appreciated (I do like me a good crayon drawing), and (2) that says more about your writing proficiency than it does my literacy. If you had anything of substance to say, it would not require 10 long, meandering paragraphs that are longer than the actual article you’re commenting on.
And while you have MLBTR on the line, be sure to copy/paste your diatribe into the message. I’m sure they’d agree with me.
People like you shouldn’t even be allowed out of their room.
He’s a socialist douchebag
May the force be with him
king
I hear he plans to become a veterinarian
Oh Butt, you rascal you.
Nice career, wish him the best of luck in the future
Maybe he is now going to picket along with the Wrigley Field concession workers
One of my favorites- Doo going down with an intercostal strain in August 2014 was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the A’s that season. He and his wife have done so much great work in the community and I wish him nothing but the best in retirement.
Riding his bullpen cart off into the sunset.
Almost 26 million in earnings and a World Series championship in 2019, pretty good career and a nice guy from the interviews he’s done.
Best of luck in your next life, Sean. It’s very hard to make it to the Major Leagues and play for 17 years.
You’re one of the few who won a World Series.
⭕️⭕️⭕️
He was Dooing little this season, so retirement makes sense.
Doobetter with your comments
Yeah don’t use puns involving his name Doolittle, especially when people are just looking for a reason to belittle you!
Thanks a ton, Doo, for all you did for the Nats. You’ll always be one of my favorite players. Good luck with the next phase of your life. Feel free to become an announcer for the Nats, for example!
Espn article said he was drafted as a SS!
espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38461897/ex-nats-reliever-…
I think that’s a typo since Doo himself said he was drafted by the A’s as a first baseman. But it would’ve been great to see a lefty like Doo playing shortstop!
Doooo!! Thanks for the memories!
I will never forget watching him warm up last year to go into a spring training game. As he was about to run onto the field, he paused at the bullpen gate, which I found poignant, as his career was very much in doubt then. He got shelled in that game — and I thought he was done. But he made the team and actually got off to a great start before injuries derailed his season —and his career as it turns out.
Loved his quirky tuck of the glove under his bushy beard as he prepared to pitch. Truly one of a kind. That 2019 flag flies forever, and it wouldn’t be there if Doo hadn’t been on the team.
Come back as a coach!
Cool guy, solid career.
Meet him when he was an Oakland athletics pitcher and I sat behind the bullpen he is a solid guy.
Thought he retired a few years ago.
This announcement DOOLITTLE for us…
He’s got a ring. Has over 25 mil in career earnings. What more can you ask for. Great career. Good Luck.
Right up there as one of the most decent coolest guys in the game…
Encouraged kids with literacy issues, always essentially tried to hold hands to create a chain rather than breaking those chains.
And as an A’s fan (who later smiled with his success at the Nats) we were always amazed by his seat of the pants success.
If you can leave anything better than you found something- you have done a great thing.
An A’s fan thanks you.
Except in the playoffs.
Still one of the best names in baseball history. A reliever named Doolittle is and always will be hilarious. That being said he was a really good ball player and was always fun to watch. I’ll never forget him photobombing two analysts with his lightsaber.
I echo the good dude sentiments.
And he was the only player who would take the bullpen cart to the mound for the Nats.
I was a big fan of Doolittle’s when he was still a 1B. Still have dozens of pictures of him from Spring Training.
But, he was possibly the worst relief pitcher in the playoffs EVER while with Oakland. Look it up. Doolittle coughed it up in 2012, 2013 and the infamous game with Kansas City in 2014.
Mariano blew two postseasons, 2001 and 2004.
Look it up.
Yeesh.
We don’t need political “activists.” Play ball.
We need good people doing good things. Check both boxes for Sean Doolittle. None checked for you.
I follow MLB in part to not hear political excrement.
There was nothing political about Doolittle’s activism.
It is 100 percent political virtue signaling self serving swill that is everywhere so I would like to watch baseball without knowing the relief pitcher’s complexes.
It’s not political, right wing conservatives just make everything about themselves because THAT is their religion; perpetual victimization.
The parenthetical with “and, as the always-humorous southpaw notes, for…” is formatted wrong. No comma should be after “and.” Adams really doesn’t get how commas work.
That’s it! I’m going to the next demonstration or march about anyone’s rights and telling those people that if they start playing a baseball game, I’m going to let them have it. Good lord.
Everybody and his uncle are allowed to express themselves, but if you’re an athlete, you better just shut up?
Holy crackers.
Doctor Who? [no not quite] Doctor HOO? [still no…]
How about Doctor DOOOOOO [more than just a little yes!]
We gonna miss ya Sean
Quality guy and good luck in your retirement. Some of the homophobic and anti-trans rubbish above will have you laughing faster than the bigots can type.
Let me guess…bi polar meds? Be honest.