Eric Chavez, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner over 17 major league seasons with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, announced his retirement Wednesday at age 36.
Chavez, a first-round draft pick by Oakland in 1996, is a career .268 hitter with 260 home runs and 902 RBIs. He averaged 28 home runs a season with the A's during a seven-year span from 2000-2006 and won the American League Silver Slugger Award at third base in 2002.
In 34 postseason games with Oakland and New York, Chavez batted .192 with a .555 OPS. Chavez's career .970 fielding percentage ties him for third best all-time with Ken Reitz among players with a minimum of 800 games played. Only Mike Lowell (.974) and Brooks Robinson (.971) are better.
Chavez's six Gold Gloves tie him with Buddy Bell and Robin Ventura for fourth most ever by a third baseman, behind Robinson (16), Mike Schmidt (10) and Scott Rolen (7).
Knee problems have sidelined Chavez for much of this season in Arizona. He's batting .246 with three homers in 69 at-bats with the Diamondbacks.
