Veteran UTIL Kemp retires at 33
Published
Veteran utilityman Tony Kemp has announced his retirement at the age of 33.
The native of Franklin, TN spent nine years in Major League Baseball as part of a 12-year career.
Kemp appeared last season for the Baltimore Orioles, playing in five games.
Announcing his retirement on Instagram, Kemp gave praise to his parents.
"First, I want to thank my Mom and Dad for driving me all over the country to play in every tournament I could," Kemp wrote. "You guys were always prepared with a cooler that was equipped with sandwiches, snacks, Gatorades, and most importantly, a wet towel to keep me cool during those hot summer days on the diamond. The sacrifices you two made allowed me to reach my childhood dream of becoming a 'Big Leaguer' and I can't thank you enough. I love you both very much."
Taken in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft out of Vanderbilt by the Houston Astros, Kemp made his big league debut for the team in 2016.
Kemp would go on to appear in 739 games for the Astros, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Orioles.
For his career, Kemp batted .237 with 460 hits, 35 home runs, 184 runs batted in and an OPS of .674.