Former Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Doug Fister announced his retirement Wednesday after more than 10 seasons in the majors.
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Fister’s agent, Page Odle, told Jon Morosi of MLB.com that the 35-year-old received several contract offers this offseason but wanted to spend time with his family.
“He’s been contemplating this for a couple months,” Odle explained. “The main reason is that he wants to start a new chapter in his life. This is 100 percent family-driven.”
Doug Fister was drafted in the seventh round by the Seattle Mariners back in 2006. Fister made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2009. In 2011, Fister was traded by the Mariners to the Tigers in a trade deadline deal. A few short months later, Fister found himself taking the mound for Detroit in the World Series.
In perhaps his most memorable moment with the Tigers, Fister took a Gregor Blanco line drive to the head during the second game of the 2012 World Series. Instead of being pulled, Fister remained in the game after a brief examination by head athletic trainer Kevin Rand and Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
“I didn’t see any stars. I didn’t have a headache,” Fister said after the game. “I told them there are two runners on, two out, it’s Game 2. And I’m going to get the third out.”
Doug Fister walked the next batter, but then set down the next 12. He stayed on until the sixth inning.
During the 2012 and 2013 Detroit Tigers seasons, Fister did some of the best work of his career including setting an American League record for striking out nine batters in a row during the September 27th game against the Kansas City Royals. In two and a half seasons with Detroit, Fister was 32-20 with a 3.29 ERA, 3.20 FIP, and 1.191 WHIP.
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Fister was traded after the 2013 season to the Washington Nationals for three prospects. The trade wasn’t wildly popular with Tigers fans at the time and certainly has not aged well as all three prospects (i.e. Robbie Ray, Ian Krol, and Steve Lombardozzi) never accomplished much in Detroit. Fister would go on to have the best season of his career with the Nationals in 2014 going 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA in 25 starts.
Fister battled injuries as he entered his mid-30’s, starting just 15 games for the Boston Red Sox in 2017 and 12 games for the Texas Rangers last year. After 10 seasons playing with the Tigers, Nationals, Mariners, Red Sox, Rangers, and Astros, Doug Fister finishes his career with a lifetime 83-92 record, a 3.72 career ERA, and 970 strikeouts in 1,422 1/3 innings.
Best wishes to Doug Fister in his life beyond his playing days.