Atlanta Braves Catcher Brian McCann Announces Retirement

Braves catcher Brian McCann announced Wednesday night that he has played his last game.

After Braves ended their season with 13-1 loss?to the Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night. The game which McCann decided would be his last.

?This is everything that I wanted to do,? McCann said. ?I wanted to come back and get a chance at the postseason and this is it for me. I?m going to go home and be a dad and play with those kids.?

McCann, 35, hit .249 during the regular season with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. In the NLDS, McCann hit .188 (3-for-16) with a double and a run scored. He played in all five games.

?I went to high school here,? McCann said. ?I grew up here. I got to play nine years to start my career here. I got to play with some of my heroes. I got to leave and come back with this new generation. I?d say that?s a success. I had a long career. Fifteen years is a long time catching every day and I got to do it in my hometown.?

21-year old Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna was full of praise for the veteran with whom he had a chance to share the dressing room.

?I grew up watching the Atlanta Braves, we all did, and I was fortunate enough to watch his career,? Ronald Acuna said through an interpreter.??What else is there to say about him? Veteran, superstar, the tremendous seasons he had. Just a perfect career. He has a tremendous impact for your organization.?

McCann was quoted as a “dream” player for any manager by the Astros manager AJ Hinch in March. ?He?s a manager?s dream when it comes to a player who can simultaneously play for you, but also be an extension of the coaching staff and an extension of the message that impacts so many,? he had said. ?The way he handled the World Series in ’17, he and I worked in constant communication about how to handle the pitching staff. He and I are forever linked, and I?ll never forget his impact on our organization.?