Although it’s hard to believe, 2018 will mark the 13th anniversary of the 2005 White Sox World Series Championship. Many players from the historic run have since retired and moved on to other things. However, Freddy Garcia is not one of those guys.
On Saturday, the 41-year-old pitcher was named the 2018 Luis Salazar Return Player of the Year by Antics Management Sports and Lineup International. He appeared in first place on 16 of 50 ballots and collected the most points of any player to capture the honor. Here is a look at the Top 5 finishers:
- Freddy Garcia: 107 Points (16 first place votes)
- Jesus Guzman: 69 Points (5 first place votes)
- Rafael Cave: 56 Points (6 first place votes)
- Hector Gimenez: 52 Points (3 first place votes)
- Felix Perez: 50 Points (6 first place votes)
Garcia, also known by his nickname “El Torpedo”, put up some pretty impressive stats during his season with the Aragua Tigers. The Venezuelan native appeared in eleven games, eight of which he started. In those appearances, he pitched a total of 46.1 innings and finished with a 4-0 record, 2.33 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts. He also allowed 43 hits and 12 earned runs, thus proving that age is just a number.
As for Garcia’s future, it appears that he may now be sailing off into the sunset. The pitcher has been flirting with retirement for the past few years and reportedly told a crowd last week that this would likely mark the end of his career. He said that he was firm in his decision to retire, though acknowledged there was always a possibility that he could change his mind. With the numbers he put up, why not go for one more season if the passion is still there?
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