San Antonio Outlaws reserve 1B, Juan Fernandez, informed management that this would be his last season and he would be retiring at it's conclusion. Fernandez is in 18th season and has spent his entire career with only three teams. His first 7 years were in California, then his next 5 in Montreal with his last 5 coming in San Antonio (with a very brief spot in Brooklyn).
Fernandez was signed back in 2016 by the California Crusaders out of the Venezuelan League at the tender age of 16. The powerfully built youngster definitely looked the part when he hit the filed as his 6'5", 255 lb frame towered over some of his teammates. By the age of 20, he was listed as the #86 prospect in the MBBA and two years later he had moved up to #37 and that's when he got the call.
While his power never really materialized, Fernandez became a deadly contact hitter and was always among the league leaders in OBP and twice leading the league in Triples. A highly intelligent player with a sharp wit, his wisecracks during games kept everyone smiling even during losses. "It's time for me to step away from the game and work on phase two of my life - world domination" Fernandez joked at his press conference. Juan made several more jokes and played with the reporters before stating at the end simply "I truly thank all you fans".
GM Calvaruso spoke at the press conference saying "we truly appreciate everything Juan did for this organization and value him as a person as well as a ball player. I am excited to be able to give him a memorable sendoff when we make the playoffs".
