Former Cub Dexter Fowler announces retirement
A World Series hero, and one of the most beloved Cubs from the 2016 team, is hanging up his spikes.
Dexter Fowler announced his retirement on Tuesday via his Instagram, ending his 14-year, big-league career.
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Fowler, 36, spent two years in Chicago and made the most of them. He was acquired from Houston for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily ahead of the 2015 season and manned center field and the leadoff spot for two of the most memorable seasons in Cubs history. Across his time with the Cubs, Fowler slashed .261/.367/.427 and was named an All-Star in 2016. He set the tone in the 2015 NL Wild Card game against the Pirates, going 3-for-4 with a 5th inning home run off Gerrit Cole in the Cubs’ 4-0 win.
A free agent after the 2015 season, Fowler etched himself into Cubs’ lore when he arrived at the team’s Spring Training facility in 2016 unexpectedly after signing a one-year deal to return to the team. It proved to be the right move for both sides.
Fowler hit .276 with a .393 on-base percentage, sparking the Cubs’ offense in ending their 108-year title drought. He carried that over into the playoffs, hitting a memorable lead-off home run off Corey Kluber in Game 7 of that year’s World Series. After the season, Fowler signed a multi-year contract with the Cardinals.