Tony Kemp, who spent nine seasons as a spark plug in places like Houston and Oakland, retires

By: The Associated Press Posted: 2:02 PM CDT Thursday, May. 15, 2025

Tony Kemp is calling it a career.

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Tony Kemp is calling it a career.

The veteran utility player announced his retirement on social media Thursday after nine seasons in the majors.

The 5-foot-6 Kemp hit .237 with 35 home runs and 184 RBIs in 739 games for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles.

FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Tony Kemp bunts during a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

Kemp broke in with the Astros in 2016, three years after the club selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Vanderbilt. He became a regular by 2018.

Kemp moved from Houston to Chicago at the trade deadline in 2019, then signed with Oakland before the 2020 season. He enjoyed his best season in 2021, hitting a career-best .279 in 131 games and became a fan favorite in part because of his size, something he acknowledged in his retirement announcement.

“To the undersized ballplayer: I see you, I hear you, and I understand you,” Kemp wrote. “With all of the metrics and data in the game of baseball today, there is still one measurement they can’t compute: your heart. Continue to play the game the right way and respect it. The game will reward you, I promise.”

Kemp signed with three different teams in 2024, including twice with Cincinnati. He made a handful of appearances with the Orioles last spring before being released. Kemp spent time in the minors with Minnesota and the Reds last summer but didn’t return to the big leagues.

“Perspective is all we have in life,” Kemp wrote. “So if I could go back in time and tell my 12-year-old self I would accomplish: a World Series ring, a 4x Roberto Clemente Nominee and to be the shortest designated hitter in postseason history, I would simply say, ‘Where do I sign up?’”