Former Astros Carlos Lee Retires

Former Astros outfielder-first basemen Carlos Lee has called it a career:

According to a Google Chrome translation here's what Lee had to say about his retirement:

"It's something that was already going through my mind," said Lee about retirement program Sports Radio Frequency Panama. He added that he is very happy because "we had a very good season ... we finish our race healthy and without any major injuries. The numbers speak for themselves."

Lee finishes his career with 2273 hits, 358 home runs and a career 113 OPS+. Lee spent six of his 14 years with the Astros, another six years with the Chicago White Sox, two years with Milwaukee and less than year with Texas and Miami.

In his team playing for Houston, Lee was a polarizing figure among the Astros fan base. On November 24, 2006, he signed the biggest contract in Astros franchise history inking a six year $100 million dollar deal. He produced well enough as a player for the Astros posting a 117 OPS+, which is the highest in his career among teams that he spent a full season with. The issue, though, was that his contract handcuffed a team that had aging players and a decimated farm system, which, coincidentally enough, was partly due to the Astros losing their first round pick in the 2007 draft because he was considered a type A free agent under the old CBA.

If you put the contract aside Lee was a very good offensive player for the club. He's top 10 in Astros history in: batting average (.286); slugging percentage (.479); on-base plus slugging (.817); hits in a season (190, 2007); home runs (133); runs batted in (533); among others. Unfortunately, he'll probably be more remembered for running into short stops, food and jogging down the first base line.

Hopefully, some will remember him for plays like this: