Fort Pierce Central grad Michael Brantley announces retirement from MLB
Michael Brantley's decorated playing career in Major League Baseball has reached its conclusion.
Brantley, a Fort Pierce Central graduate and Port St. Lucie resident, announced his retirement from professional baseball on Friday via MLB.com.
"I have young kids, and now it's time to be a dad, first and foremost," Brantley told MLB.com. "It's time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up and not miss the important milestones."
Brantley, 36, played 15 seasons with the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) and Houston Astros. He was a five-time All-Star (2014, 2017-19, 2021) and won a Silver Slugger in 2014, a year he also finished as an MVP finalist. Brantley closed his career with a .298 batting average.
More: Is Michael Brantley the best baseball player from the Treasure Coast?
It's a resume that places Brantley among the best-ever baseball players from the Treasure Coast.
“He’s right up there,” South Fork High School’s veteran coach Tony Malizia, who coached against Brantley in high school, said in 2019. “Rick (Ankiel). Charles (Johnson Jr.) before that. But he has to be right up there with them.
“I don’t think we got him out for four years, to be honest with you. I remember one year in the district playoffs, back when there were eight teams, we played Central. They had three hits — all by Brantley. For four years we couldn’t get him out. He was a line-drive hitter, had good speed and great fundamentals. I would like to see how many strikeouts he had his senior year. He was a tough out. You couldn’t fool him.”
Brantley, the son of former MLB player and coach Mickey Brantley, hit better than .560 in his final two seasons of high school baseball.
He was selected in the seventh round (No. 205 overall) of the 2005 MLB draft. He gave up his commitment to Coastal Carolina and college baseball to turn pro with the selection.
After developing in the Brewers' minor league system, Brantley was traded to the Indians in 2008 as part of a deal that saw former Yankees star CC Sabathia sent to Milwaukee.
He made his major league debut late in the 2009 season and made an instant impact: Brantley hit better than .313 in his first 28 games and eventually filled in for Grady Sizemore in center field as the former All-Star dealt with an injury.
Brantley earned a spot on the opening day roster for the Indians in 2010 and soon became a fixture in the Cleveland outfield.
His year-over-year improvements culminated with a career breakthrough in 2014 as Brantley collected more than 200 hits and posted a .327 batting average with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs Brantley finished third in AL MVP voting with his first All-Star selections and Silver Slugger award as well.
It was the start of a remarkable run of consistency for Brantley. But for his lost 2016 season due to a shoulder injury, Brantley hit .299 or better in seven straight seasons (2014-15 and 2017-21).
While he missed the Indians' American League pennant in 2016, Brantley soon became a fixture in one of the MLB's most successful franchises.
He signed a two-year contract with the Houston Astors in 2018 and reached at least the ALCS in his final five seasons of pro ball. The Astros lost in the World Series in 2019 and 2021 before Brantley secured his only World Series victory in 2022.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for Treasure Coast Newspapers and The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Michael Brantley, a Fort Pierce Central grad, announces retirement
