One-time All-Star pitcher J.A. Happ announces retirement

Former MLB All-Star pitcher J.A. Happ has officially called it a career.

In an appearance on “The Heart Strong Podcast” with Jessica Lindberg this week, Happ said he spent “pretty much the whole winter” pondering whether he wanted to play in 2022. He said he watched Opening Day on TV to see what both he and his wife felt. Both felt “anxiety,” which he took as a sign that it was time to retire.

“Even though I had put the work in to be ready if the right situation came, I felt like it was time to move on and be a dad and dive into the kids,” Happ said, via Steve Adams of MLBTradeRumors.com. “It was emotional, something I didn’t expect. I called my agent that day, right after we turned that game on, and said, ‘I think this is it.’ I told the people I feel like I needed to tell. I think I’m still processing it, but I do wake up feeling good about it, and I’m happy to start the process of being a full-time dad, for the time being, at the very least.”

Happ, 39, played for eight different teams across 15 MLB seasons. The left-hander finishes with a career record of 133-100 and an ERA of 4.13. He was named an All-Star in 2018, when he spent time with both the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.

Happ began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He won a World Series with the team in 2008, the year before he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.