Former Pirates fan favorite announces retirement with emotional and joyous message

One of the remaining players from the Pirates' 2013 playoff roster has officially announced his retirement. Through a long, emotional message via his X account,Josh Harrison concluded his career after 13 major league seasons, including eight in Pittsburgh.

The fan favorite utility man was one of the main pieces of the Pirates' playoff run in 2013 and contributed to their appearances in the NL Wild Card in 2014 and 2015, too. Fans loved the way he played the game, always bringing positive energy in the dugout and a solid bat.

Even though he finished his career with a slightly below-average wRC+ of 95, he brought a handful of solid seasons to the Pirates, including an excellent 2014 where he accounted for a 4.8 fWAR with a 137 wRC+ and .837 OPS. That was a career best-season for Harrison, and he scattered seasons that fell both below and above average around it.

Ultimately, his career was highlighted by two All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2017, both during his time in Pittsburgh.

Pirates' fan favorite Josh Harrison announces his retirement from baseball.

Interestingly enough, Harrison retired today on May 31, the anniversary of his MLB debut from 2011. In his message on X, Harrison thanked everyone for helping him along the way. That goes to his family, teammates, coaches, and everyone that gave him a chance. Harrison concluded his message with joyous note to baseball itself.

"Finally, to the game of baseball, thank you for helping shape me, humble me, and give me a platform to grow, not just as a player, but a man. I'm blessed to have been a 2X All-Star and to play for as long as I did, but I never sought to prove people wrong, only to prove myself right in my beliefs. with that being said, future players don't let other people's expectations of you limit you from reaching your full potential. Put in the work and go get what you deserve."

Harrison was a big piece to saving the Pirates organization from a long playoff drought from the 1990s to mid-2010s. He will always be remembered by the fanbase as a favorite player to watch on the field. He made electric plays look routine, such as escaping run downs, avoiding tags in his slides, and even ridiculous diving snags. At his peak, Harrison was a player you couldn't take your eyes off of. Thanks for all the memories in Pittsburgh, J-Hay!