TAMPA — The pride of Toms River is calling it a career.
Todd Frazier, a two-time All-Star third baseman whose 11-year MLB career included stints with the Yankees and Mets, announced Tuesday he is retiring from the game at the age of 36.
“It’s been my love my whole life,” Frazier said Monday in a phone interview. “It’s very hard to let go. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. But where I’m at in my career and where I’m at in my life, I think it was the right decision. I think it’s time to be that family figure that I’ve always wanted to be.”
Frazier is looking forward to spending more time with his family— his wife Jackie, son Blake (8), daughter Kylie (6) and son Grant (3) — and coaching Blake in baseball, flag football and basketball.
After beginning his baseball career by leading Toms River East American to a Little League World Series championship in 1998, Frazier’s last stand came in the Summer Olympics in 2021, when he helped Team USA win a silver medal in Tokyo.
During that Olympic run, Frazier began thinking more about retirement and talking to his wife about it. After going back and forth the last couple months, he finally came to grips with his decision.
“I wanted to go out on a high note,” said Frazier, who thanked his family, friends, teammates and coaches for their help along the way.
The Reds’ first-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2007, Frazier finished his career having played 1,244 games while batting .241 with a .763 OPS and 218 home runs. After five seasons with the Reds, Frazier also spent time with the White Sox, Rangers and Pirates, along with the Yankees and Mets.
Among his favorite moments of his career were winning the 2015 Home Run Derby on his home field at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, hitting a three-run home run in The Bronx in Game 3 of the 2017 ALCS against the Astros, and drilling a game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth inning against the Nationals to lift the Mets to their 14th win in 15 games during August 2019.
The White Sox traded Frazier to the Yankees in July 2017, and in the following offseason, he signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Mets, putting him in select company as someone who played on both sides of the Subway Series.
“[It meant] everything, to be honest,” Frazier said. “When I got traded to the Yankees, I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is unbelievable.’ … The next year, getting picked up in free agency by the Mets. Every time I go to my batting cage, I look at those two jerseys and it’s really cool.
“I know a bunch of people have done it, but being from Jersey, some of your friends hate you at the time, then they love you because you’re with the Mets. So it made for good banter. It was awesome. I wish I could have stopped time during those years.”
Frazier wouldn’t rule out a return to the game in some capacity at a later date, but for now, he is moving on to life after baseball.
“I hope I was the guy that brought energy, emotion, that had a lot of fun, but also, when we’re on the field, it’s game time,” Frazier said. “I hope I brought some joy to the fans I played for because that’s all I wanted to do.
“I wanted that kid that came to a game for the first time … and looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I want to be like that guy when I grow up because he plays the game the right way, he’s happy, he’s smiling and he’s a guy that loves and cherishes every moment and every minute on the field.’ ”
