Giants’ Cain to call it a career.
Longest-tenured Giant tells team he’s retiring after the season — his final start is on Saturday
Matt Cain will ride into the sunset on Saturday.
The Giants’ respected righthander and longest tenured player held an emotional team meeting prior to Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Arizona to inform teammates that he intends to retire after the season.
While leaving the door cracked “in case something crazy happens,” Cain said he would not pursue continuing his career with another organization and he expressed pride at seeing the Giants through their most accomplished slice in the franchise’s West
Coast history.
“I think this weekend will definitely be my last time putting on a major league uniform, and I can’t see myself going anywhere else to play with another team,” said Cain, clinging to stoicism even as his voice broke with emotion. “This orga-
“I think this weekend will definitely be my last time putting on a major league uniform, and I can’t see myself going anywhere else to play with another team.” – Giants pitcher Matt Cain
nization has meant so much to me, it’s meant so much to my family, and it’s something that’s dear to my heart. I’m just grateful it’s been a part of my life and I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed it so much.”
Cain is scheduled to make a final start Saturday against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park. His announcement gives the Giants the green light to turn the day into a love fest for a pitcher who was a key part of two World Series-winning teams, threw the only perfect game in the franchise’s 135 years of existence, started an All-Star game for the National League and started more games in the club’s San Francisco era than anyone with the exception of Hall of Famer Juan Marichal.
Cain will turn 33 on Sunday. It’s a young age to retire, even for a pitcher with so much mileage on his right arm. But he said over the past few days, he came to the conclusion that stepping away now is the right decision for himself and his family.
“I just felt like it was on my heart,” Cain said. “I felt it was in my mind. The way my body felt, it was the right time. I want to be able to enjoy this last weekend and have fun with it.”
Cain will end a tenure here in which only Marichal and Gaylord Perry have thrown more innings and only Marichal and Tim Lincecum have struck out more batters in the franchise’s 60-year history in San Francisco.
It is a tenure that covered the most eventful and successful period in franchise history — from signing as a high school senior in 2002, the year the Giants won the pennant, to breaking in under manager Felipe Alou in 2005, to being in the big leagues at a young age to see Barry Bonds break the all-time home run record in 2007 and finally to pour out a large volume of the pitching foundation that led the franchise out of the post-Bonds downturn and into three World Series parades.
Cain delivered the news to his teammates, many of whom already knew, in a brief meeting.
“It’s not easy to do, get in front of the team and pour your heart out,” said Buster Posey, who intends to catch Cain on Saturday. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Manager Bruce Bochy called Cain “a forever Giant.”
“I can’t thank him enough for all he has done,” Bochy said. “He’s been great this year. He was moved around (in the rotation) and pitched in the bullpen and he never came into this office one time to complain. That’s something I’ll never forget.”
Cain hasn’t been the same since elbow surgery in 2014 to remove bone spurs, and he is 3-11 with a 5.66 ERA in 26 games (22 starts) this season while limping to the end of the $112.5 million extension he signed after the 2012 season. The Giants plan to give him a $7.5 million buyout and decline a $21 million option for next season.
His value and deeds are not properly represented by his 104-118 career record — a byproduct of pitching for chronically malnourished offensive teams early in his career.
The Giants weren’t able to properly celebrate Tim Lincecum’s departure. They’ll be able to throw all the roses at the Horse.
“It does give me a little more freedom to go out there Saturday and enjoy the moment,” said Cain, who doffed his hat when the Diamondbacks showed him on the Chase Field scoreboard Wednesday. “The last few days it’s been on my mind and I just had to feel comfortable doing it. After really thinking about it and taking my time with it, I felt this was really the best thing for myself and the team and even the fans. It works out the right way.”
• The Giants finished the road portion of their season just as they began it: with a blown save and a trudge back to the dugout at Chase Field.
Sam Dyson couldn’t hold a two-run lead in a ninth inning that included another home run from J.D. Martinez, a pair of singles, an intentional walk and then an unintentional one to David Peralta that forced home the winning run in a 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.