SB Nation Kansas City - Citing Injury Problems, Royals Pitcher Gil Meche Retires From Baseballhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2011-01-19T08:08:05-06:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17062332011-01-19T08:08:05-06:002011-01-19T08:08:05-06:00Gil Meche Retirement Reactions Include Lots Of Contract Talk
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<p>Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche announced his retirement on Tuesday surprising much of the baseball world. Meche was due over $12 million in the final year of his contract and unremarkably he won't be seeking an injury settlement from the Royals.</p>
<p>instead, he just won't take it. Here's what folks are saying about it:</p>
<p> Gil Meche, via <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/18/2593700/money-meche-have-been-linked-throughout.html">Sam Mellinger, KC Star</a>: <i>"People might think I'm freaking crazy for not trying to play making this amount of money," he says. "But I don't think I'm ever going to regret it."</i></p>
<p>Meche isn't taking his remaining salary that's rightfully due to him. Royals GM Dayton Moore says he hasn't seen anything like it because, well, who gives up $12.4 million?</p>
<p><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/01/gil-meche-retires-royals-never-got-to-trade-him/1">Via USA Today</a>: <i>Moore was listing the return in prospects he had received for trading veterans that he had added over the past couple of years -- Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Alberto Callaspo -- and said, "... Gil Meche could have been one of those guys if he hadn't gotten hurt."</i></p>
<p>Indeed he may have been. Meche was injured in spring training and never really got back into it making just nine starts on the year as he moved to the bullpen. </p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/6810/meches-retirement-benefits-royals">Via Rob Neyer, ESPN.com</a>: <i>Until today, Meche was the highest-paid Royal. By a LOT. He was slated to earn $12 million in 2011; next on the list is <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28688">Joakim Soria</a>, at $4 million. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3401">Jason Kendall</a> ($3.75 million) and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6345">Jeff Francoeur</a> ($2.5 million) are the only other Royals making more than $2 million in 2011. </i></p>
<p>Those numbers are incredible but don't get your hopes up about more talent coming in with the Royals newfound wealth. Moore indicated at the press conference that there's not much more out there that's better than what they've got.</p>
<p><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Retiring-Gil-Meche-puts-a-price-tag-on-his-pride?urn=mlb-309149">Via Yahoo! Sports</a>: <i>Considering that Meche has already banked more than $50 million in his career, there's no doubt that the cynics are yawning and saying "big deal." But how often do we complain about an athlete picking up a paycheck when he's not earning it?</i></p>
<p>Agreed in that we complain about guys getting paid too much all the time. For all the folks that killed Meche last year making a big salary while on the DL, I hope you're just as loud commending this move. </p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2011/1/19/1943841/gil-meche-retirement-contractJoel Thorman2011-01-18T12:08:09-06:002011-01-18T12:08:09-06:00Gil Meche Retires: Royals Pitcher Cites Shoulder Injury Concerns
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<p>Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche announced on Tuesday he is<a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2011/1/18/1942192/gil-meche-retires-kansas-city-royals"> retiring from Major League Baseball.</a> Meche was signed to the Royals on a five-year, $55 million contract, which tied for the largest in franchise history, before the 2007 season.</p>
<p>Meche's 2010 season was derailed by injuries as he started the season on the disabled list and was able to only make nine starts. In announcing his retirement, <a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/01/gil-meche-announces-retirement.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Meche cited injury concerns </a>with his shoulder.</p>
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"As a competitor my entire life this is the hardest decision that I've ever faced, but it's not fair to me, my family or the Kansas City Royals that I attempt to pitch anymore," Meche explained. "I came into this game as a starting pitcher and unfortunately my health, more accurately, my shoulder, has deteriorated to the point where surgery would be the only option and at this stage of my life I would prefer to call it a career rather than to attempt to pitch in relief for the final year of my contract."</p>
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<p>The news of him retiring is a surprise considering it's January but the reasons given are not. Meche has had a long injury history which included missing the 2001 and 2002 seasons. </p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.royalsreview.com" target="_blank">Royals Review</a> for more on the news. </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2011/1/18/1942217/gil-meche-retires-royals-pitcher-shoulder-injuryJoel Thorman2011-01-18T12:05:00-06:002011-01-18T12:05:00-06:00Gil Meche Retires From The Kansas City Royals
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<p><a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Royals</a> pitcher <span>Gil Meche</span> <a href="http://www.royalsreview.com/2011/1/18/1942171/breaking-news-royals-pitcher-gil-meche-to-retire">announced on Tuesday</a> he is retiring from Major League Baseball. Meche was locked into a five year deal signed in December of 2006 that was set to pay him $12 million in 2011.</p>
<p>There were no reasons given for Meche's exit from the game (at least not yet) but he has had considerable injuries in recent years. Meche was not the opening day starter in 2010 for the first time in Royals career because he suffered a spring training injury setback.</p>
<p>Meche spent quite a bit of time on the disabled list in 2010 ending with just nine starts. He was 0-4 with a 6.66 ERA in those games. </p>
<p>The Royals have confirmed Meche's retirement.</p>
<p>Meche started with the Seattle Mariners in 1999 and injuries cut out his 2001 and 2002 seasons. He made an impressive comeback in 2003 before the Royals signed him for the 2007 season. His $55 million contract tied Mike Sweeney as the largest in franchise history.</p>
<p>Check out<a target="_blank" href="http://www.royalsreview.com"> Royals Review</a> for more on the news.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2011/1/18/2328254/gil-meche-retires-from-the-kansas-city-royalsJoel Thorman