The Atlanta Braves have seen several players come and go in the NL East in recent years, and one veteran who played for two of the team's bigger rivals in the division has decided to call it a career.
After spending time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, among other teams, two-time All-Star Josh Harrison has announced his retirement from the game of baseball.
While he was never the main focus of the scouting report when his teams visited Atlanta, the do-it-all veteran appeared in 50 games against the Braves during his career, so he knows this team and its fan base as well as any opponent.
Former Phillies and Nats Utility Player Josh Harrison Retiring From MLB
Versatility was Harrison's strong suit and the fact that he was plugged into the lineup at, essentially, every position but catcher during his 13-year career backs that fact up. Over his entire MLB tenure, Harrison owned a batting average of .270 and concluded his time in MLB with 1,080 total hits, 500 runs, 388 RBIs, and 73 home runs.
Against the Braves, however, Harrison did not fare as well as he did against the rest of the league. Atlanta made things more difficult on the veteran utility player in the 50 career matchups he had against the franchise, as Harrison was held to a .240 batting average, 40 hits, seven RBIs, and 15 runs scored, per StatMuse.
While he was never cheered by the Braves faithful during any of his trips to Atlanta, Harrison should be celebrated for the way he approached the game and conducted himself on and off the field. As a winner of the Hustle and Heart award, he was recognized for embodying the "values, spirits, and traditions of baseball."
Given that Braves fans are among the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in all of baseball, they can appreciate the way Harrison played the game as much as anyone.