Gwinnett County

Charlie Blackmon, MLB star from Gwinnett County, retiring after 14 seasons

DENVER, Colo. — A MLB star from Gwinnett County and Georgia Tech is calling it a career after 14 seasons.

Charlie Blackmon, who spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, announced his retirement on Monday.

“As a kid, you play the game because you love it, like nothing else matters. I still play the game that way, but I don’t feel like a kid anymore. My perspective has changed,” Blackmon wrote. “I have been blessed to call the city of Denver and The Colorado Rockies my baseball home for the entirety of my career. I am grateful for the support of this organization, my teammates, and most of all Rockies fans. It is with a thankful heart and a career’s worth of memories that I choose a new path.”

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Blackmon attended North Gwinnett High School before going to Young Harris College in north Georgia. After two years at Young Harris, Blackmon transferred to Georgia Tech.

The Rockies selected Blackmon in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on June 6, 2011.

The 38-year-old made the All-Star team four times over the course of his 14 seasons in the MLB. He won the Silver Slugger in 2016 and 2017.

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