Another Member of the 2008 Phillies Retires
Former Phillie and World Fucking Champion J.A. Happ announced his retirement on The Heart Strong podcast.
MLB Trade Rumors transcribed some bits of the interview, and Happ, who entered this season as a free agent, had this to say:
“It got to the point where it was Opening Day, and I turned the first game on, and I talked to my wife, Morgan, and I said ’What are you feeling?’ She just kind of looked at me and said, ’A little anxiety.’ I wanted to turn it on to see what I felt, too, and I didn’t maybe feel what I needed to feel in order to think I wanted to keep doing this. I felt like that was a sign, like ’OK, it’s time to go.’ Even though I had put the work in to be ready if the right situation came, I felt like it was time to move on and be a dad and dive into the kids. … It was emotional — something I didn’t expect. I called my agent that day, right after we turned that game on, and said, ’I think this is it.’ I told the people I feel like I needed to tell. I think I’m still processing it, but I do wake up feeling good about it, and I’m happy to start the process of being a full-time dad, for the time being, at the very least.”
Happ was a Phillies third-round pick back in 2004, then debuted in the big leagues in 2007. He won a ring in 2008, pitching eight games that season and appearing once in the NLCS against the Dodgers, the game where Jamie Moyer gave up something like five runs in the first inning. It was 2009 when he was really damn good, pitching 166 innings and finishing with a 2.93 ERA, which earned him second place in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, finishing behind Chris Coghlan.
He wound up going to Houston in the Roy Oswalt deal, and that was it for his Phillies career. Happ eventually made the All-Star Game in 2018, at age 35, and finished his MLB run having played for eight different clubs. Nice arc for him. A long and fruitful career, eh?
With Happ’s retirement, I am 99% sure there are no remaining active players from the World Series team. It’s been 14 years. Cole Hamels hasn’t technically hung ’em up yet, but otherwise the youngest guys on that squad have all called it quits or never really made it beyond the next few years. Kyle Kendrick, Lou Marson, Drew Carpenter, etc.