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So Long: Hit King Suarez steps aside after 24 seasons
PORTLAND, ME — Steve Suarez, who began his Brewers League career when Dukes reigned and Furry Pigs roamed, announced the end of his 24-year playing career this afternoon.
He captured the all-time hits record earlier this year, but he had long ago won the hearts and minds of Maine Guides fans, in front of whom he played his entire career.
Drafted 13th overall in 1997, Suarez embarked on a career with the Guides that earned him enough hardware to open his own shop. His 15 Defense With Integrity Awards rank far and away the most in league history.
Suarez led the storied franchise to two championships during his tenure with the club. Among a long career with many highlights, the run to the 2006 title, in which he hit .325 with eight home runs in 18 postseason games, shines particularly brightly even now.
Suarez’s 2012 campaign, in which he batted .306 and smashed a career-high 34 of his 411 home runs while competing for the Stout Slugger and settling for another DWI, stands out as another high point.
His 24 seasons in the BLB cover more than half the league’s 47 years since its reformation. He stared down Playboys, ran with the Bulls, wrestled with Snappers, and played baseball games in Cleveland.
He shared the Old Port Park clubhouse with many teammates, including —briefly — Hall of Fame catcher Kyoden Kubota, who made his own BLB debut back in 1983.
On a club with players called Voodoo, Twinkle Toes, and Old Nick, Suarez became more known for his steadiness and commitment to winning than for any flash or pomp. He led by example, pushing the team forward without rubbing anyone the wrong way.
His work ethic kept him here this long, even after recurring injuries threatened to push him out of the game.
When Suarez’s 2015 season ended with injuries limiting him to fewer than 55 games for the second consecutive year, some people speculated the then-36 year old might have played his last game.
That was one thousand, fifty-six hits ago.
So perhaps it was inevitable that Steve Suarez would leave on his own terms, as he did today.
Even when the end came, in the 2024 regular season’s final five games in October, he hit .438 with a home run.
No baseball player defeats Father Time, but Steve Suarez maybe played him to a draw.
PORTLAND, ME — Steve Suarez, who began his Brewers League career when Dukes reigned and Furry Pigs roamed, announced the end of his 24-year playing career this afternoon.
He captured the all-time hits record earlier this year, but he had long ago won the hearts and minds of Maine Guides fans, in front of whom he played his entire career.
Drafted 13th overall in 1997, Suarez embarked on a career with the Guides that earned him enough hardware to open his own shop. His 15 Defense With Integrity Awards rank far and away the most in league history.
Suarez led the storied franchise to two championships during his tenure with the club. Among a long career with many highlights, the run to the 2006 title, in which he hit .325 with eight home runs in 18 postseason games, shines particularly brightly even now.
Suarez’s 2012 campaign, in which he batted .306 and smashed a career-high 34 of his 411 home runs while competing for the Stout Slugger and settling for another DWI, stands out as another high point.
His 24 seasons in the BLB cover more than half the league’s 47 years since its reformation. He stared down Playboys, ran with the Bulls, wrestled with Snappers, and played baseball games in Cleveland.
He shared the Old Port Park clubhouse with many teammates, including —briefly — Hall of Fame catcher Kyoden Kubota, who made his own BLB debut back in 1983.
On a club with players called Voodoo, Twinkle Toes, and Old Nick, Suarez became more known for his steadiness and commitment to winning than for any flash or pomp. He led by example, pushing the team forward without rubbing anyone the wrong way.
His work ethic kept him here this long, even after recurring injuries threatened to push him out of the game.
When Suarez’s 2015 season ended with injuries limiting him to fewer than 55 games for the second consecutive year, some people speculated the then-36 year old might have played his last game.
That was one thousand, fifty-six hits ago.
So perhaps it was inevitable that Steve Suarez would leave on his own terms, as he did today.
Even when the end came, in the 2024 regular season’s final five games in October, he hit .438 with a home run.
No baseball player defeats Father Time, but Steve Suarez maybe played him to a draw.
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