Jeff Francis, the left-hander with the smooth delivery and pitching smarts who played a central role in the Rockies' greatest season, is retiring from baseball.
"It was time," Francis said Tuesday from his home in London, Ontario. "I didn't think it would be a big deal when I told people at the end of the season that I was probably done. But it's kind of hitting me now. I'm getting a lot of phone calls."
Francis, 34, went 72-82 with a 4.97 ERA over 11 seasons with six teams. He finished his career with 14 relief appearances this past season for Toronto, going 1-2 with a 6.