Braves fan favorite reveals final straw that forced him into retirement

Former Atlanta Braves utilityman turned relief pitcher Charlie Culberson has retired from baseball, he announced on his instagram page Thursday. Culberson is famous for his Dansby Swanson looks and providing a stabilizing force in the Atlanta clubhouse. Culberson's career stat line does not suggest he made much of an on-field impact, but his value to the Braves as a whole cannot be measured in hits, home runs, batting average or RBIs.

Nonetheless, eventually the Braves could no longer justify keeping Culberson on the active roster given his mediocre plate presence. This forced the 35-year-old to take a long look in the mirror, and alter his approach altogether. Culberson made a late-career position change, pitching for the Braves in spring training and eventually Gwinnett.

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Former Braves player Charlie Culberson retires from baseball with no regrets

As inspiring as Culberson's attempt to stay major-league relevant was, reality eventually gave way, forcing Atlanta to cut him loose. This is when Culberson knew his career was nearing its conclusion.

“Once I made that switch to (pitching) and then the Braves were like, ‘Hey it’s not gonna work out,’ I told myself, ‘I’m done working out and trying to continue to play,’” Culberson said, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And I was fine with it. It took a little while to get over the fact of, I guess people not believing in me as a player anymore. But after a while, that kind of fades away and I realized that I’m where I need to be. Looking back on my career, it was like, ‘Hey, I tried my best, so I’m good with it.’”

To be fair to the Braves, they never made Culberson any promises. As recently as March, Brian Snitker made it clear that Culberson wouldn't get any special treatment.

“We’ll see where it takes him,” Snitker said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He likes to play baseball, whatever position. We wish him the best. Charlie has been a big part of this, had success here. He’s just a wonderful guy. If he wants to do that, I’m happy he’s getting the opportunity.”

Unfortunately for Culberson, it didn't take him far. The 11-year MLB veteran hasn't played in the majors this season, and appeared in just one game in 2023. It's been a long time since he received regular playing time, and as inspiring as his late-career change was, his chances of making the MLB roster as a pitcher were always slim.

Now, Culberson has made that failed venture official.