Langston Calls It Quits

(AP) 
When he came out of Sunday's game, Mark Langston asked Cleveland teammate Chuck Finley, a longtime friend, for his car keys.

"I had left my cell phone in Chuck's car," Langston said, "and he knew exactly why I wanted the phone."

After 16 seasons in the major leagues, Langston decided to call it a career.

The four-time All-Star allowed four runs in the seventh inning of Cleveland's 10-0 loss to Kansas City, giving up a three-run homer to Mike Sweeney.

Langston called his wife, Michelle, to tell her he was retiring. She had been listening to the game on the Internet, and she knew what was coming.

"It's a relief from the standpoint I know I gave it my all, but the sadness is leaving what you love," said Langston, who allowed 12 earned runs in nine innings during six appearances this spring.

"I love going out and competing. Physically, I feel good. I pushed it all the way to the end. It just didn't work out between the white lines."

Langston, a seven-time Gold Glove, finished with a 179-158 career record and 3.97 ERA in 16 seasons with Seattle, Montreal, California/Anaheim, San Diego and Cleveland.

"Mark has done everything we've ever asked him to do," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's never complained. He's always been one of those guys you pull for."

Langston was signed by the Indians last year after San Diego waived him at the end of spring training. He was 1-2, 5.25 in 25 appearances with Cleveland.

He ranks seventh among left-handers with 2,464 career strikeouts after leading the American League three times in his first four seasons.

In 1984, Langston became only the fourth rookie to lead the AL in strikeouts (204) and was runner-up to teammate Alvin Davis in AL Rookie of the Year voting,

His only World Series appearance came in 1998 with the Padres. A disputed 2-2 pitch to Tino Martinez of the New York Yankees in the seventh inning of Game 1 was ruled a ball by plate umpire Rich Garcia. Martinez hit the next pitch for a grand slam, and the Yankees went on to a four-game sweep.

"There's no question being able to be in a World Series was the high point for me," Langston said. "I've always loved the team aspect of the game. I've always tried to put the team first."

Langston worked 200 or more innings 10 times and won 15 or more games six times. Seattle traded Langston to Montreal in 1989 as part of the eal that brought Randy Johnson to the Mariners.

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