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Former Phillies' 1B Ryan Howard Announces Retirement

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has announced he's officially retiring from baseball.

Howard made the announcement Tuesday morning in a letter for The Player's Tribune, titled "Thank you, Philadelphia."

"Thank you to the crazy game that I'll miss, and the crazy city that I love. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the most passionate group of fans in the world," wrote Howard. "Y'all took a chance on this big, quiet kid from St. Louis — and for that I'll always be grateful."

The former National League MVP played 13 seasons for the Phillies, racking up 382 home runs and 1,194 RBI, and was part of the 2008 World Series championship team.

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