Pat Burrell To Retire As a Phillie

The Phillies issued a press release today announcing that former Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell will sign a one-day contract and will retire as a member of the team during a ceremony at Citizens Bank Park on May 19th.

Burrell, the first overall draft pick in 1998, sits fourth all-time on the franchise's home run leader board with 251 (trailing only Mike Schmidt, Ryan Howard, and Del Ennis), and ninth in extra base hits with 519. Burrell's last official moment in a Phillies uniform was likely his most memorable, slamming a double off the left field wall in the seventh inning of Game Five of the 2008 World Series; Eric Bruntlett, who pinch-ran for the plodding left fielder, would go on to score what would eventually be the championship-winning run.

Burrell spent parts of the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants, helping the Giants reach the World Series in 2010.