MY TOP ATHLETES WHO RETIRED IN 2018

Each year brings notable goodbyes for some all-time great athletes, and 2018 was no exception. Here's a look at the top athletes who retired during 2018.

ADRIAN BELTRE, 3B

Beltre recently announced his retirement from MLB at age 39. He will go down as one of the top hot corners in history, finishing with 3,166 hits, 477 home runs and five Gold Gloves.

KAM CHANCELLOR, S

Chancellor had a terrific career with the Seahawks but was unable to go out on his own terms due to a neck injury. Over eight NFL seasons, he made four Pro Bowls as one of the hardest-hitting defensive players in the league.

MANU GINOBILI, SG

Ginobili was one of the longtime unsung heroes of the Spurs dynasty, winning four NBA titles with the team. He made two All-Star appearances and retired averaging 13.3 points and 3.8 assists per game for his career.

MATT FORTE, RB

Forte finished off his fine 10-year NFL career with two seasons as a Jet after eight years in Chicago. He retired having made two Pro Bowls and rushing for 1,000-plus yards five times.

DWIGHT FREENEY, DE

Freeney hung on as long as he could, but the sack artist finally retired after last season. He played most of his career with the Colts but appeared with five different teams, making seven Pro Bowls and being named All-Pro three times. He ranks 18th all-time with 125.5 sacks.

DEANGELO HALL, CB

Hall had a 14-year career with Atlanta, Oakland and Washington, making three Pro Bowls. He struggled to stay healthy late in his career before calling it quits following the 2017 season with 43 career sacks.

JAMES HARRISON, OLB

Harrison just never seemed to get old, finally retiring after last season at age 39. A late bloomer, he won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 at age 30 in the midst of five straight Pro Bowls. He played with the Steelers for nearly his entire career, winning two Super Bowls.

RYAN HOWARD, 1B

Howard hadn't appeared in an MLB game since 2016 but officially announced his retirement this year. His career accolades include NL Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, three All-Star appearances and one World Series, in Philly.

KASEY KAHNE

The 38-year-old Kahne retired from racing this year. For his career, he won 18 NASCAR races and had 176 top 10 finishes.

STEPHON MARBURY, G

Marbury last appeared in the NBA in the 2008-09 before heading to China, where he truly made his mark in basketball. He retires from the game as one of the most impactful players in Chinese basketball history, with a statue and museum in his honor.

VICTOR MARTINEZ, C/1B/DH

Martinez wrapped up his career at age 39. He's unlikely to get much Hall of Fame consideration, but he was still an outstanding player during his 16-year career with five All-Star appearances and two Silver Sluggers. He also finished second in the AL MVP voting in 2014.

JOE MAUER, C/1B

Mauer remarkably remained with his hometown team of Minnesota for his entire MLB career, capping it off after the 2018 season. The former first overall draft choice in 2001 finished with one MVP, six All-Star appearances, three Batting Titles and three Gold Gloves. He's likely headed to the Hall of Fame.

DEMARCO MURRAY, RB

Murray had a brief but outstanding prime, peaking in 2014 when he led the NFL in carries (392), rushing yards (1,845), and rushing touchdowns (13) with the Cowboys. He made three Pro Bowls during his seven-year NFL career, retiring after two seasons as a Titan.

CARSON PALMER, QB

The oft-injured Palmer finally retired after playing only seven games with the Cardinals last season. He played 14 seasons with the Bengals, Raiders and Cardinals. Palmer ranks 12th all-time in passing yards (46,247) and passing touchdowns (294).

DARRELLE REVIS, CB

The best cornerback of his era, Revis gave it one more go during the second half of last season with the Chiefs before calling it quits. He was an All-Pro four times and made seven Pro Bowls, also winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots. Eight of his 11 seasons were with the Jets.

LINDSAY WHALEN, PG

Whalen officially retired after a spectacular playing career in the WNBA and internationally to take a job as the women's basketball head coach at Minnesota, her alma mater. During her WNBA career, Whalen won four championships and made five All-Star appearances. She was also the league assists leader three times.

ELLIOTT SADLER

One of the most beloved NASCAR drivers during his time racing, Sadler retired after the 2018 season. He finished his career with 13 wins and 226 top-10 finishes in NASCAR.

DANIEL SEDIN, LW

Sedin played all 17 of his NHL seasons with twin brother, Henrik, in Vancouver, making two All-Star appearances. His best season was 2010-11 when he led the league with 104 points.

HENRIK SEDIN, C

Sedin played all 17 of his NHL seasons with twin brother, Daniel, in Vancouver and made two All-Star appearances. He led the league with 112 points in 2009-10 and also was the league leader in assists for three straight seasons, from 2009-12.

PATRICK SHARP, LW

Sharp had a highly productive 15-year career with three different organizations. He won three Stanley Cups and peaked with 78 points as a Chicago Blackhawk in 2013-14.

JOE THOMAS, LT

Thomas is in the conversation as one of the greatest offensive linemen ever, making 10 straight Pro Bowls and never missing a game before he got hurt last season. The longtime Cleveland Brown was also a six-time All-Pro but had to play through his fair share of losing teams, unfortunately.

CHASE UTLEY, 2B

Utley fell short of winning his second career World Series, with the Dodgers this year, and he decided to hang up his cleats at age 39. Best remembered for his time with the Phillies, Utley had six All-Star appearances and four Silver Sluggers over 16 seasons.

DAVID WEST, F

West finished off his career in style, winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors. The 15-year veteran made two All-Star appearances during his career, averaging 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

JASON WITTEN, TE

Witten retired after his 15th season and 11th Pro Bowl in Dallas, joining the Monday Night Football broadcast booth this year. Incredibly, he missed only one game in his career, during his rookie season, and ranks fourth all time with 1,152 receptions.

DAVID WRIGHT, 3B

Wright hadn't played in a major league game since 2016 but returned for one more triumphant start for the Mets in the last weekend of the 2018 season. Plagued by injuries since 2015, Wright retired having made seven All-Star appearances and winning two Gold Gloves in New York.