One of the best pitchers of his era has announced his retirement — and he has Alabama ties. Corey Kluber, a native of Birmingham, will retire from baseball after a 13-year career.

Kluber made the announcement Feb. 9.

Corey Kluber ends 13-year career

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Corey Kluber was born in Birmingham, but spent his adolescent and teenage years in Texas. His baseball career included a stellar college career at Stetson University in Florida (where he was named Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2007) before he was drafted by the San Diego Padres.

Kluber was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2010 after spending three seasons in the Padres minor league system.

During his career, he pitched for the Indians, Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Red Sox. Some of his career highlights include:

2-time American League Cy Young Award winner (2014, 2017)
3-time All-Star
2-time AL wins leader
Pitched no-hitter for Yankees on May 19, 2021
Compiled a 116-77 record with a 3.44 ERA and 1,725 strikeouts
Won 2 games in the 2016 World Series

One of an elite group of Alabama-born pitchers

Kluber is in elite company, actually. While Alabama has a rich baseball history that includes numerous members of the Hall of Fame, only three Alabama-born pitchers have taken home the coveted Cy Young Award — given annually to the best pitcher in baseball.

Kluber joins Mobile native Jake Peavy and Hartford, Ala., native Early Wynn as Alabama-born Cy Young winners. And Kluber is the only pitcher from this state to win the award twice.

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