In 2016, Dexter Fowler?became the first -- and still only -- player to hit a leadoff home run in Game 7 of the World Series.

As he rounded first base, Fowler memorably spun 180 degrees to face the jubilant visiting dugout in Cleveland. Five hours later, Fowler stood with his teammates on a rain-soaked field. The Chicago Cubs were champions for the first time in 108 years. Heavy, happy tears rolled down his cheeks.

¡°I¡¯m not even a crier,¡± Fowler recalled in a recent interview with MLB.com. ¡°You¡¯re just so happy. You¡¯re like, ¡®What just happened?¡¯

¡°Everybody was talking about the Cubs, the Cubs, if the Cubs do it. ... To this day, people come up and [say], 'Thank you.' I wake up every day, and I¡¯m like, ¡®How did God choose me to win the World Series?¡¯ Not only a World Series, but the World Series. That was the biggest World Series you could ever win. And we did it. The emotions just take over. It was overwhelming.

¡°You chase that feeling again. Toward the end of my career, I was chasing that feeling again. It wasn¡¯t about money. It was about the love of the game and chasing championships. I already had one. I wanted another one.¡±

Fowler, 36, isn¡¯t chasing a second World Series ring anymore -- at least, not as a player. He announced Tuesday morning via Instagram that he¡¯s decided to retire from a career that included a 2016 All-Star Game selection, a 2008 Olympic bronze medal and five postseason appearances over 14 years in the Major Leagues.

While Fowler is remembered widely for a World Series home run, the triple remains his trademark play; he finished with 82, the most of any Major Leaguer since his debut with the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 2, 2008.

Fowler¡¯s final Major League game was a painful one: While playing with the Angels, he was carted off the field after suffering a torn left ACL on April 9, 2021. Following season-ending surgery and rehabilitation of the knee, Fowler played briefly for the Toronto Blue Jays¡¯ Triple-A affiliate in 2022. That brought some closure. In recent weeks, Fowler provided a short list of teams to his agent, Casey Close, in the event that one expressed serious interest. When that didn¡¯t happen, Fowler¡¯s decision was clear.

Fowler is excited to spend more time with his wife, Darya Aliya Fowler, and daughters Naya and Ivy. He¡¯s proud to be a ¡°dance dad.¡± And he¡¯s content with all he achieved as a player -- for good reason.

Seven years ago, he starred in one of the great sports stories in American history.

¡°That whole year, the buzz in Chicago, the buzz even around the nation ... every game was a home game,¡± Fowler recalled. ¡°There was Cubs fans everywhere. Honestly, we were like the Beatles. We had security walking us everywhere. It was outrageous. Police escorts.

¡°Trying to recreate that ... You talk to your old teammates, even guys who are still playing, there¡¯s never going to be anything like ¡¯16. Even the guys like [John] Lackey and [Jon] Lester and Rossy [David Ross], they won in Boston. And they were like, ¡®Boston was special, but this is crazy. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡¯¡±

Fowler played center field for all 10 innings of Game 7, which meant he had a great view of the Rajai Davis home run that he¡¯d rather forget. And thanks to a pair of iconic Nikes, he¡¯ll always remember what he thought as the ball sailed over the wall in left.

¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Fowler said. ¡°I¡¯m a huge sneaker head, so I tell my Jordan rep, ¡®If we win the World Series, I want to wear the Jordan 11s.¡¯ This is the mecca. Nobody wears the 11s but MJ -- or if you win championships, you wear the 11s. He goes, ¡®If you win the World Series, you can wear the 11s anytime you want.¡¯

¡°We¡¯re winning. I¡¯m thinking, ¡®We¡¯re about to win this World Series. We¡¯ll get this ring. And then I¡¯m wearing the 11s. Let¡¯s go!¡¯¡±

Then Davis tied the game.

Uh-oh.

¡°The 11s!¡± Fowler exclaimed, laughing as he recalled his immediate reaction. ¡°I can¡¯t wear my 11s! I can¡¯t wear my Jordans. It was more than that, but that stuck in my head. I¡¯m like, ¡®I can¡¯t believe it! Rajai snatched them! We have to get them back.¡¯¡±

They did.

But years later, Fowler still playfully averts his gaze and shields his eyes when the two see each another.

¡°You were a nightmare,¡± Fowler tells Davis.

¡°But y¡¯all won!¡± Davis will reply.

¡°Yeah, but you scared me,¡± Fowler responds. ¡°That broke my heart. I wake up in the middle of the night, say, ¡®Rajai!¡¯ and go back to sleep.¡±

World Series Game 7 would be Fowler¡¯s final game as a Cub. He signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the rival St. Louis Cardinals a little more than one month later.

¡°They were super transparent with me [about] their budget,¡± Fowler said of the Cubs. ¡°I had a great talk with Theo [Epstein]. The Ricketts were great. The organization was first class. They called me and told me how thankful they were to have me, but basically I¡¯d outpriced myself -- which is not a bad thing.

¡°It¡¯s part of a chapter in your book. You turn the page and try to start something else. I got the chance to be a Redbird and play for the Cardinals for four years, then the Angels. It was sad leaving, but you turn the page and move on -- exactly like I¡¯m doing with my career.¡±

The influence of Fowler¡¯s mother, Trudy, was essential in Fowler reaching his first Major League game, let alone his 1,460th.

Fowler starred in baseball and basketball at Milton (Ga.) High School; he received basketball recruiting letters from Duke and North Carolina before ultimately committing to play baseball at the University of Miami. Those plans changed when the Rockies signed him as a 14th-round pick in the 2004 MLB Draft.

First stop: Casper, Wyo., of the Pioneer League.

Fowler remembers a long trip from Casper to the season opener in Idaho Falls. It was the middle of the summer -- and cold. Miami sounded like paradise. At one rest stop along the journey, he called Trudy and wondered aloud if he¡¯d made a mistake.

¡°She¡¯s like, ¡®Dex, just pray on it, you haven¡¯t even played a game yet,¡¯¡± he remembered. ¡°You appreciate the grind when you¡¯re out of it. When you¡¯re in it, it¡¯s like, ¡®I¡¯ve got to get through this, because I know the grass is greener on the other side.¡¯¡±

Fowler plans to stay involved in baseball through broadcasting and his role as a committee member with the Players Alliance, which is dedicated to community engagement and expanding diversity in the sport.

He¡¯s also interested in leadership roles with MLB clubs.

¡°I want to be a part-owner,¡± Fowler said. ¡°I want to have my hands on a team. I feel like I could build a great team, a great product, and put them out on the field. I¡¯ve been in the so-called trenches. I¡¯ve seen personalities. I know what works and I know what doesn¡¯t work in clubhouses. I can look at guys and know if they can play the game or not.¡±

And Darya is already on record with a prediction about her husband.

¡°She thinks my post-career is going to be bigger than my career,¡± he said. ¡°I hope she¡¯s correct.¡±