WASHINGTON -- Sean Doolittle has retired from baseball, but his imprint on the Nationals¡¯ organization and Washington, D.C., goes far beyond his announcement on Friday morning.

At a press conference at Nationals Park with family, front office, coaching staff and teammates in attendance, the lefty reliever sat in front of a screen that read ¡°Thank You Dooooooooo¡± and reflected on his 11 years in the Major Leagues.

¡°The gratitude outweighs the sadness,¡± Doolittle, 36, said prior to the Nationals¡¯ 9-6 defeat to the Braves. ¡°I¡¯m kind of at a loss for words because everything just keeps coming back to how appreciative I am of all the opportunities that I¡¯ve had in my career.¡±

Doolittle retired with a big league record of 26-24 with a 3.20 ERA, 112 saves and 218 games finished in 450 2/3 innings across 463 appearances with the Athletics, Nationals, Reds and Mariners.

Doolittle worked his way back from a left elbow injury on a Minor League deal with the Nats but sustained a partial tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee in late June. He had experienced tendinitis in the same knee for ¡°quite a while,¡± and he learned ¡°it already was too torn up for the cleanup surgery.¡± Doolittle worked daily with a mental skills coach and attempted to pitch as deep into the season as he could.?

¡°When I got the news about my knee, I knew what it meant for me,¡± said Doolittle, who had a brace on his right leg. ¡°I put everything that I had into the rehab processes over the last two years to try to pitch again here at Nats Park. I did everything I could. And I think that¡¯s why today, for me, this is a happy day -- I don¡¯t have any regrets. I did everything that I could, and I enjoyed it.¡±

Doolittle¡¯s career began as a 2007 first-round Draft pick by the Athletics as a first baseman. He debuted in 2012 and played six seasons for the A¡¯s before being traded to the Nats in 2017 with Ryan Madson for Jes¨²s Luzardo, Sheldon Neuse and Blake Treinen. At the time, Doolittle was nervous if he would be accepted by Nationals fans the same way he was in Oakland, but he quickly became a fan favorite in D.C.?

¡°When we traded for Sean in 2017, we knew we were getting a tremendous reliever and an even better human, and his tenure with the Nationals proved that to be correct,¡± president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said. ¡°A World [Series] champion, All-Star and leader in the clubhouse, Sean set an example of what it means to be a pillar of the community. He was as fierce as they come on the mound and took the ball whenever he was called upon.¡±

In his five seasons with the Nationals, Doolittle was a key member of the 2019 World Series team and became a staple in the D.C. community. His baseball accolades during his tenure in Washington included his second All-Star selection in 2018 and an NL-best 55 games finished in ¡®19. He allowed just two runs across 10 1/3 innings in the 2019 postseason, including saves in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series.

¡°He took the ball when I needed him,¡± said manager Dave Martinez. ¡°... He was the guy we counted on to get big outs for us. I can remember a lot of times asking him if he could get five outs, and he would just look at me and say, ¡®I¡¯ll get as many outs as you need to win the game.¡¯ He was that guy. He was amazing, he was amazing. The days he didn¡¯t pitch, [he was] cheering for his teammates, helping his teammates, helping the bullpen. He was incredible.¡±

Doolittle pitched for the Reds and Mariners in 2021, before rejoining the Nationals in ¡®22. He underwent an internal brace procedure on his left elbow last July, and he signed a Minor League deal with Washington in early November with hopes of returning this year.

¡°On behalf of my family and the entire Washington Nationals organization, I¡¯d like to congratulate Sean on a fantastic career and thank him for all that he¡¯s done for our city and our franchise,¡± Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner said. ¡°An All-Star and a World Series champion, he was not only a fierce competitor but is one of the finest people you¡¯ll ever meet.?

¡°Sean and his wife, Eireann, are great examples of individuals who have used their platform and place in life to advocate for others, and I have no doubt that their impact will continue long beyond Sean¡¯s playing career. We are so happy that they¡¯ve made Washington, D.C., their home, and we hope to see them around the ballpark frequently.¡±

For his involvement in the community, Doolittle was named a 2020 Roberto Clemente Award nominee. He also became a Washington, D.C., resident and was named a 2022 Washingtonian of the Year.?Doolittle plans to stay in D.C. -- ¡°You¡¯re stuck with us,¡± he laughed -- while considering his next plans.?

¡°I might be done playing baseball, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m done with baseball,¡± Doolittle said. ¡°I have a ton of passion and energy left for baseball. ¡­ I get a ton of fulfillment working with other guys and trying to help the young guys the way that guys helped me when I was coming up in the league. ¡­ Even though I don¡¯t know exactly what it would look like as far as a specific role, I would love to give back to the game.?

¡°The game did so much for me.¡±