ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Henry Blanco announces retirement, joins Arizona Diamondbacks coaching staff

Mar 31, 2014, 10:09 PM | Updated: 10:09 pm

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Henry Blanco’s bid to earn the backup catcher job for the Arizona Diamondbacks failed, but that doesn’t mean he is out of work or his career in baseball has come to an end.

The D-backs announced Monday Blanco has retired as a player and will now join the team’s coaching staff.

The 42-year-old Blanco appeared in 971 Major League games over 16 seasons, which saw him play for 11 different teams.

He was in Arizona in 2011 and 2012, appearing in 58 games and hitting .226 with nine home runs and 19 RBI for the D-backs.

Blanco finishes his career with a .223 average along with 72 home runs and 298 RBI.

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