Former major league very first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf has actually signed up with the University of Nebraska Omaha baseball program as an assistant coach, the school revealed Wednesday. There’s been no official statement of retirement for the 38-year-old Ruf, however this definitely appears to suggest he’s turning the page on his playing days and moving onto the next stage of his baseball journey.

“We are thrilled to have Darin join our baseball family,” Mavericks head coach Evan Porter stated in a declaration within today’s statement. “Darin’s incredible track record speaks for itself, but his character and work ethic are perhaps more impressive. I’ve been fortunate to know Darin for the past 20 years, his respect for the game and for the people around him is admirable. I couldn’t be more excited to work with Darin, he is a tremendous addition to our program.”

A 20th-round select of Omaha’s Creighton University back in 2009, Ruf reached the majors with the Phillies in 2012 and went on to take pleasure in a nine-year profession in the big leagues in addition to an outstanding three-year run with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (2017-19).

Ruf’s launching project with the Phils was short however revealed clear capacity for a significant major league profession. He appeared in 12 video games as a September call-up and popped 3 homers while batting .333/.351/.727 in 37 journeys to the plate. The following season saw Ruf tally 293 plate looks while striking .247/.348/.458 with 14 round-trippers. He’d eventually invest parts of 5 seasons with the Phillies, from 2012-16, batting a combined .240/.314/.433 while acting as a part-time very first baseman and corner outfielder who might offer some right-handed thump off the bench.

From there, Ruf’s next stop was overseas. He not just discovered success with the KBO’s Lions — he took the whole league by storm. Ruf smacked 38 homers in his very first Korean season and end up publishing a huge .313/.404/.564 batting line in 1756 plate looks as a Lion. He belted 86 homers, 105 doubles and 6 triples throughout his run in the KBO, with total offense about 45% much better than league-average, by procedure of wRC+.

Ruf returned stateside for the 2020 season, taking a minors handle the Giants that showed to be an exceptional offer for San Francisco. He broke the Giants’ opening day lineup in the reduced 2020 project, his age-33 season, and in 100 plate looks kipped down a .276/.370./517 slash that made him a simple call to keep for the Giants to tender him an agreement in arbitration in the 2020-21 offseason. Ruf’s 2021 output was even much better than that small-sample 2020 proving; in 312 plate looks he struck .271/.385/.519 with 16 homers.

That unexpected renewal in the majors triggered the Giants to ink Ruf to a two-year, $6.25MM agreement. His bat took an action back in the very first season of the offer, however Ruf was still striking at a somewhat better-than-average level when the Mets got him at that summer season’s trade due date. His bat cratered following the relocate to Queens, nevertheless, and New York designated Ruf for project right before Opening Day 2023. He was launched in early April, signed a minors offer to go back to the Giants, and divided the 2023 season in between San Francisco and Milwaukee, seeing short playing time at both stops.

It now promises that’ll be the last of Ruf’s playing profession. If he’s certainly moving his focus to a training track, he’ll conclude his time in the majors with a profession .239/.329/.427 batting line, 351 hits, 67 homers, 69 doubles, 3 triples, 6 takes, 198 runs scored and 205 runs driven in. Between MLB and the KBO, he broke more than 150 homers and accumulated more than 800 hits — all while making more than $9MM in the majors and more than $4MM in South Korea.

The Omaha native will now assist mold a more youthful generation of gamers while going back to his home town. Ruf revealed enjoyment and appreciation in a declaration of his own within today’s statement:

“I am thrilled to be joining Evan’s staff in Omaha. I have been blessed with amazing coaches throughout my career and I am honored Evan has given me the opportunity to give back and work with these student athletes. I look forward to working with them on the field to become the best ball players they can be and off the field as they continue to develop into great people for the community of Omaha.”