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Dempster retires as a Chicago Cub

Baseball
Dempster
Gibsons' Ryan Dempster officially retired from baseball as a Chicago Cub last week and then took a job in the Cubs' front office.

It’s official — Gibsons’ Ryan Dempster has retired from baseball.

After taking the 2014 season off following a World Series victory with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Dempster signed a one-day contract last week with the Chicago Cubs, and retired, bringing an end to his 16-year major league career as a player.

Dempster will remain with the club as a special assistant to president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.

Dempster hangs up his glove as a two-time All-Star, with the Florida Marlins in 2000 and Cubs in 2008, when he returned to the starting rotation and went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA helping the Cubs to their second-straight National League Central Division title.

Dempster spent nine seasons with the Cubs from 2004-12, posting 67 wins and 87 saves and is the only pitcher in club history to record more than 50 wins and more than 50 saves.

Overall he finished his career with a record of 132-133 with 87 saves and a 4.35 ERA in 579 appearances, including 351 starts with the Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Cubs, Texas Rangers and Red Sox.

In his new role with the Cubs, he will spend time with the club during spring training, visit the club’s minor league affiliates during the season, evaluate amateur players leading up to the draft and perform professional scouting assignments.

In a press conference on Dec. 5, Dempster said it wasn’t a tough decision to retire.

“I think just going through this past season and not missing it as much as I thought I would made the decision a lot easier,” he said. “I had a great year off. I got to travel a lot, spend a ton of time with my kids — things I never got to do — and I got to go out on top and win a World Series. Now I can be on the other side in the front office and help get a World Series here to Chicago with the Cubs, because that’s what I dreamt about as a player and that’s what I want as a front-office member.”

Dempster also plans to continue to do some work for the MLB Network.

— With files from Carrie Muskat, MLB.com