Pat Burrell came into pro baseball a Phillie and he'll leave the game one, too.
Burrell, who was selected by the Phils with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft, will sign a one-day, minor league contract with the club and officially retire a Phillie during the team's series with the Boston Red Sox in May, the team said in a statement Thursday.
Burrell, 35, will be honored pregame on Saturday, May 19, by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Citizens Bank Park.
Burrell played for the Phillies for nine seasons. He ranks fourth in franchise history in home runs (251), eighth in RBI (827) and ninth in extra-base hits (518). His last season in Philadelphia was 2008, when he helped the Phillies to a World Series title. His last hit as a Phillie was a double that led to the winning run in the decisive Game 5.
He spent the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants, winning another World Series with the Giants in 2010.