IN BRIEF : Horner Retires, Citing Shoulder

Slugger Bob Horner announced his retirement today because his left shoulder, which was operated on last year, has not healed sufficiently.

Horner, 31, who was trying to make the Baltimore Orioles as a non-roster free agent, said at a news conference at Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium that he was retiring because the shoulder kept him from “performing at my capabilities.”

The right-handed hitter hit 218 home runs in 10 major league seasons that were almost continually interrupted by injuries. He had hit more home runs by age 29 than two of the 14 hitters who have hit 500 or more home runs--Mike Schmidt and Ted Williams. For his career, Horner hit 218 home runs and had 685 RBI with a .277 batting average in 1,020 games.