Former big leaguer and two-time World Baseball Classic winner Akinori Iwamura reflected on his 21-year career with pride on Monday as he announced he will retire at the end of the season.

Iwamura, who has been a player-manager for the Fukushima Hopes since 2015 in the independent Baseball Challenge League, played in the World Series with Tampa Bay in 2008 in between successes with Japan at the 2006 and 2009 WBCs.

"I have lots of memories over the past 21 years. I took my career at full blast," the 38-year-old told a press conference. "I take pride in how I went about things as a professional."