Eric Chavez, a six-time Gold Glove winning third baseman announced his retirement Wednesday in the same way he spent the bulk of his career – with very little limelight and a bit under the radar.

Chavez won six straight Gold Glove Awards while excelling defensively for the Oakland A’s, where he played for 13 seasons. Chavez then went to New York as a role player for two seasons and finished up his 17-year career with the Diamondbacks.

While Chavez was most known for his glove, he old had nine 20 or more home run seasons before he turned 30 and was on pace for a really good MLB career before injuries derailed his later years.

The 36-year old played in 100 or more games once just past eight seasons after having done so for eight straight years.

Chavez’s retirement likely flew under the radar and was missed by plenty, but all baseball players, reports and fans fall in love with the sport at some time grow up watching either a team or a few favorite players.

For me, Chavez was one of those players.

My mom used to take my brother and I to Oakland A’s games in the late 90s and early 2000s (Chavez debuted late in the 1998 season) and those fun, youthful “Moneyball” teams were my introduction to the sport.

While Tim Hudson, Jason Giambi and perhaps a few others from those teams are still playing, every time someone for that era retires it is a little reminder that those teams from your childhood don’t always last and not every player that you admire will have a long, accolade-filled career.

Chavez had a really good career. Sure, he would have loved to be healthier toward the end, but a 17-year career with a .268 batting average and six Gold Gloves is certainly nothing to scoff at.

As excited as I am about the new wave of stars entering the sport, it’s a bit strange every time a player I grew up watching fades off into the sunset.