SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — After leading the Schaumburg Boomers to the 2013 Frontier League Championship, record-setting third baseman Frank Pfister retired from professional baseball, it was announced today.

“It is tough for anyone who loves baseball to leave the field, but winning a championship with Jamie and a special bunch of guys who really played the game the right way means a lot to me,” Pfister said. “A number of these guys are coming back, and I have confidence that Jamie will field a team that will bring another championship to Boomerica. I am grateful to have been a part of this organization and community. Thank you.”

Pfister, who played four seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization before becoming a Boomer, signed as a free agent just over a week prior to the first day of spring training in 2012. Primarily a third baseman, the 6-foot-1 infielder appeared in all but six of the Boomers 198 games in the franchise’s two-year history and in just his second game in a Schaumburg uniform, Pfister belted the first home run in franchise history on May 19, 2012 against the Lake Erie Crushers.

“I cannot begin to explain what Frank has meant to our ball club and our organization for the past two years,” said Boomers Manager Jamie Bennett. “He is everything I look for in a player, from his leadership in the clubhouse to his abilities on the field. Frank plays the game the right way, has opened a lot of eyes and gained recognition for it around our league.”

During his tenure, Pfister served as the catalyst for the unrivaled success of the Schaumburg Boomers on the field. Not only did Schaumburg claim the 2013 Frontier League Championship, but the Boomers also own a .601 winning percentage (113-79) in their first two seasons, including a 6-0 sweep through the 2013 playoffs.

“The things we have accomplished over the last two seasons would not have been possible without Frank on this ball club,” Bennett continued. “I am personally grateful for what he has meant to the Boomers. He is without a doubt one of my favorite ball players I have ever been associated with.”

Pfister led the league in hits with 121 hits in 2012 and batted .306, which was good for seventh-best average in the league. A three-time All Conference First Team selection while at Emory University, Pfister was the starting third baseman on the West Division All-Star Team, the only starter of the 10 Boomers to participate in the contest. Pfister finished with 21 doubles and personal bests of 58 runs scored and 13 home runs.

Over the course of his six-year professional career, Pfister compiled a .257/.295/.359 stat line with 467 hits, 93 doubles and 27 homers in 493 games played. As a member of the Boomers, Pfister currently sits atop the franchise record books in hits (121 in a season, 203 in a career), games played (96 in a season, 186 in a career), doubles (40 in a career) and is at or near the top in several other statistical categories.

“The two years I was given the opportunity to spend in Schaumburg were a special gift for me,” added Pfister. “Of the many years I played the game, these were the most rewarding. I will never forget the friendliness and warmth of the people I met in Schaumburg, some of whom have become real friends (you know who you are).”

For all the team success and individual accomplishments, it may be his legacy with the crowds in Schaumburg that many Boomers fans will remember most fondly. Pfister was often found out on the field early or staying late after games to sign autographs or simply strike up conversations with a seemingly endless wave of people and thereby helped to establish the standard to expect from Boomers players and coaches – a standard that is unmatched in today’s professional sports landscape.

“No one better embodied what we expect from a Schaumburg Boomer than Frank Pfister, whether through his eagerness to interact with Boomers fans of every age, his unfailing leadership of our team on and off the field, or the passion with which he played every inning of every game in a Boomers uniform,” Boomers President/GM Andy Viano said. “He will be sorely missed and we certainly wish him nothing but the best of luck in this exciting next chapter of his career.”

The 2014 season will be the first for the Boomers without a number of regulars with Pfister moving on to a front office position with the Cincinnati Reds and core players like Sean Mahley, Steve McQuail and Gerard Hall getting a shot with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization this spring training. With the franchise’s third Opening Day - Friday, May 23 - on the horizon, the next generation of Boomers will have quite the benchmark to look to as a model.