GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals tight end Jake Ballard announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. In a statement on Wednesday, Ballard traced his decision to the severe knee injury he sustained playing for the New York Giants in the 2012 Super Bowl. "My body never felt the same," he said. "Having a quality of life after football is very important to me and I have witnessed it taken away from others. I will miss the game tremendously, but I am ready for this next chapter in my life." Ballard was signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Ohio State in 2010. In the Giants 2011 Super Bowl season, he started 13 regular season games, catching 38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns. Ballard played in all four of New Yorks post-season games that season, three as a starter. He was signed by New England in 2012, but missed the entire season because of the knee injury. Ballard signed with the Cardinals in November of last year. He appeared in eight games for Arizona, three as a starter. He caught seven passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns for the Cardinals. Ballard was in a crowded competition at tight end for Arizona. His retirement leaves the team with free agent signee John Carlson, returnee Rob Housler, rookie second-round draft pick Troy Niklas and Darren Fells, a former college basketball player who spent his rookie season a year ago on the Cardinals practice squad. Brendan McKay Rays Jersey . The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima. 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A question that was repeatedly posed last season, and the season before that and in the 2011 campaign before that.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Bob Welch, the 1990 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Oakland Athletics and the last major leaguer to win at least 25 games in a season, has died. He was 57. Welch died late Monday night at his Southern California home in Seal Beach, the team said Tuesday. Police said officers responded to a call for medical aid and found Welch dead in the bathroom area. Authorities have not released the cause of death. The coroner was awaiting toxicology test results, which can take eight to 12 weeks, said Lt. Jeffrey Hallock, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Welch was known best for his famous battles with Reggie Jackson in the World Series and alcohol addiction. The two-time All-Star was an admitted alcoholic early in his career and spent time in rehabilitation. He later co-authored a book with George Vecsey about his addiction titled "Five OClock Comes Early: A Ballplayers Battle With Alcoholism." "The fact is, Im crazy when Im drunk," Welch said in the book. "Theres every chance I would have been dead by now if I was drinking." The right-hander played on five teams that reached the World Series -- 1978, 1981, 1988, 1989 and 1990 -- and won two titles, one in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and another in 1989 with the As. Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten called Welch "one of the greatest competitors to wear the Dodger uniform." "Welchie was a special guy. We lost a really good friend," said Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, a longtime teammate with the Dodgers. In Oakland, Welch figured prominently on teams that won three straight AL championships from 1988-90, including the club that swept the San Francisco Giants in the earthquake-interrupted World Series. "This is a sad day for the entire As organization," general manager Billy Beane said. "Those of us who knew Bob as a teammate and a friend will miss him greatly." Welch finished 211-146 with a 3.47 ERA in 17 seasons with the Dodgers (1978-87) and Athletics (1988-94). He also was the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they won the 2001 World Series and had served as a special instructor for the As in recent years. "He had a great arm, but what made him so special at a young age was the way he could command the corners with his velocity," Scioscia said. "He was a great talent, but that wasnt really what he was about. Bobby was a guy who, every time there was a roadblock in the way, he got over it. He didnt take the easiest path, but he was a solid guy." New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, the former Oakland GM who acquired Welch for the As after the 1987 season, said Welch would be missed.dddddddddddd "He was an interesting character, really sort of hyperkinetic," Alderson said. "He was a super guy and a very likable, if not loveable, guy." Welch was drafted in the first round by the Dodgers in 1977 out of Eastern Michigan. His most memorable moment for Los Angeles was against the Yankees in the 1978 World Series, when the rookie struck out Jackson with two runners on base to end Game 2. "I was stone sober, too," Welch said in his book. "I hadnt gotten around to drinking before a game, particularly a World Series game -- although, given time, I would have." Dodgers first base coach Davey Lopes, a former teammate, recalled the battle with Jackson fondly before the team played in Cincinnati on Tuesday night. "I dont know if it gets any greater than that," Lopes said. Welch won the AL Cy Young Award after going 27-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 1990 for Oakland. His 27 wins tied him with Steve Carlton in 1972 for the most in a season since Denny McClains 31 victories in 1968. "He will always be a significant part of our franchises history," As President Michael Crowley said. Several current As players also offered condolences on Twitter. "Devastated to learn of Bob Welchs passing," left-hander Sean Doolittle wrote. "The As organization lost not only one of its best pitchers, but one of its best people." No one answered the door at Welchs home Tuesday, which had been sealed with a sticker from the Orange County coroner. Neighbour Alma Purcha said she woke up to find police cars outside the home several blocks from the Pacific Ocean. She said Welch divided his time between Arizona and Seal Beach. She last saw him with his son and daughter Friday, when they exchanged pleasantries. Welch was born in Detroit and was lauded by the school he led to two trips to the College World Series. Eastern Michigan athletic director Heather Lyke called the pitcher one of the universitys "greatest ambassadors." "The one thing Bobby definitely loved is this game of baseball," Scioscia said. "He understood pitching, and I know he did a great job for the Diamondbacks, and working for the Oakland organization was a natural for him because he had so many tremendous seasons there. I know he really connected with the kids and had a lot to give." The As said Welch is survived by sons Dylan, 25, and Riley, 23; daughter Kelly, 18; and former wife Mary Ellen. ' ' '