'I have absolutely come to peace with it.' Former Valley star Dan Jennings accepting retirement

During the peak of his Major League Baseball career, former West Des Moines Valley pitcher Dan Jennings became one of the most used relievers in the game. Jennings, a left-handed pitcher, always prided himself on that: making himself available to pitch whether he was hurt or healthy.

But Jennings believes he’s thrown his last pitch. The West Des Moines resident said he hasn’t gotten a contract offer from any teams and doesn’t expect that to change anytime. So, he’s now embracing the next stage of his life: retirement.

“I have absolutely come to peace with it,” Jennings said. “I loved every second of my career but if it is over like I believe it is, then I have absolutely no regrets and I’m excited for the next part of my life.”

The 32-year-old pitcher said he tried to give it a go again for the 2020 season. He held a showcase for teams in January in Florida but only heard back from one team which expressed some small interest in bringing Jennings to spring training. But that team never offered him a contract. So, Jennings packed his bags and moved his family back to Iowa.

For good.

Jennings, who appeared in 390 big-league games over the course of eight big-league seasons with the Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals, said he’s stopped throwing and stopped preparing for the 2020 season. Even if a team does eventually come calling for him, he said he wouldn’t be ready. Jennings isn’t even sure if there’s a desire either.

“I’m not even close to ready,” Jennings said. “I can get there if I need to. But I did tell myself throughout this whole offseason, I said, I’m not sure I necessarily want to play anymore. People may think that sounds crazy because I mean, it’s Major League Baseball — it’s an incredible, incredible experience, incredible opportunity. But I’ve done that for the last eight to 10 years. And it was great, and I loved every second of it.”

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• Des Moines native Jeremy Hellickson beginning post playing career
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Jennings, who was born in California, was raised in West Des Moines. He was a late baseball bloomer, eventually helping West Des Moines Valley to a state championship his senior season when he went 9-0 with a 0.85 earned run average.

Jennings then went to Nebraska where he was taken in the ninth round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his big-league debut in 2012. After bouncing between the minors and the majors, Jennings eventually found a niche as a steady and reliable reliever. During the 2017 season, Jennings appeared in 77 games, which was tied for second in all of baseball. He said that’s what he took the most pride in during his career.

“I never wanted to be hurt,” Jennings said. “I never wanted to be on the disabled list. I wanted to make sure I was ready to pitch every day. There were some days where I’d walk into the field and I didn’t know how I was going to lift my arm above my head. But I told my manger, I said, ‘I’m ready to go.’”

Jennings usually was. He compiled a 17-20 mark with a 3.10 ERA during those 390 appearances. His final big-league appearance came in 2019 with the World Series champion Nationals who eventually released Jennings after he appeared in eight games. Jennings didn’t pitch again in the big leagues that season but didn't entirely give up hope that his career was done. 

During the showcase for teams in Florida, Jennings said his velocity was in the low 90s and anticipated it to climb during spring training and the regular season. But teams didn't appear interested in waiting. So Jennings came back to Iowa and moved on from playing. The husband and father of two wanted to start focusing on his family.

“They haven’t gotten to live kids' lives or anything,” Jennings said. “They haven’t gotten to have summer activities. They haven’t gotten to go to the pool with their friends and stuff like that that I know I’ve missed out.”

Jennings hasn’t moved on completely from baseball, though. He said he hopes to work as a mentor to young players. It’s a role he’s already unofficially transitioned into while working out at D1 Training Des Moines, a sports training facility in Waukee. Jennings, who said he was asked for his ring size by the Nationals, is awaiting his World Series ring. 

"It was a blast," Jennings said of his career. "But in terms of what I'm looking forward to now, I'm really looking forward to finding some hobbies and finding other stuff that I can get passionate about and getting good at." 

Tommy Birch covers Iowa State athletics and the Iowa Cubs. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.