From majors to NYU: Story of Adrian Cardenas whose interests pivoted to writing and poetry

Ex-Chicago Cubs first baseman Adrian Cardenas famously quit baseball in the quest for a new field of dreams.

"Because dreams and passion have an inexplicable power. Link in bio" - Giorgia Sottana, Instagram.

The utility player who was picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft, only played for the Chicago Cubs during his time in the majors. He had 67 plate appearances in 45 games and hit .183 with six doubles and two RBIs during his time with the team in 2012.

After being sent to the minors by the Cubs the following season, Cardenas soon quit baseball.

"He said, 'Pete Rose retired. This guy quit,'" Cardenas said. "That always stuck with me. It's too pretentious to say I retired, even though I made it to the major leagues.

"It was a huge decision, one I wrestle with constantly,. People ask me if I have any regrets. It would be incredibly insincere if I said I don't miss playing in front of 40,000 people in Wrigley Field. But it's a little more complex than that."

His creative passions drove him toward writing. Cardenas had already been attending New York University as a part-time student since 2010, but post his retirement, he shifted his focus completely toward the art.

After graduating from NYU, Cardenas began teaching creative writing and philosophy at the department. He also became a senior writer at the institution.

To Cardenas, art was always a limitless pursuit. He's conceded that he had aspired to become a novelist, write poetry and travel the world, pleasures a demanding baseball career did not allow.

Despite being called a quitter ever since bidding farewell to the game, Cardenas has a simple response to all his doubters:

“As a baseball player, I could only be a baseball player, but that’s not who I am, and I couldn’t force it on myself. On the field, I can only run so fast or hit so well. I don’t think it makes sense to a lot of people, but to me, that was a hard life."

Adrian Cardenas background

Adrian Cardenas was born on Oct. 10, 1987, in Miami, Florida. His parents were both Cuban immigrants and worked as a nurse and a physical therapist. His family are vegetarians and not great fans of baseball.

His father and mother were both artistically inclined, as conceded in an interview by him.

“My parents knew art and music,” Cardenas said. “Baseball was kind of an accident.”

His father was expelled from his country for a collection of his poems against the Fidel Castro regime. His parents enrolled him in piano classes at a young age as they imagined him as a Juilliard-trained musician.