BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -Mike Piazza is retiring from baseball following a 19-season career in which he became one of the top-hitting catchers in history.

``After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it is time to start a new chapter in my life,'' he said in a statement released by his agent, Dan Lozano. ``It has been an amazing journey.''

The 39-year-old Piazza was not on a team this season.

Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft, Piazza became a 12-time All-Star, making the NL team 10 consecutive times starting in 1993.

He finished with a .308 career average, 427 home runs and 1,335 RBIs for the Dodgers (1992-98), Florida (1998), New York Mets (1998-05), San Diego (2006) and Oakland (2007).Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.