OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland A's assistant athletic trainer Walt Horn has announced that he will retire following the 2016 season. Horn has spent his entire 39-year career as an athletic trainer in the A's organization. He began his professional baseball career with the A's in 1978 after graduating from Boise State University in December of 1977. Horn served as the club's Double-A athletic trainer for six seasons, all in the Eastern League, before being promoted to the Triple-A club for the 1984 season. He remained with the A's Triple-A affiliates in Tacoma, Edmonton, Vancouver and Sacramento over the next 24 seasons and earned Pacific Coast League Athletic Trainer of the Year four times during that period (1992, '96, '02 and '04). Horn joined the Major League staff in 2008 and has spent nine seasons with the A's.
"Walt has been an integral part of our organization for four decades," said A's Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane. "He has had a positive influence on thousands of ballplayers both on and off the field. We thank him for his dedication and commitment to the A's. He will truly be missed. We wish Walt and his wife, Stacy, all the best."