Hideki Matsui officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Thursday night.

Matsui, 38, held a news conference in New York to mark the conclusion of his 20 years playing professional baseball.

"I want to thank all my fans, in the past 20 years -- 10 years in Japan and 10 years in the U.S. -- who have supported me," Matsui said. "I was supported by many fans and wonderful coaches and teammates."