Phoenix ? Arizona first baseman Mark Grace, a career .303 hitter and one of the most likable players in baseball, will retire at the end of his 16th major-league season.

His announcement at a news conference Friday at Bank One Ballpark came as no surprise after the 39-year-old first baseman mostly sat and watched throughout this season.

“I’ve come to tell you guys you’ll no longer see me uglying up a clubhouse anymore as a player,” Grace said. “I’m going to take it on home.”

Grace won four Gold Gloves and played in three All-Star games. His 510 doubles are tied with Rickey Henderson for fourth among active players and 34th on the career list. Grace’s 2,443 hits rank sixth among active players, and he had more hits in the 1990s than any other major-league player (1,754).

He came to Arizona as a free agent following 13 years with the Chicago Cubs, and was a key figure in the Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series championship.

Grace was batting a career-low .189 going into the final three-game series against St. Louis.

Manager Bob Brenly said Grace would start today’s game and make an appearance, probably as a pinch-hitter, in Sunday’s finale to allow the crowd to show its appreciation.