NEW YORK — Andres Galarraga retired yesterday after struggling during spring training with the New York Mets, leaving him a home run shy of 400 for his career.

The 43-year-old first baseman signed a minor-league deal with the Mets in the offseason after making his second successful return from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last season.

A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-season career, Galarraga was hitting .235 in 17 games for the Mets this spring, with three home runs. The Big Cat probably would have been left off New York's 25-man roster when the team broke camp.

"This is a sad day for me, but I honestly felt it was the right time to step away," Galarraga said in a statement. "I just wasn't playing up to the expectations that I have set for myself throughout my entire career, and I wanted to walk away on my own terms. Playing has been a part of my life for so long, but I just felt this was the right time to give a younger guy a chance to play."

Galarraga made his big-league debut with Montreal in 1985 and has played for St. Louis, Colorado, Texas, Atlanta, San Francisco and Anaheim. He finished his career with a .288 average, 2,333 hits and 1,425 runs batted in, playing in 2,257 games.

With the Rockies, Galarraga hit .370 to win the NL batting title in 1993 and led the league with 47 homers and 150 RBI in 1996.

"Great, great career. Great man. Great person," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.

Notes

• Pitcher Kevin Appier, 37, said he won't accept a minor-league assignment with the Kansas City Royals and will retire unless another team picks him up. He is the Royals' all-time leader in strikeouts.

Meanwhile, All-Star Ken Harvey, a first baseman-designated hitter, was optioned to Class AAA Omaha.

Boston designated for assignment righty reliever Anastacio Martinez to make room on its 40-man roster for Myers. Boston obtained Myers, 35, from the Mariners in an August trade.

• In an episode involving former Mariners, John Halama of the Red Sox threw a first-inning pitch behind Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees in Boston's 7-2 win in Tampa, Fla. "We're great friends," A-Rod said of Halama. "I just laughed." The teams meet Sunday night at Yankee Stadium to open the regular season.

• Boston ace Curt Schilling allowed one earned run over five innings against Pittsburgh minor-leaguers who play for Class AAA Indianapolis. He is recovering from ankle surgery in November.

• The Yankees acquired minor-league catcher Wil Nieves, 27, from the Angels for right-hander Bret Prinz, 27.

• Milwaukee released reliever Brooks Kieschnick, 32, after he cleared waivers.

• Matt Williams, former Arizona third baseman, announced he is becoming a partner in the Diamondbacks and will invest $3 million in the club over the next 10 years. The 39-year-old will own one-half of 1 percent of the team.

• Lou Gehrig desperately sought during the last years of his life to find a cure for the disease that was slowly destroying him.

The Hall of Fame first baseman corresponded with his doctor during that time in an exchange of letters, The Wall Street Journal reported. About 200 pages of personal letters between Gehrig and Dr. Paul O'Leary have been discovered. Gehrig made his famed farewell speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939 in which he declared himself "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." About two weeks later, he began his correspondence with O'Leary, the newspaper said. O'Leary misled his patient by saying Gehrig would have a fair chance of survival, the paper added.

Gehrig, who played in a then-record 2,130 straight games, died in 1941 at 37. His condition, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is called Lou Gehrig's disease, which leads to the gradual death of nerve cells that control muscle movement, resulting in paralysis and death.

• Executives from 12 teams ranked players in a poll for The Sporting News. San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds was ranked first in the majors. Mariners outfielder Ichiro was 10th.

• MLB's medical adviser, Dr. Elliot J. Pellman, has discrepancies in biographical statements about his professional and educational credentials, according to a report in The New York Times. Pellman told the newspaper he has not tried to mislead anyone.