Warning: The following news story is bound to make you feel old. You’ve been warned.

Elvis Andrus, the fresh-faced, energetic kid whose arrival helped usher in the Texas Rangers’ AL dynasty more than a decade ago, will officially retire as an active player on Friday as a Ranger. Hey, just because a story makes you feel older doesn’t mean it can’t make you feel a little happier, too.

The Rangers will honor Andrus prior to Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels by having him throw out the first pitch. The timing of the announcement to coincide with the Angels’ visit is not coincidental. The Angels are managed by Ron Washington, Andrus’ first manager with the Rangers who helped guide him through the early stages of being a major leaguer. Then his father, Adrián Beltré, stepped in.

“Our success really started in 2009, and the biggest player move that year was promoting a 20-year-old shortstop from Double-A,” said former Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, who acquired Andrus as part of a seven-player deal that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta in 2007. “Elvis solidified the infield, with Michael [Young] and Ian [Kinsler], and helped improve our pitching with his range and ability to play shortstop. His energy and baserunning helped change the way we pressured defenses.

“He handled the spotlight instantly, both as a rookie and then in the playoffs in the biggest moments, and endeared himself to the fans. He was the perfect fit on a team with a lot of talented guys who loved to play and compete.”

Michael Young, the only player with more longevity in the organization than Andrus, is expected to participate in the first pitch ceremony, as well as an Andrus retirement press conference Friday afternoon alongside Washington and his former teammate.

“For our fanbase, Elvis will always symbolize an immensely fun time in our organization’s history,” Young said Wednesday. “Every player has lasting traits that people remember them by. For Elvis, it will be his enthusiasm and his energy. When he got here, we were ready to start kicking this thing into gear. We needed some young players to provide that nightly spark. He gave it to us with his personality and his performance. And, more importantly, we all immediately loved him.”

Andrus almost certainly will be inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame. Usually, the team waits at least two years after a player’s official retirement announcement for induction. For context: Iván Rodriguez played his last active game in 2011, announced his retirement in 2012 and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

Andrus, who turned 36 last month, played last season for the Chicago White Sox and signed a minor league deal with Arizona during spring training. When he didn’t make the club, he elected not to go to the minor leagues, returned to his home in Frisco and found comfort in being around his wife, Cori, and three young children.

Andrus played 1,652 games with the Rangers from 2009-20, second only to Young in club history. Andrus compiled 1,743 of his 2,091 career hits with the Rangers, placing him third in team history behind Rodriguez and Young. He is the team leader in stolen bases (305), is third in runs scored (893), fifth in doubles (303), second in triples (48) and is also in the top 10 in RBIs and extra-base hits.

The Rangers traded him to Oakland on Feb. 6, 2021 in an exchange of contracts for Khris Davis, Dane Acker and a young catcher named Jonah Heim. He spent 1 1/2 seasons with the A’s before a mid-season trade to Chicago. As a part-time player, he reached 2,000 hits in 2023, making him only the 41st player in MLB history to reach both 2,000 hits and 300 steals.

In 15 major league seasons, Andrus slashed .269/325/.370/.695 with 102 home runs and 347 steals in 2,059 games. He was the AL runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2009 and was a two-time All-Star.

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