Nolan Ryan is leaving the Texas Rangers again, stepping away from his CEO role 20 years after ending his Hall of Fame career as a pitcher.

In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said on Thursday he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. He is also selling his ownership stake in the team to co-chairmen Ray Davis and Bob Simpson.

"It closes a chapter of my life in baseball," Ryan said. "I feel like it's time for me to move on to other things. It's been a decision that weighed on me heavily, but I feel like it's the right decision ... at this point and time, it's the correct thing for me to do."