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April 30, 2008
Every sports fan has a sentimental streak, it’s in our nature. It’s what separates us from the so-called experts and front office types, and the old frazzled reporters who wouldn’t clap for a one-legged man that just tossed a perfect game. Or so I used to think. Sometimes our sentimentality, our fandom, clouds our vision and apparently the same can actually be said for some Major League managers and GMs, a few of whom appear to be clinging to some of their more beloved, less productive veterans like Linus to a his dusty, blue security blanket. Here, in no particular order, are a few of the more, er, grizzled examples. Ray Durham/Rich Aurilia, San Francisco Giants Hey look, there’s a definite part of me that loves both these guys, probably because I remember them playing when I was a much younger person, but also because they’re keeping the ageless spirit of San Francisco Giants baseball alive (it’s a really old group of guys, in case you hadn’t noticed). Still, the diminutive Durham’s hitting just .250 to start his 14th season, while the Brooklyn-born Aurilia is off to a .232 start in his 14th campaign. Neither is helping the light-hitting Giants, and their veteran leadership isn’t likely to be the difference in the NL West. Geoff Blum, Houston Astros As his the person who sponsors his Baseball-Reference.com page put it, “Geoffrey Blum is to baseball what Geoffrey Rush is ... to baseball.” Blum’s not even that old (just turned 35) but he seems to be coasting through the National League from team to team and other than that one big dinger, I’m still not really sure why. Although it’s worth noting he can play just about every position, it’s probably also worth noting that he hasn’t hit above .260 since 2003 (.262) or played more than 123 games since then. A player like that is of questionable value to me, even in the NL. Brian Giles, San Diego Padres Brian Giles has to be something of a god in San Diego baseball terms. He’s had some great seasons there (and in Pittsburgh and Cleveland before that) and is beloved with very good reason. The hustle, power, and overall character make him an understandable fan favourite, but his production is tapering off considerably. His last two seasons have seen the once powerful outfielder reduced to clubhouse cheerleader (or so it seems) and it's becoming less and less probable he’ll ever crack .275 ever again. At 37, we long ago saw the best of Brian. Now the question is when will we see the last of him. Jeff Kent, L.A. Dodgers This guy’s actually pretty amazing, and probably doesn’t belong on this list at all, but he makes it because he’s 40 years old and in his 17th season. That he’s off to a respectable .292 start and still spry at second base is nothing short of astounding. He’s like the Chris Chelios of Major League Baseball. Still, for how long? He’s probably older than some of the Dodgers’ coaches. Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies Moyer also falls into the ‘still getting it done, somehow’ category, and his inclusion on this list is more the result of the 45-year-old’s continued effectiveness. I can’t even hate on Moyer, who made his big league debut in ’86 and has 556 starts in his career (231 wins). But there’s definitely a part of me that’s sick of seeing him float pitches up there. I’m just being honest. It’s mostly the frustration of continually waiting for him to get tagged only to keep waiting when he never really does. Mike Mussina, New York Yankees When Mussina joined the Yankees in 2001 after they’d won their fourth World Series in five years, he had to feel pretty good about getting the ring that had eluded him in Baltimore. Fast forward all these years and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen for Moose, who’s a much tougher crossword puzzle opponent than anything else at this point. Even having made a couple of solid starts this year and tying the immortal Carl Hubbell on the all-time wins list (253), the end is definitely near for the 39-year-old Mussina, and you get the sense even he knows it. He did go to Stanford, after all. Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondacks Once the most feared hurler in the game, Johnson is perhaps the best example of a record chaser in all the Majors now that Barry’s gone. True, his early numbers are quite good (2.70, 20ks) but at age 44 and with 285 wins, it’s pretty clear to me that 300, not October, is what Johnson is playing for. That, and I’m sure he’d like to pass Roger Clemens for second on the all-time strikeouts list, which he should do with ease if he logs a healthy season and Clemens stays sitting on his ass, instead of injecting things into it.
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