Winter 2013/14 Retirements

[Frayed Knot]

Checking in on the long-time faces of baseball who won't be around come the 2014 season.

We already knew about the likes of Mariano Rivera (I think I heard somewhere he wasn't coming back), Pettitte, and Todd Helton

We can now add Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly to the list; too many injuries he says.
He spent at least parts of 15 seasons in the majors chalking up a 130-103 record and the number of Montreal Expos goes down by one with his exit.
Also pitched for the Yanx, A's, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Dodgers where he made 5 starts this past season before being released in August.

[Frayed Knot]

Jon Heyman reports (no word whether ESPN "confirms") that Roy Halladay is to make his retirement announcement today.

[Edgy MD]

Smoly crap! This division is softening up!

(Get with the program, Nats!)

[Frayed Knot]

Also neglected to include StL pitcher Chris Carpenter
He said during this past season that he was going to retire as he recovered from yet another injury. He and Halladay are pals (IIRC) so maybe they timed this so as to go huntin' and fishin' together year round.

Also Mark Prior - speaking of never-ending pitcher injuries - is finally giving up the chase.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

NOT Mark Mulder. At least, not yet.

"I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am," Mulder said by phone Tuesday. "To be honest with you, I never anticipated this five or six weeks ago. It was just a flat-out fluke that came from me trying to imitate Paco Rodriguez in my living room."

No, seriously.

[Edgy MD]

That does not look like a motion that's healthy on the shoulders.

[Centerfield]

I find myself rooting for Mulder. Not sure why.

It would be cool if he made it back.

[G-Fafif]

Jerry Hairston, Jr. -- Playing for the Dodgers TV booth next year.

[G-Fafif]

2006 NLCS villain Jeff Suppan, with better timing now than then.

Right-hander Jeff Suppan, a remarkably consistent pitcher throughout a career prime marked by strings of double-digit victory seasons who is best remembered for a few very strong October performances for the Cardinals in their championship seasons of 2004 and 2006, announced his retirement today. Suppan, a product of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley who last pitched in 2012 for the Padres but whose best years came for Kansas City, Pittsburgh and especially St. Louis throughout the previous decade, purposefully selected 2 p.m. Pacific time on Jan. 2 to make the announcement, to honor his beloved late mother Kathleen, who died at that time of day exactly six years ago to the day.

[ashie62]

Never would have guessed Suppan played for so many years..Beats Vladimir Guerrero by one year FWIW

[Frayed Knot]

Aubrey Huff following a 13 year career with five teams, mostly the Rays, most recently the Giants.

[G-Fafif]

Jason Bay, about to no longer have a continuing career in baseball.

[nymr83]

G-Fafif wrote: Jason Bay, about to no longer have a continuing career in baseball.

He said that he turned down offers in Japan. He was so bad for the Mets, but he probably could have had a big year over there if he was interested.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that's a wise decision. Now, instead of embarrassing himself on the field, he can retire and go home and start bullying his neighbors into cutting down their trees.

[Gwreck]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think that's a wise decision. Now, instead of embarrassing himself on the field, he can retire and go home and start bullying his neighbors into cutting down their trees.

I thought that was Olerud who had the problems with his neighbors' trees.

[Frayed Knot]

Sure, but all them tall, lean, fair-skinned, white boys from the pacific northwest look alike.
So they probably behave alike too.

[G-Fafif]

Rod Barajas hangs 'em up, prepares lateral move into continuing careers thread as mgr in Padre system.

[ashie62]

Dallas Braden, author of MLB's 19th perfect game retires describing his shoulder as a shredded mess..

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24409348/lefty-dallas-braden-retiring-calls-his-shoulder-a-shredded-mess

[G-Fafif]

Tim Byrdak seems to be retired if not wholly voluntarily. Tweeted that it appears nobody's picking him up after all the surgeries he's endured.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Thanks a lot, Obamacare!

[smg58]

Lance Berkman. One of the game's elite hitters when he was healthy. With a career line of .293/.406/.537, you could argue he's actually been somewhat overlooked.

[Frayed Knot]

Memories of Lance Berkman

1) His nickname of 'Fat Elvis' is one of the best of the recent crop. Fit him perfectly.

2) He, along with his early Houston contemporary (and future NYM) Richard Hidalgo formed a great example of a tools vs skills debate.
Less than a year apart in age and coming up in the same system at a similar time (Berkman, going via the college route, made his ML debut nearly 2 years later) -- if you were measuring the two just on pure skill, Hildalgo would best Berkman in probably every category: better speed, much better arm & glove, more pure power, etc.. But Berkman, despite his "lesser: skills and less-than dreamy body, was much more skilled at putting the bat on the ball and controlling the strike zone and, as a result, had the clearly better career while lasting an extra five years and getting nearly double the ABs as Hidalgo was out of the majors by age 30.
Career stats:
LB = .293/.406/.537
RH = .269/.345/.490

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

also was the answer to a "Who Am I" trivia question at the sabr meeting. Name a guy with 366 career home runs -- only 1 with the Yankees. Also hit a postseason MFY HR.

[nymr83]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: also was the answer to a "Who Am I" trivia question at the sabr meeting. Name a guy with 366 career home runs -- only 1 with the Yankees. Also hit a postseason MFY HR.

The low point of his career.

[Guest sharpie]

Michael Young, who coulda been a career Texas Ranger had he done it one year earlier, has hung it up.

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: Memories of Lance Berkman

Voted "most likely to look like seawolf17" thirteen times in his fifteen-year career.

[ashie62]

sharpie wrote: Michael Young, who coulda been a career Texas Ranger had he done it one year earlier, has hung it up.

13 Ranger years....7 time all star....

[Frayed Knot]

Roy Oswalt - who never became a NY Met despite being traded-via-rumor here about twice a week over at least a four-year period.
And in case you were under the impression that he already had retired, he actually pitched in nine games (starting six) for the Rockies in 2013.

[G-Fafif]

Derek Jeter, MFY SS and Roy Oswalt news-usurper.

[G-Fafif]

Actually, all Jeter did was announce he'd be out in the winter of 2014/15. So the hell with him.