Aging Gracefully

Because I consider myself an extremely loyal person, one of my least favorite things in sports occurs when a player who has been with only one team for a lengthy career switches teams. Even if it isn't a team I normally root for, I hate seeing guys change teams at the tail end of their careers because they can't accept that they might not be the great player they once were and continue to chase that competitive high. Jerry Rice never looked quite right in that Raiders jersey and it was downright bizarre to see Michael Jordan as a shell of his former greatness wearing Washington Wizard blue. However, the saddest examples are when a player is so desperate to keep starting that they are willing to take the pay cut or reduced role, demand a release from their contract and wind up signing a contract in a rival city, usually for a contract that is only slightly better than the one they just turned down. Now they have undone years of goodwill for a monetary difference that in the end probably won't cover the agent's cut and movers fees. It just makes you wish that the next collective bargaining agreement would add a provision where the longer a player has been with one organization, the less their contract counts against the cap, but we all know there is no way that can happen.

As an adult I know that I shouldn't be effected by this, because at this point in my life I've seen it enough to know the reality. My closet is littered with jerseys of guys who started in New England and returned wearing some other team's colors. Professional sports are strictly a business and in any business tough decisions need to be made. There is only so much punishment the human body can take before a player will age passed their usefulness or stop playing up to the standards which they are expected to reach and suddenly they are no longer worth the money and find themselves unemployed. It happens a dozen times a year and in almost every sport. In fact, most general managers are lauded as geniuses if they release a player who only has one good year left in them rather than sign them to an extension and have to pay them for an extra year or two. However, just because it's common doesn't make it suck any less. The reason that this keeps happening is that athletes are among the least self-aware people on the planet. Because they have been pumped up by various coaches and family members since they were in junior high, they are always the last to know when their career is over.

Anyway, I couldn't help but think about this when Red Sox manager Terry Francona removed catcher Jason Varitek in the ninth inning of yesterday's season finale against the Yankees to make sure he got a proper ovation from the Fenway crowd in what was likely his last game with the team. I'm admittedly not a big baseball fan, but Varitek was my favorite Red Sox. 'Tek was invaluable for the 2004 Red Sox and his ability to handle a pitching staff is widely regarded as among the best in Major League Baseball. But, Varitek's contract is expiring and he is going to turn 39 just before the start of next season, which is ancient for a catcher. His power numbers have dropped the last couple of seasons and his batting average isn't what it used to be. Because of that it is unlikely the Sox are going to want to re-sign him, even in a back-up role. To be honest, it was surprising he was even brought back this season after the Sox got Victor Martinez at the trading deadline last year. And while 'Tek had slightly better numbers with his catching duties reduced this year, it doesn't mean the Sox are planning to bring him back for one more go round. Both sides are leaving the door open for a return, but it doesn't seem too likely. It's not an issue of money, but the Sox believe there are better catching options out there and they probably aren't wrong. Basically, consider this post a preemptive strike about how much I'm going to hate it when 'Tek rolls into Fenway next season and gets a token at-bat as a member of the Rays.