Opening Day is just weeks away and 49-year-old Julio Franco remains unsigned.  Just to put in perspective Franco’s age – Jesse Orosco, who Oriole fans may remember as a solid veteran left-handed relief pitcher in the mid-to-late 90’s, turns 51 next month, and he hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2003.

With future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio retiring and Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds appearing unlikely to play this season, the list of major leaguers in their 40’s is limited to Luis Gonzalez, Moises Alou, Omar Vizquel, Matt Stairs, Tom Gordon, and Jeff Kent.  Frank Thomas will turn 40 in May and Mike Piazza will join the club in September, but he, like Franco, is unsigned.  Steve Finley, also unsigned, celebrated his 43rd birthday this week.  40-year-old Kenny Lofton is still waiting for a contract offer as well.  Hideo Nomo, trying to make the Royals, will turn 40 in August.

Continue reading "Is the ageless wonder really done?"

I’m going to a conference in Atlanta for a few days, and from the time I scheduled my trip, I knew I wanted to go to the Braves Home Opener.  I saw Jon Smoltz pitch against the Nationals in Washington in ’06, so I was hoping for either Tim Hudson or Tom Glavine, and was thrilled to hear that Glavine would be making his return to the Braves in a game I will attend.

Speaking of Smoltz and Glavine, I inexplicably left them out of my last post.  In fact, with the exception of Tom Gordon, I somehow left out all of the pitchers in their 40’s.  Upon further investigation, here they are:

Jon Smoltz (40)

Tom Glavine (42 just this week)

Greg Maddux (42 next month)

Tom Gordon (40)

Randy Johnson (44)

David Wells (44)

Continue reading "Let's not forget the pitching vets"