Watching a star player near the end of their career can be painful. The last person to know that their skills have eroded seems to be the player himself. We all have seen film of Willie Mays stumbling around the Mets' outfield. We all probably knew about or have heard the whispers of Pete Rose hanging on just to break Ty Cobbs' all-time hit record. And now, down here in Houston, another chapter of this story is playing out. Craig Biggio is clearly no longer the player he once was. It appears evident that he no longer possesses the skills to be a regular in the National League. His bat has slowed. His glove is sure, but his range and arm are woeful. Still the lure of 3,000 hits and perhaps a guaranteed spot in the Hall of Fame pushes him to keep playing. My question is simple: What does the Houston Astros' organization owe him? They have better options in Mark Loretta and Chris Burke. The fact that he and Jeff Bagwell have been the heart and soul of this team for a decade and a half are indisputable. He is a player who has the utmost respect of baseball fans in Houston, and likely around the country. It is hurting his team to keep running him out there on a regular basis. With Ausmus, Everett and the pitcher's spot, they can't afford to shoot blanks with another position in the batting order. From his first year as a regular in 1989 through 2001 he pretty much alternated better halves of seasons. Some years it would be the first half, others the second. But since 2002 he has dropped off in the second half every year. And dropped off by larger and larger margins. If that trend were to continue in 2007 it would be difficult to watch.
Code:
YEAR AGE FIRST SECOND DIFF
2007 41 0.661 ??? ???
2006 40 0.784 0.648 -0.136
2005 39 0.848 0.728 -0.120
2004 38 0.843 0.759 -0.084
2003 37 0.776 0.744 -0.032
2002 36 0.736 0.730 -0.006
2001 35 0.878 0.791 -0.087
2000 34 0.748 0.914 0.166
1999 33 0.827 0.858 0.031
1998 32 0.912 0.900 -0.012
1997 31 0.900 0.935 0.035
1996 30 0.848 0.743 -0.105
1995 29 0.858 0.918 0.060
1994 28 0.895 0.889 -0.006
1993 27 0.827 0.871 0.044
1992 26 0.777 0.712 -0.065
1991 25 0.766 0.696 -0.070
1990 24 0.683 0.697 0.014
1989 23 0.717 0.757 0.040
So how much does an organization owe a player who has contributed so much over the years? Do they owe so much that the team suffers? This is happening with Craig Biggio in 2007. But in a year or two we could be having the same questions about Ken Griffey Jr. Any thoughts?