Players "Best if Used" By Dates

[Degenerate39]

Originally Posted by CaiGuy

Rickey is a prime example of hanging on to long.

Wasn't he playing for a minor league team a year or two ago?

He was playing for the same team as Canseco

[texasdave]

how about that 80-something guy that got an at-bat in the minors this year....???

[Handofdeath]

Originally Posted by Will M

Went out gracefully:

Jim Rice and Dale Murphy had ~10 great years then lost it about age 33. Instead of hanging on to pad stats they retired gracefully.
And because of this they don't have the magic numbers for the hall of fame.

Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield had productive years on winning teams late in their careers then retired gracefully.



Hung on too long:

Wade Boggs hung on as a singles hitter to get his 3000th hit.

I disagree about Murphy. After he went to the Phillies in 1990 it should have been obvious that he was through. He didn't retire until 1993. He was a great player for about five years but he did not sustain it. No Hall of Fame for him. He wasn't good enough for long enough. Jim Rice is an example of how stupid sportswriters are. If Orlando Cepeda and Tony Perez are in he should be too. His numbers compare favorably to both.

[dfs]

Rickey is a prime example of hanging on too long.

I don't see it that way at all. You're welcome to give Rickey all the crap you want for him being a selfish jerk and all that, but the guy was a ballplayer first and foremost, that's what he wanted to do. In an era when all that seems to motivate players is cash, Rickey wanted to play ball. He played ball till they told him he couldn't. In some strange way, I respect that.

[paulrichjr]

Julio Franco should have retired at 54 instead of hanging around to 61.

[Handofdeath]

Originally Posted by paulrichjr

Julio Franco should have retired at 54 instead of hanging around to 61.

I know you're making a joke but baseball-reference.com says he is 47. It also says he is Dominican. So he might actually be 61.

[LINEDRIVER]

Reggie Jackson probably hung around a bit too long. In his 21st and final major league season in 1987, Jackson hit .220 and whiffed 87 times in 336 AB's for the Oakland A's.

Harmon Killebrew led the AL in HR's six times from 1959-1969. He clobbered 393 HR's in the 1960's. After playing 21 seasons with the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins, he played a 22nd season with the Kansas City Royals in 1975. Killebrew hit just .199 in 312 AB's, primarily as a designated-hitter.