Thursday, December 12, 2013

Old MLB pitchers: Retired or Not?

In case you don't watch 6 hours of ESPN's (yes, plural - original, 2, news, etc.) a day and haven't been paying any attention to offseason baseball stories this past week, here's a brief recap of what's happened with some aging pitchers, along the lines of the "dead or alive" celebrities game:

ESPN should have had a special episode of "Baseball Tonight"
 with Mark Mulder reporting on Mark Mulder's comeback
Roy Halladay, 36, Retired - After going 4-5 with a 6.82 ERA for the Phillies last season, the two-time Cy Young Award winner has decided to hang 'em up.

Bartolo Colon, 40, Not retired - Colon's miraculous (and by miraculous I mean steroid aided) late-career renaissance continues, as he just signed a two-year deal with the Mets for $20 million.  Colon was basically washed up back in 2008 with Boston.

Mark Mulder, 36, No longer retired - Mulder quit baseball in 2009 after multiple arm surgeries, and has been working as a Baseball Tonight analyst since 2011.  Apparently he's figured out a new pitching delivery that makes him feel young again, and he's hoping to return to the big leagues in 2014.

Mark Prior, 33, Finally officially retired - It's crazy to think Prior is still just 33 years old.  The former Chicago Cubs fireballer hasn't pitched in the majors in over seven years, and will finish his career with a 42-29 record in just 106 total starts.  He had one spectacular season (2003) in which he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA and 245 strikeouts in 211.1 innings, but could never get his shoulder back to form after reconstructive surgery in 2006.  Prior had a cup of coffee with the Red Sox organization in 2012, and re-injured his shoulder attempting to pitch for Cincinnati's triple-A team last April.

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