Yesterday I caught a post from Buster Olney over at ESPN that read something along the lines of how older pitchers want to go to San Diego to rebuild value. He didn’t cite any names, but he did say the reason was “Spacious Petco park”, implying the field is forgiving on less effective pitchers. After I read it, I thought to myself, “my, isn’t that cute.”
Yes, I said cute to myself. Cute because while that spacious reasoning may have something to do with why older pitchers want to go to San Diego, I don’t think it’s the real reason, or even a primary one. I say this only because I was around the Padres organization back when some older pitchers landed there, like David Wells and Maddox the Merciless (no one calls him that, but they should). Allow me instead to offer you what I think is a far better reason for veteran migration; one you can understand without a veritible algebra class of statistical break downs concerning baseball flight patterns in Petco.
The best reason to play in San Diego is it’s Sandy—mother F’n—Ego for God’s sake. The weather there is as close to what God intended Eden to be like as it gets—before those two numbskulls started getting liberal with fruit consumption, that is. Every day is a beautiful day for baseball. Seriously, when I played there (don’t look up my numbers, it will only embarrass me) it was consistently picture perfect. Factor in that you’re a stones throw away from beaches, high end restaurants, golf courses, and casinos, and you don’t have to dress it all up with a statement like rebuild value. Have a bad day at the yard? Arm not feeling as spritly as the Dominican guy they’re grooming to replace you with? Take your mind off of it wind surfing, or take the misses out for a five star meal. Have one of the area’s many Adobe enthusiasts Photoshop that home-run into a long foul. Or, do what baseball players have done for decades now, drown your sorrows in the arms (or chest) of one of southern California’s many private film stars. Need I say more?
When you are an older pitcher, and I’m thinking mid-thirties here since baseball players age in dog years, you don’t need to rebuild value unless you’ve had more alimony related hearings than arbitration ones. If you’ve made it in the game long enough to pick and choose where you want to go for your next season, you’ve made enough money that you don’t have to worry about rebuilding value before you push your stack in and call it a career. Sure, San Diego has some spacious venues with some talented young outfield retrievers, so the accommodations to relive some glory days are there, but another year in a big yard for a chance at a one year, one million dollar deal isn’t that alluring if you already had a few 3 year/25+ million dollar seasons. If you are one of the fortunate who’ve made it to your later thirties with most of your career spent in the big leagues, money isn’t your driving factor anymore—collecting those final, elusive years of service time in comfort is.
You may not know this, but the major league retirement benefit package for those who put in 10 years of service is absolutely jaw dropping awesome. Thank you powerful union! Regardless of what Obama does to the future of medical coverage, the “package” will take care of you long after you’re done getting your thrills. It scales with inflation, covers old injuries, and tells you it loves you anytime you need to hear it. Yet, if service time is all you’re playing for, you’ll play anywhere to get it. BUT, if you’ve got the time and the records and you just want to go as long as teams will pay to have your name on the roster, why not play someplace that makes you feel like you’re in heaven? I can’t think of one single player that’s played in San Diego and thought poorly of the town afterward. Just know that while life in San Diego can be sweet, it’s a premier club for the elderly to get into.
At first, this much competition from veterans to get to SD may sound like bad news for young SD players working there way up the organizational ladder, but it shouldn’t. It’s a great opportunity to learn from some premier names, then take their roster spot when they throw their backs out on the golf course.
wonderful views!
Spacious...?