October 28, 2011

Veterans Chase the Dream With Contenders

garden swing bench Veterans chase the dream with contenders

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

they were the headliners. the faces of their franchises. the ones fans came out in droves to see, and the ones who at times carried the weight of an entire 25-man roster on their backs.

Now, previous stars like Lance Berkman, Jim Edmonds, Jason Giambi, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel and Kerry Wood are on contending teams as smaller pieces to a bigger puzzle — one they hope can assemble into a World Series champion.

But before that happened, ego had to be checked and a reality needed to set in — the reality that they’re not the players they once were. and now, in the latter parts of their baseball careers, they have to accept lesser or specialized roles in hopes of winning it all.

It’s an inevitability stomached by many throughout the history of baseball. and though it’s never easy, a few of the game’s greats are living that right reality now — especially after a recent series of trades.

Berkman, a five-time All-Star coming off March knee surgery, was added to the Yankees’ potent lineup to help solidify the revolving door that once existed at designated hitter. Wood, at times a fearsome starter before transitioning to closer, was brought to new York at the same time — just before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline — to be a right-handed relief option for the late innings ahead of Mariano Rivera. and Edmonds, the dazzling center fielder believed to be retired in 2009, was acquired from the Brewers on Aug. 9 with the hope he can help shore up the outfield depth and provide experience in Cincinnati, even though he isn’t playing on a daily basis.

“I’m just trying to come here and help out,” Edmonds said upon joining the Reds, “[provide] a little veteran leadership and play when I can and help the guys and just try to win.”

Others had previously made similar moves.

Two of the game’s best power-hitting first basemen since the mid-1990s, Thome and Giambi, were brought in to be lefty pinch-hitters for the playoff-hopeful Twins and Rockies, respectively. and Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop, signed with the White Sox to be a backup infielder.

Luis Gonzalez can relate.

the former premier outfielder, who recently became the first D-backs player to have his uniform number retired, remembers when he put pride and ego aside and accepted a diminished role on another team for the mere chance of extending his baseball career.

Now, he can only think of one thing when he sees others do the same on contending clubs.

“I’m proud of those guys,” said Gonzalez, the five-time All-Star who became a reserve player, pinch-hitter and veteran leader when he signed with the young Marlins in 2008.

“That’s just a passion for the game that those guys have, because at any particular time you can walk away, but there’s a love for the game. They’ve been playing it so long, it’s hard to just walk away. These guys have dedicated their whole life and time to playing the game of baseball.”

and many of them are still proving they can make a big impact.

Take the cases of Vizquel and Thome, for instance.

“I do it because I enjoy being around the other guys and it’s fun to be on a winning team.” – Rockies first basemanJason Giambi their clubs are battling it out for American League Central supremacy, but there’s a good chance neither team would be in that position if not for these key veterans — each of whom signed on last offseason.

Vizquel, acquired in hopes he could be a mentor to shortstop Alexei Ramirez while serving as a utility infielder, pretty much assumed the role as starting third baseman when Mark Teahen went down with a fractured right middle finger on May 30. since the start of June, the 43-year-old marvel is batting .308.

the Twins, meanwhile, have been without one of their big middle-of-the-order bats since July 7, when Justin Morneau was lost to a concussion. Not to worry. Thome — a 39-year-old veteran with 581 career home runs — has helped the Twins get to first place with 17 homers in 209 at-bats, the most recent of which was a two-run walk-off homer against Vizquel’s White Sox on Tuesday.

“We brought Thome in here for a reason, and that’s it,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after the 7-6 win that gave his club a four-game first-place cushion.

then there’s Miguel Tejada, a six-time All-Star shortstop and former AL MVP who accepted a move to third base upon rekindling his relationship with the Orioles last offseason.

the Padres acquired the 36-year-old on July 29 to fill in at shortstop and third base while providing veteran leadership and punch to a young club lacking in both areas. but with David Eckstein on the disabled list, Tejada has been the everyday shortstop and is making a difference, batting .314 with eight RBIs in his first 17 games.

“Lately, in my career, I don’t really look for a number,” Tejada, whose Padres are 12-7 since acquiring him, said upon being traded. “I’m just looking for a team that I can help, a team that I can be winning in.”

the struggling Berkman was thinking the same thing when he waived his 10-and-5 no-trade rights to join the Yankees to be their DH against right-handers — even though he’d only played for the Astros, had only lived in Texas, and the only role he’s ever known is that of everyday position player and middle-of-the-order threat.

“I’m hoping coming over here, working with [hitting coach Kevin] Long and getting around with these great hitters will help me find my swing again and get back to the level that I know I can still perform at,” said Berkman, who is 7-for-39 (.179) with four RBIs since becoming a Yankee and is currently day-to-day with an ankle injury.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever hit seventh. I know I hit sixth before. but I also can’t remember a time I’ve been on a team with, like, eight Hall of Famers.”

like Berkman, Edmonds — 1-for-14 through five games as a member of the Reds — has struggled with his new first-place team. but veterans like him — and possibly Carlos Delgado, who’s currently in the Red Sox farm system with the hope of a call-up before September — can make impacts beyond the stat sheet.

Gonzalez believes such players provide a presence in the clubhouse that can “calm the waters a little bit” — something Giambi recently displayed by playing cheesy Madonna tracks in a constant loop to help ease the tension while the Rockies were on the road — and add an intimidation factor on the field.

“Just having them, their presence on the bench,” Gonzalez added, “the other team looks across the way, and when they see those guys on the bench — whether it’s a pitcher that has to come in to face them — they know those names, they’ve been around, and that plays a huge, huge influence on the pitcher.”

But what keeps these guys going?

is it the chase for the ring, the fact they truly believe they an still play at a high level, the inability to let go of the game they cherish?

“A little bit of everything,” Gonzalez said.

Well, perhaps there is one specific reason.

“Trust me, I’m not doing it because I need the money,” said Giambi, who signed a seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yankees earlier in his career but is making $1.75 million this season. “I’m doing it because I like to have fun. I do it because I enjoy being around the other guys and it’s fun to be on a winning team.”

Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Gonzo and ‘The Show’. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Veterans chase the dream with contenders