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I am back at the beisbol theme for this week by dropping a post on some of the older players in the league who still have game. There was a time when 40 years old was ancient for an athlete. Now that everybody is drinking Red Bull and taking lord knows what else we are seeing athletes remain competitive until they are middle-aged.

There were always a few elite athletes who were viable stars into their forties. The great and legendary negro leaguer SATCHEL PAIGE wasn’t admitted into the major leagues until he was almost fifty so it’s not like the precedent wasn’t already established. SATCHEL played many a winter season in the Cuban leagues and it’s no small wonder to me that so many Cuban players are drinking that bottled water by PONCE de LEON. But it isn’t just Cuban players that have found the fountain of youth.

It’s just that it seems normal for more players to stay in the league well past the age that we would typically want to put them to pasture. What keeps them around is the fact that they are damn good. If a guy was a bum no team would keep him on their roster. Here’s a short list of a few of the old guys that I respect for keeping their game tight and their mind’s right.

	BARRY BONDS Fuck the critics. Real recognize real. All the other “sluggers” from his era have broken down like GM cars. If MARK McGUIRE and BRADY ANDERSON were still in the league there wouldn’t be a media maelstrom about steroids. Blackness is unforgivable.

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	JOSE CONTRERAS JOSE mught be the best Cuban pitcher since LUIS TIANT. There is something about crossing the oceam on a rubber tire that makes you stronger than Superman once you get to the U.S. mainland. BRIAN CASHMAN is hating himself every five days.

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	RICKEY HENDERSON He may have been blacklisted from returning to the majors, but trust me, he is still operating at a pro level in the Pacific League.

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	ORLANDO ‘EL DUQUE’ HERNANDEZ Yet another Cuban defect and an ageless wonder. El Duque’s inimitable delivery should have gotten lower by now, but he is still high kicking and getting wins in the bigs.

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The NY Mets own JULIO FRANCO will be seventy-two in August.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 at 5:50 am and is filed under Ghetto Celebs, Sports are Gay, When I Reminisce.... You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.