So what to make of Miguel Tejada and his request to join Manny Ramirez as the oldest three-four hitting combo since slo-pitch softball?
Uhh, nothing. Nothing will come of it. Billy Beane has made his splash for the elderly, and there wont be a second.
But ridiculing Tejada? Not here. He wanted to play. He wants a better send-off than the one he provided himself in San Francisco. If that is selfish, well, most of baseball is. Its not like hed demanding a place, or that he deserves one. He said hes available, nothing more.
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And thats your classic no-harm no-foul case.
Tejada isnt owed an opportunity, this we know. He offered many great years to the As, and he was paid well for them -- a fair exchange by any accounting. He is owed respect for those years, which included the 2002 AL MVP, and it is fair to say he has received it.
But he is certainly allowed to offer his services in these, the twilight days of his career. Or, more likely, the closing time of his career.
The point, essentially, is that this is an interesting bit of story from Susan Slusser of La Cronica, and it can be a bit of a talker, but neither offering or declining that offer creates much of a tavern argument.
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And why? Because 40-year-olds three years removed from their last productive season dont get asked to kick in some more. Ramirez is a gamble for that very reason, and many people think Beane is daft to have signed him, even if he is playing essentially for free.
But Ramirez is different than Tejada; a much better power hitter, and has only that one job. Tejada would play third base as well as hit, and probably no better than he did in San Francisco.
In short, the As have already shown too much of a liking for past-it players, and to double up now is not just daft, its full-on mad.
Put another way, it was Moneyball, not Geronto-ball.
Tejada just got in too late, and offered a skill set that the As arent interested in having. No harm in that, just as theres no harm in asking. So there will be no ridicule here, not when Tiger Woods is dealing with suggestions that he wanted to play Charlie Sheens role in the remake of Navy SEALS.
Ray Ratto is a columnist for CSNBayArea.com.