Jesse Orosco has had enough:
Quote:After a record-setting career, the 46-year-old left-handed reliever told the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday that he had decided to retire after 24 major league seasons.
Orosco, who turns 47 on April 21, was the oldest player in the major leagues last season. He began his career with the New York Mets in 1979 -- some current major leaguers weren't even born yet -- and set big league records with 1,252 games pitched and 1,248 relief appearances.
He went 87-80 with 144 saves and a career ERA of 3.16 with nine teams. His greatest moment was when he struck out Boston's Marty Barrett to end Game 7 of the 1986 World Series. Orosco threw his glove into the air -- the picture still hangs in Shea Stadium -- starting the celebration of the Mets' first title since 1969.
This guy's only a year older than me. The year he broke in --1979 -- I was a junior in college and that spring was my first semester as an active in my fraternity. The year he closed out the World Series was the same year I got married (in September).
Jesse used to be a pretty tough old bird, but he's been just a situational lefty for a few years. Every time I saw him pitch I thought about the various milestones in my life that corresponded to the ones in his.
I'll miss
el Mexicano zurdo, mostly because knowing he's finally retired makes me feel old.
