Two days ago I was standing in the shower thinking about my fantasy baseball team. If you’re still reading, congratulations, you just survived the least interesting hook in the history of sports writing. My team (called Cuckoo for CocoCrisp, in case you were wondering) currently enjoys a 2.5 game lead atop the league, thanks in large part to the contributions of Paul Konerko.
I drafted Konerko in the tenth round this spring with the 96th overall pick (Yahoo had him ranked 95th). I had checked his stats from 2010 just to be sure his numbers hadn’t careened off a cliff without me knowing it, and saw that last year Konerko hit .312 with 39 homers and 111 RBI. He wasn’t injured and he had had a solid spring training. So why was Konerko ranked so low, and why did a few of my buddies at the draft shake their heads like they knew something I didn’t? My best guess: age. Konerko is 35, which is relatively old in a league where players hit their prime somewhere between ages 26 and 32. Experts and fans alike expect a dip in production from players in their mid-30’s, as years of wear and tear finally start to catch up to them.
As we enter July, Konerko is one of six players in the MLB with 60 or more RBI; he’s tied for fourth in the league with 21 home runs, and he’s hitting .318. Clearly, Konerko’s age isn’t holding him back, and Cuckoo for CocoCrisp is reaping the benefits. Which got me thinking: who else in the MLB is disproving the supposedly inevitable decline that comes with age? Who else doesn’t need Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream to defy aging? With this question in mind, I’ve compiled the MLB Over-35 All-Star team, henceforth referred to as Team Fine Wine for its players’ ability to get better with age.
Here’s the criteria I tried to meet with TFW: (a) every player must already be 35 or must turn 35 by the end of the calendar year; (b) the lineup must look like a plausible MLB lineup (i.e. both left-handed and right-handed batters, speed at the top, power in the middle, grinders at the bottom); (c) we have to be able to play defense.
Without further adieu, I present to you Team Fine Wine, first by position, then in lineup form:
Catcher: Ramon Hernandez (Age: 35)
These days it’s hard to find a catcher who can combine offensive prowess with defensive stability. Hernandez is splitting time with Ryan Hanigan in Cincinnati, but he’s proven himself worthy in the action he’s seen. In 47 games this year, Hernandez is hitting .306 with 8 home runs (compared to 7 home runs in 97 games last year). Behind the plate, he’s allowed just one passed ball and has thrown out 37% of runners attempting to steal.
First Base: Paul Konerko (Age: 35)
The inspiration for this project, Konerko is a four-time All-Star. He came in 5th in last year’s vote for MVP and this year he’s continuing to crank out more hits than Michael Jackson in the 80’s. Next year, I’m making sure Konerko doesn’t fall to the 10th round again.
Second Base: Michael Young (Age: 34, turns 35 Oct. 19)
Young has shifted more into the role of Designated Hitter in Texas in the past couple years, but he’s logged 11 games at second base (where he started his career defensively) in 2011. A six-time All-Star, Young is hitting .322 this year (better than any other second baseman) with 7 home runs and 53 RBI (also better than any other second baseman). Toss in a Gold Glove from 2008 and you have yourself a well-rounded second baseman.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter (Age: 37)
I didn’t want to do it but I had to. Jeter’s offensive stats aren’t where they once were, but the benefits of his leadership are hard to ignore. Five Gold Gloves at shortstop (including 2010 and 2009), and the impending milestone of 3,000 hits also help his cause. He’s on the DL right now, but since 1996, Jeter has played in at least 148 games every year but one. I can deal with the .260 average this year, especially since offensive powerhouses are tough to come by at shortstop right now.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (Age: 35)
The Yankees will fill both spots on the left side of the infield, despite my personal bias towards Boston. A-Rod’s accolades speak for themselves (asterisks notwithstanding): 3-time AL MVP, two Gold Gloves, and 626 career home runs. This year Rodriguez is hitting .304 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. That’s enough praise for the Yankees. Let’s move on.
Left Field: Bobby Abreu (Age: 37)
Yes, he still plays, and yes, he still produces. Abreu is just below his career batting average this year at .288 and he’s doing a little bit of everything for the Angels. His power numbers are down (just three home runs this year), but he can still move on the basepaths (13 steals this year and 30 in 2009) and drive in runs. Keep in mind we need left-handed bats, and that Abreu has a Gold Glove on his mantle.
Center Field: Ichiro (Age: 37)
Even I’m bored with this pick, but leaving Ichiro off this list would be like leaving Tupac off the list of all-time great rappers or leaving ketchup off the list of best condiments – you just can’t do it and be expected to be taken seriously. We all know what Ichiro can do with the leather, and my lineup needs a table-setter at the top. Those old legs continue to churn this year, as Ichiro is one of just 10 players with 20 or more steals in 2011. An infield single for Ichiro is as good as a double in the gap for most everyone else.
Right Field: Lance Berkman (Age: 35)
Berkman is coming off a subpar 2010 (split between Houston and the Yankees), but seems to have found himself again in St. Louis. In our fantasy draft, Berkman fell to the 22nd and final round until my roommate Charlie grabbed him with the fourth-to-last pick. Yahoo had him ranked 283 overall coming into the season. All of this seems ridiculous now that Berkman is tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .295 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI. On top of the eye-popping stats, Berkman hits from both sides, which will give the lineup some flexibility.
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz (Age: 35)
Papi is on track for another monster year, and even shook his recently earned reputation for being a slow starter in 2011. He’s hitting .311 (he hasn’t finished a year over .300 since 2007), with 17 home runs, and 48 RBI. He won’t have anything to contribute on the defensive side of the ball, but that’s not what we’re asking of him in this project. We just want the lumber.
Starting Pitcher: Tim Hudson (Age: 35)
If I made this team next year, Roy Halladay would get the ball. Four years from now I could choose between Halladay, Josh Beckett, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Dan Haren. Right now, it’s Tim Hudson. Nothing about Hudson’s stats this year stand out that much, but at 3.51 his ERA is manageable and he’s shown he’s capable of turning in dynamite starts, even at his advanced age (June 20: 8.0IP, 2H, 0R, 8K).
Long Relief: Tim Wakefield (Age: 44)
Wake’s rubber arm doesn’t look a day older than 40. He’s not getting the ball on opening day, and we hope not to use him, but Wakefield eats up innings like Joey Chestnut eats hot dogs and we need him on the squad in case plans A, B, C, and D go awry. Plus, at 44, Wake will make the rest of the team feel young again, which can never hurt.
Setup Man: Francisco Cordero (Age: 37)
Cordero has been good this year: fifteen saves in seventeen chances and 1.57 ERA. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.36 is not spectacular, but finding relievers over 35 is tough. Beggars, in this case, can’t be choosers.
Closer: Mariano Rivera (Age: 41)
Year after year, Rivera shows up and does his job. He’s got 20 saves in 2011, and though he’s blown three this year, no one else is really in the discussion for 35+ closers and few teams wouldn’t swap their shutdown guy for Rivera. His ERA is below 1.80 and he’s got 6.5 strikeouts for every walk allowed. In short, Team Fine Wine wants Rivera out there in the 9th.
Lineup
Ichiro (L)
Young (R)
Ortiz (L)
Konerko (R)
Berkman (S)
Rodriguez (R)
Abreu (L)
Hernandez (R)
Jeter (R)