From mid-April to May, there was talk of the Mets releasing Carlos Delgado. He was hitting .213, with 7 HR, 20 RBI and a paltry 670 OPS. At age 36, in his 15th major league year, he was considered finished.
Baseball's tough. We're talking about a guy who with 87 RBI last year, had his worst RBI year since 1995 when he only got 91 at bats. Beginning in 1996 when he became a regular, he has averaged .283/.380/.555 for a 935 OPS, with 35 HR, 112 RBI and 92 Runs. Three Silver Slugger Awards, two All-Star teams (should have been more) and three top 10 finishes in the MVP race.
I hate to see a guy like that decline, but I also hate to see people talk about his outright release. Especially for a such an nice guy who has won awards for his charitable work through MLB charities.
So tonight I was thrilled to see that batting line: 3-for-5, 2 Runs, 1 Double, 2 HR and 9 RBI. I hope this foretells a resurgence.
