Sweeney: On Retirement

I never took the chance to respond to Mike Sweeney's comments in the Star last week about the possibility of him retiring if his injury situation doesn't improve.

Here's what he said: "If this thing lingers on through the summer, it's [retirement] something I'd probably consider. But right now, I owe it to my teammates and ownership to make every effort to get healthy and get back in the lineup."

Mike is only 32 years old, but his body seems to be much older. And for the first time in his 10-year career with the Royals, fans in Kansas City are starting to boo him. He's frustrated by his long string on injuries, and so are the fans. He says that he changed his lifestyle over the off-season and that he came into camp in the best shape he's been in for "at least seven years." But his body has failed him again.

The 2000 season seems so long ago, doesn't it? Sweeney hit 29 HR, drove in 144 RBI, and he hit .333. Everybody, including me, thought this was just beginning of many highly productive seasons from Mike. He was the next George Brett. After putting up solid numbers in 2001—29 HR, 99 RBI, with a .304 average he inexplicably broke down in 2002, only playing in 126 games that year. And then it got worse: 108 games in 2003, 106 games in 2004. He managed to play in 122 games last season, but by then people were starting to whisper—wondering if Sweeney would ever be healthy again.

During the off-season, we signed Mientkiewicz to play first base full time so Sweeney could just concentrate on DH'ing. And now, one month into the season, even DH'ing has proven to be a problem. But I'd like to propose something. What would happen if all of us stopped pining for the next George Brett and just accepted what we have? Why not be thankful that we have a guy who has not only excelled on the field, but in the community as well? Why not be glad to have a guy who tries to stay positive no matter what the circumstance is rather than slouching and acting like he doesn't care—like so many guys we've ran through this organization in the last ten years?

Why don't we just let Mike Sweeney be who he is—broken or not—and be thankful that he stuck with the organization when everybody else of substance signed somewhere else? Let's cut him some slack and accept the fact that he's done everything he can do to make his body cooperate. And above all, let's just enjoy the games he does play. Yes, that puts a burden on the roster. We've always got to make sure somebody else can fill his shoes. But for now, Stairs is a nice fit at DH.

I hate the idea of Sweeney retiring so young. But I'd respect his decision to do so because he cares about this organization and about the fans. I'm just not ready to see it happen yet. Are you?