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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Matt Stairs retires from MLB

Matt Stairs, New Brunswick’s biggest baseball star, is ready to retire after almost two decades playing in Major League Baseball.

Stairs, 43, hasn’t made the official announcement yet but he told CBC News in an interview on Wednesday that his playing days are now done.

And he’s buying the Stairsway to Retirement….

Gamingboy Posted: August 03, 2011 at 07:02 PM | 28 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: general

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1. RJ in TO Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:33 PM (#3892098)

It is truly the end of an era.

I only hope that he'll be willing to come out of retirement to play for Canada's next entry in the WBC.

2. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:37 PM (#3892106)

New Brunswick's biggest baseball star? What an insult to Rheal Cormier.

3. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:37 PM (#3892107)

Is Stairs the only player besides the 2004/2005 carryovers to have played for both the Expos (1992-1993) and Nationals (2011)?

4. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:39 PM (#3892110)

Possibly. Livan Hernandez was a carryover, but he also left the Nationals in 2006 and came back four years later.

5. Dan The Mediocre Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:42 PM (#3892113)

I remember thinking in 2001 that Stairs wouldn't be in the league in a few years.

Shows what I know.

Interesting to note:

The only time B-Ref WAR has him above average is 1998
Played for 13 different teams and 12 different franchises (tied with Octavio Dotelm Mike Morgan, and Ron Villone for record)
Hit the most HR for a player that played for at least 10 franchises.
Most career Pinch Hit HR.

6. Non-Youkilidian Geometry Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:43 PM (#3892115)

So where does Stairs rank among the list of all-time great Canadian ballplayers? The tail end of his career lasted so long I had forgotten just how good a hitter he was in his prime.

7. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:45 PM (#3892117)

One of my favorites, but time to go.

8. Anonymous Observer Posted: August 03, 2011 at 09:52 PM (#3892125)

Does this mean that the days of getting his ass hammered are over? Or will he be able to have that done in beer league softball?

9. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: August 03, 2011 at 10:02 PM (#3892141)

#8 - nicely done.

10. you got a STEAGLES? you're gonna need a STEAGLES. Posted: August 03, 2011 at 10:56 PM (#3892189)

Does this mean that the days of getting his ass hammered are over? Or will he be able to have that done in beer league softball?

it truly is the best feeling in the world.

11. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: August 03, 2011 at 11:05 PM (#3892194)

Stairs was the oldest player in the NL this year. Who is it now?

12. cardsfanboy

Posted: August 03, 2011 at 11:16 PM (#3892202)

The only time B-Ref WAR has him above average is 1998

what do you mean by "average"... he was more often than not a bench player, assuming that you mean 2 war is 'average' and assuming that is based upon league minimum plate appearance(501 most years) then he was above average in
year(war vs expected war)---we know he doesn't get any defensive credit so no reason to worry to much about his defensive innings.
2001(1.9 vs 1.6)
1997(1.7 vs 1.6)
2007(1.7 vs 1.6)
2003(1.6 vs 1.4)

Mind you I don't know what the definition of an average players war = 2 is based upon on plate appearances, so if it's based upon something more realistic like 600 plate appearances or so then he does even better.

13. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 03, 2011 at 11:27 PM (#3892210)

Stairs was the oldest player in the NL this year. Who is it now?

Wow, Stairs is only like 41. Strange when that gets you the "oldest player" title, in this post-Moyer,post-Julio Franco, post-Big Unit world.

Jason Giambi? Some relief pitcher? Is Ron Villone still around?

14. cardsfanboy

Posted: August 03, 2011 at 11:36 PM (#3892214)

bb-ref lists it as Saito(in the AL, Wakefield, Vizquel Rhodes and Rivera are all older than Saito)

15. kthejoker Posted: August 03, 2011 at 11:45 PM (#3892219)

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/2011-other-leaders.shtml

The winner is "Some relief pitcher."

16. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: August 04, 2011 at 12:10 AM (#3892234)

Wow, Stairs is only like 41. Strange when that gets you the "oldest player" title, in this post-Moyer,post-Julio Franco, post-Big Unit world.

He's 43. And he's not the oldest player; he's the oldest NL player.

And it's not uncommon for at least one league to have its oldest player be that young; in fact, the opposite seems rare. By my count, only 10 out of the last 50 years had both leagues' oldest players older than 43. And that's counting 1969, when Hoyt Wilhelm was the oldest player in both leagues, and 1987, where Phil Niekro was. Of the remaining eight, three were a lucky coincidence of Niekro in one league and Rose in the other (and two out of those three had Rose inserting himself in the lineup).

17. JJ1986 Posted: August 04, 2011 at 12:40 AM (#3892251)

bb-ref lists it as Saito(in the AL, Wakefield, Vizquel Rhodes and Rivera are all older than Saito)

Rhodes will reportedly be in the NL soon.

18. BDC

Posted: August 04, 2011 at 12:46 AM (#3892255)

I got to see Stairs become a Ranger in 2006. Of course, fans of most teams can say they saw Stairs become a Whatever. He played 26 games with Texas and did almost nothing of interest, though he was one of those guys that you always expected would do something interesting whenever he appeared in a game.

Also, as everyone knows but no-one should tire of linking to, inspired the best baseball shirt ever.

19. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: August 04, 2011 at 12:50 AM (#3892258)

Year   RAR    Rrep     RAA
1992    -1       1      -2
1993     0       0       0
1995    -4       3      -7
1996     7       6       1
1997    17      14       3
1998    42      21      21
1999    17      21      -4
2000    -2      20     -22
2001    18      11       7
2002     6       9      -3
2003    15      10       5
2004    -4      17     -21
2005    11      16      -5
2006     2      14     -12
2007    17      14       3
2008    -7      14     -21
2009     3       4      -1
2010     5       3       2
2011    -5       2      -7

Total  137     200     -63 

20. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 04, 2011 at 01:17 AM (#3892291)

bb-ref lists it as Saito(in the AL, Wakefield, Vizquel Rhodes and Rivera are all older than Saito)

Oh, it's so hard to know the ages of Japanese players who join MLB mid-career. I assume they all get "posted" (or released) and come over here at age 29.

I think So Taguchi's entire Phillies career took place with Philly fans thinking he was about nine years younger than he really was. Maybe this extended to the GM and manager.

21. jingoist Posted: August 04, 2011 at 02:20 AM (#3892335)

I think Texas just " marked for reassignment" Arthur Lee right out of baseball.
That leaves a very old knuckleballer and a still reasonably slick fielding part-time SS as the oldest guys suiting up daily in MLB.

Davey Johnson gave Matt a bunch of opportunities, and he came through several times but father time had caught up with him.
Class guy; the nationals clubhouse will miss his sagacity.

22. NTNgod Posted: August 04, 2011 at 02:49 AM (#3892352)

I think Texas just " marked for reassignment" Arthur Lee right out of baseball.

No, Cards (and TLR in particular) are interested.

23. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: August 04, 2011 at 03:07 AM (#3892359)

His HR off Broxton in the 2008 NLCS is one of the all-time Phillies' HRs. He also hit the last HR called by Harry Kalas.

He'll never pay for a beer in Philly again.

24. Bruce Markusen Posted: August 04, 2011 at 04:21 AM (#3892392)

How did Stairs get the nickname "Wonder Hamster?"

25. Shock Posted: August 04, 2011 at 04:37 AM (#3892400)

I've never heard that nickname, but, well, look at him...

26. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: August 04, 2011 at 05:02 AM (#3892404)

Stairs was the oldest player in the NL this year. Who is it now?

Oddly enough, still Julio Franco.

27. Ozzie's gay friend Posted: August 04, 2011 at 05:05 AM (#3892406)

I wanted him to keep playing.

His 2005 season is probably a top 5 post beltran royals hitting season.

28. DCW3 Posted: August 04, 2011 at 05:42 AM (#3892425)

Is Stairs the only player besides the 2004/2005 carryovers to have played for both the Expos (1992-1993) and Nationals (2011)?

Miguel Batista. Pitched for the Expos from 1998 to 2000, and the Nationals in 2010.

29. DCW3 Posted: August 04, 2011 at 05:46 AM (#3892427)

So where does Stairs rank among the list of all-time great Canadian ballplayers? The tail end of his career lasted so long I had forgotten just how good a hitter he was in his prime.

WAR only ranks him 21st among Canadians. There were more good players from there than I'd realized.

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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Matt Stairs retires from MLB

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