The Quiet Assassin--Rafael Palmeiro

by Adam Ulrey

Growing up I was a big Robin Yount fan. Year after year he would put up great numbers and go basically unnoticed. Then all of a sudden two years ago he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Rightly so though, but during his career he was never treated like a superstar even though he was one. Even on his own team he often played second fiddle to some of his more high profile teammates. Today there is a player approaching some mind-boggling stats where only a few have gone before. His name is Rafael Palmeiro. For his entire career he has put up tremendous numbers only to see all the publicity go to one of his teammates. Every team he has been on has had a superstar player that steals the headlines. First in Texas it was Juan Gonzalez. Then he moved on to Baltimore where Cal Ripken Jr. was his teammate. Then he goes back to Texas and there's Pudge Rodriguez, one of the best catchers of all-time and now Alex Rodriguez, who is only the best player in the game today. Palmeiro just seems to get lost behind all the hoopla and yet he will go down as one of the best all-around players in the history of the game. All he has done over the last seven years is average 42 homers, over 120 RBIs and 171 hits per season. Last year alone at the ripe age of 37 he hit 49 homers to tie Jim Thome for second in the American League. He also had over 120 RBIs for the fourth year in a row. You are also talking about a very durable player who has averaged 160 games played over the last six-years.

He is known as one of the better clubhouse leaders, especially with Latin ballplayers. He is revered like a father figure. In a time when we see a lot of overpaid million dollar whiners who never put up the stats that got them the money once they get their money, you don't get that with Palmeiro. He has played 16 seasons but has only been a regular 14 of those years. So let's take a look at his last fourteen years and break them up into halves to illustrate how he is like a fine wine that gets better with age. His first seven years up through the age of 30 he averaged 20 homers, 80 RBIs and a .300 batting average. Since he turned 30, when most players are slowing down a little bit, he has put his game into another gear. He has averaged 42 homers, 124 RBIs, 171 hits and a .290 average over the last seven seasons. He has finished in the top seven in total bases every year but one since 1993. He has finished in the top ten in homers nine years in a row and just fell three short of winning his first homer title last year to his teammate Alex Rodriguez with his 49. You also must take into consideration that he is one of the best fielding first basemen in the game, having won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1997-1999. All of this from a great athlete who started out as an outfielder in the Cubs organization before being converted to a first basemen.

He is on the verge of joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Eddie Murray as the only players to hit 500 homers and reach 3,000 hits. This is a very elite club Palmeiro is right on the doorstep. Many people reading this article will be surprised to know that he is only 53 homers away from 500 and just 518 hits away from cracking 3,000. If you take just his averages over the last seven years he should reach 500 homers in 2003 and 3,000 hits late in 2004. He has 1470 RBIs for his career and if he just averages 100 RBIs for the next three years he will move into the top 15 of all-time. When you think of the names of Mays, Aaron and Murray you automatically think of Hall of Famers. If he stays healthy you will see that small fraternity welcome a new member, one Rafael Palmeiro.