Although we don’t often post non-Dodger related articles here on ThinkBlueLA, occasionally there are stories within our beloved game that are worthy of mention. Such is the case with the recent announcement that 16-year MLB journeyman Mark DeRosa has decided to hang up his spikes.

DeRosa played for the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Giants, Nationals, Indians, Cardinals and Blue Jays. (Photo credit – Kim Klement)

It’s no secret that retiring from major league baseball is, hands down, the most difficult decision that any professional baseball player will ever have to make. Unfortunately, that decision is all too often made too late and frequently comes on the heels of several very bad (and usually injury-ridden) seasons and invariably does little more than diminish their overall career numbers.

I vividly recall Steve Finley leaving the game after 19 MLB seasons (at age 42) hitting a rather dismal .222, .246 and .181 in his final three season – this after hitting his dramatic and historic walk-off grand slam on the final day of the 2004 season to clinch the NL West title for the Dodgers over the hated Giants. Many consider Finley’s epic grand slam retribution for the devastating Bobby Thompson home run that knocked the Dodgers out of the 1951 World Series. But by staying in the game three additional seasons, Finley knocked four points off his career batting average and left the game hitting .271 instead of a highly sought-after .275.

In contrast, Luis Gonzalez retired from the game after 19 seasons (at age 40) hitting .271, .278 (with the Dodgers) and .261 in his final three season to finish with a very respectable .283 career batting average. The difference is that Gonzo realized that remaining in the game would only hurt his team and diminish his career number, not to mention block a youngster from making it to the big leagues.

Much like Luis Gonzalez did, Mark DeRosa is clearly going out the right way at the right time and can hold his head high.

Although DeRosa’s career number weren’t as flashy as Finley’s or Gonzo’s, he finished up with a triple slash of .268/.340/.412 with exactly 100 career home runs and 494 RBIs. But his numbers aside, there will always be two things that I will forever remember Mark DeRosa for.

First and foremost is that DeRosa was a member of Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2009. And while the WBC may not mean much to a lot of people, it does to me and I was proud that Team USA made it into the semifinal round game played at Dodger Stadium on March 22, 2009 against Team Japan. Even though Team USA lost by an ugly score of  9 to 4, I was proud of every member of Team USA regardless of what team they came from. (WBC trivia – J.P. Howell was a member of Team USA in 2009, as were Ted Lilly and Jonathan Broxton).

DeRosa says that playing for Team USA in the 2009 WBC is one of the proudest moments of his 16 year MLB career. (Photo credit – Frank Gunn)

My second memory of Mark DeRosa is also related to the 2009 WBC semifinal game. During batting practice for the game, I was blessed to catch a Mark DeRosa BP home run ball on the fly. And though I was never fortunate enough to get the ball signed by Mark, I was ecstatic to have gotten a WBC ball off the bat of a Team USA player. Ironically, I got two additional WBC BP home run balls (not on the fly) and gave one to a fan of Team Japan who didn’t speak a word of English. He didn’t need to, however, as the expression on his face when I handed him the ball said all that needed to be said. I gave the other one to Bill Craig, a longtime Dodger Stadium employee and a dear friend of mine.

Mark DeRosa’s 2009 WBC BP home run ball is among my most cherished. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Whatever the next chapter of Mark DeRosa’s life may bring to him, I wish him nothing but the very best.

Thanks for the great memories, Mark.