A moment of silence for Jim Hendry's Barrel.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/alfonso-soriano-announces-retirement.html

Longtime big leaguer Alfonso Soriano has annunced his retirement from the game, reports Hector Gomez of Dominican outlet Listin Diario (via Twitter). The 38-year-old played in parts of 16 MLB seasons, including thirteen as a full-time regular.

Soriano was once one of the most consistent power threats in the game. Between 2002 and 2013, Soriano averaged 624 trips to the plate per season, slashing .273/.324/.511. He hit 385 home runs (32 per year) and stole 243 bags (20 a season) over that stretch.

Soriano appeared in seven straight All Star games (2002-08). While generally subpar defensive marks hurt his overall value, Soriano was ultimately worth just under 40 fWAR in his career, though he checked in at less than 30 rWAR.

The Dominican native started and ended his career in pinstripes, joining the Yankees after an early-career stint in Japan. He was later dealt to the Rangers and then on to the Nationals, where he moved from second to the outfield, and ultimately signed an eight-year, $136MM deal with the Cubs.

That massive contract had its ups and downs, but Soriano ultimately swung an above average bat in every year except for a rough 2009. He spent the tail end of the deal back in New York after a deadline deal, delivering an excellent stretch of play late in 2013. But he struggled to get it going last year, and was ultimately cut loose by the Yanks in mid-season.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Mariano Rivera choked away what should have been one of the biggest homeruns in World Series history (Soriano, to take lead in the 8th inning of Game 7 of 2002 W.S.)

I also was pleased as punch that Arizona won, so I don't keep that top of mind. I would agree with that assessment though.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

The one thing that I will remember about Sori's time here is his amazing performance in the playoffs. Sori's english was pretty good except he kept choking on the word clutch. Of course,there is no such thing as clutch in Bernsie's world.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

great career from a good guy

I always thought he was a me type guy but he bent for the good of the team both in Washington and Chicago

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Yes,but it took him too long to figure it out here. Why did Cub fans have to wait 4 years to watch his OF play finally improve? I liked him overall though.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Still never reported on the air, but feel free to ask any reporter, this was a 5 year deal by Hendry...and then Johnny McDough stepped in and wanted to know what it would take to get Soriano signed that night and the extra 2 years for $50 mill was tacked on to the deal!!!!!

So those last 2 years of Mega Money, all McBlackhawk. The untouchable one.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

What did he care? He's a Sox fan.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

He received a ton of criticism, some deserved, some not, but he took it about as well as anybody possibly could. He never pointed fingers at the media, or the fans.

The Cubs were still paying him this year.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Worst contract in Chicago history. 8 years and $136m for a WAR of 3.2. Best thing about him was his willingness to call out Zambrano.

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To me,"The worst" would have to include a complete non-performance by the athlete (IE: current Cub Eddy Jackson). Soriano was worth some decent dollars just not what he was getting.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Well he didn't exactly bend when they wanted him out of the leadoff spot but other than that, I agree he handled the critics as well as anyone and never blamed the fans. I believe he gave an honest effort but no way was he going to live up to that deal. Of course, it would all be moot if they would've won or at least made the Series in 08.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

No.
Way.

Not even the worst Cubs contract ever. He produced overall.
He wasn't nearly drunk or lazy enough to have the worst contract ever.

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He also wasn't diabetic enough.....


I agree though. I'm not even sure Soriano is in the top ten of the worst Chicago contracts.

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This one is sure climbing the ranks.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

^^^ Sadly, sure looks to be.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Where are you getting the 3.2 number?

I always remember that first year when he carried the entire team through half of August and all of September into the playoffs.

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You know me like that.

Sadly I remember the October strikeouts

Interesting player. Fans wanted him way back when. Hendry overpaid bidding against himself. Then player is mostly reviled.

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Elections have consequences.

Yea I couldn't stand Hendry but that deal was all McDonough.

I really wanted the Sox to go after him during his Nats days. He got a lot of money from the Cubs, but he was nowhere near as bad as a lot of Cub fans made him out to be. I wouldn't even have been opposed to a big contract for big contract kind of deal with the Sox (or similarly, a trade with $$$/Years being the primary driver that you'd hear speculation about every so often) as he got older and more expensive. I was also a Carlos Zambrano apologist, though.

There are definitely worse things the Cubs could have thrown that money at.

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fock this club. I should manayer.

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Yeah, That smarts, doesn't it? Getting slammed in the nose.

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fock this club. I should manayer.

Baseball Reference, adding oWAR and dWAR (including the last 1.5 years on the contract with the Yankees).

While he certainly doesn't merit a spot in the pantheon of all-time assholes who have played for the Cubs, he did have his share of dickish behavior (complaining that he wasn't given advance notice of a day off, whining about his spot in the lineup, insisting on doing the hop in left, etc.). Nothing major, but amplified because he was being paid like an MVP candidate but only producing like someone making a third or half as much.

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That's not exactly how WAR is calculated

His WAR was 8.1 over the last 8 years. Not that it's a huge difference.