Happy Trails, Jim Edmonds…
Could this man’s career be close to an end? Center fielder Jim Edmonds, 37, was released by San Diego after his batting average dipped to .178 and he struggled to track down fly balls.
The 37-year-old Edmonds was hardly the only struggling player on the team with the worst record in the big leagues. His struggles were glaring enough, though, that San Diego released him on Friday, a move that will cost the Padres approximately $4.7 million.
The Padres viewed Edmonds as a one-year stopgap in center field and he didn’t even last six weeks.
and…
While Edmonds once made spectacular catches while with the Cardinals and Angels, he simply couldn’t catch up to fly balls or had them hit over his head.
Towers said Edmonds was “very apologetic” when he and manager Bud Black informed him of the move.
“He said he felt great this winter, was in the best shape he’d been in a long time, and thought he was going to have a real, real good year,” Towers said. “He apologized to us for not performing at the level he was accustomed to as well. We assured him it wasn’t just Jim Edmonds. He wasn’t the only reason why this club is struggling now. It’s a handful of things right now.”
Edmonds, who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series, didn’t return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment.
Edmonds’ salary this year is $8 million. The Padres got $2 million from the Cardinals when they acquired Edmonds on Dec. 15 for minor league third baseman David Freese.
It would be shame if he went out of the game soon — always one of my favorite players, he did things right and was a hardcore ballplayer…
Leave a Reply