The middle of the Mets’ batting order during an early spring exhibition game featured Julio Franco, Ruben Sierra and Sandy Alomar Jr., with a combined age of 129.
This spring, Alomar, the former White Sox catcher, is wearing No. 90, not a good sign, particularly for a 40-year-old. New York signed Alomar to a minor-league contract with an invitation to big-league spring training.
No other team even returned his calls in the off-season, and he is keenly aware he has an uphill battle to make the team. Paul Lo Duca is the regular catcher and Ramon Castro is the backup. Unless one of them is traded, the pecking order will remain that way, leaving Alomar out of luck.
He understands the odds he’s facing and is prepared to go home to Chicago and begin life after baseball, although maybe not for long.
“When you turn 40, people don’t want to take chances,” Alomar said, referring to all the teams that did not respond when he was searching for a job over the winter. “But I’ve been healthy for four years. I feel healthy now, and in my mind I can play.”
Alomar, of course, will not have the final say on whether he keeps playing. He doesn’t understand why teams ignore his recent track record and look only at his date of birth.
“The other day, I played six innings,” he said. “I thought I would get a job easily, but I didn’t. I didn’t think age had anything to do with it as long as you stayed in good shape.”
Last year, Alomar made 25 starts behind the plate as the backup with the White Sox and Dodgers. He batted .323 with Los Angeles in 62 at-bats. In 46 at-bats with the Sox, Alomar batted .217 and hit his only home run of the season.
Alomar will continue to plug along in camp, hoping for something good to happen. A catcher who can play solid defense and handle a pitching staff always has a chance to be claimed on waivers if he’s released.
And if not, Alomar is ready.
“I only got an invitation [to spring training], but I wanted to keep myself visible,” he said. “I came here to give myself a chance. The worst thing that can happen is that I’m in the same spot I was in before I got here.”
Alomar does not expect to go to Triple A if the Mets ask him to be their No. 3 catcher.
“I’m not planning to do that,” he said. “If I hadn’t played well last year, then I would go.”
Alomar wants to remain in baseball after he’s done playing, but he’ll take a while to decide what he should be doing.
More Top Picks Planters Indoors
“I’d want to take a year off,” he said. “I’d like to regroup before I come back. Of course, I don’t want people to forget about me. Maybe I would do TV or something. Eventually, I would love to manage.”
Alomar has had feelers from ESPN Deportes and other prospective electronic media employers. Last year, he briefly was engaged as a color analyst for the postseason.
Franco, who will be 49 on Aug. 23, is focused on continuing his career as a first baseman/pinch-hitter.
He is beginning the final season of a two-year contract and expects to reach his goal of playing until he’s 50.
“Julio can still hit,” Alomar said. “I don’t know what fountain of youth that guy found, but it must be real.”