Do You Remember...

Felix Jose???


Yes, that Felix Jose???

I only ask this above question because I just saw him play this evening. He is currently a member of the Schaumburg Flyers, an independent minor league team in the Northern League. In this evening's game against the Kansas City T-Bones (no, I'm not making that name up...), he went 1 for five (a double) with one RBI in the Flyers 11-7 loss. But forget for a moment the score for a moment, and realize that Felix Jose, now 44 years old, who last played in the majors in 2003 as a member of the Diamondbacks, is still playing baseball.

So I have to ask...

How did an all-star Caliber (as a member of the Cardinals in 1991, hence the use of his 1991 card in the picture for this article), with more than 11 years of service time in the majors, find himself in the northwest suburbs of Chicago???

Quite a long way from his heyday as a third in the All-Henderson outfield in Oakland. Quite a long time away from his All-Star year in 1991. He has been playing everywhere since his last appearance in Phoenix. From Korea, to Mexico, from Calgary to Schaumburg, he has kept himself busy over the years, and still produces for the teams he plays for.

He still can hit the ball and at last check, was leading the league in batting average. Heck, he hit a robust .391 with Calgary the year before. Even Felix admitted that after that campaign, he didn't want to end his career. He is presently giving advice to his Schaumburg teammates as a player with his experience should. Through it all, he has kept himself healthy, and looks forward to the day where he can retire.

It's just that he's just not ready to do that yet.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama