Should I Play or Should I Go? Evaluating the 10 Major Leaguers over 40

Baseball is a sport unlike others when it comes to age. If you're 40 and a basketball player, you're done unless you have extreme ability or are just playing a few minutes a game. If you're 40 and a football player, you're either retired, a kicker/punter, or Brett Favre.

Regularly though, ballplayers will play well into their 40s, and play well at that. Julio Franco hung around forever, as did Nolan Ryan.

There are currently 10 ballplayers over 40 who have been active this season. How many will continue their trend and play until 42, 45, or even a bit further?

Takashi Saito

Saito is the youngest on the list, at 40 years, three months. He was the Rookie of the Year when he was 36, and his pitching remains solid. He hasn't had a season ERA over 2.50, and he's been pitching fairly well for Atlanta.

He has 18 games under his belt this season, and while he probably can't be used in 60-plus games again like he used to, he is still reliable enough to keep around a couple more years, especially if his strikeout-to-walk ratio remains as good as it has been.

Projected Final Season: 2012

This could just as easily be overstating as understating. If he remains in a smaller bullpen role in the future then that will add a couple of extra years to his stat line.

Mariano Rivera

As I've stated before, Rivera's 2010 season has been nothing short of dominant. Of course he's allowed a run in his past three outings, but that's going to happen. At 40 years, 6 months, he has shown that he still has it, though.

As long as he can still close games and keep an ERA under 3.00, he will remain the Yankees' closer. The only thing against him is that I don't see him being the type to hang around until he breaks down.

Projected Final Season: 2013

I think his struggles will get greater in the coming years, and he will know it's time to retire by then. Even if he struggles one year, though, look what happened in 2008 after his 2007 performance. They'll wait and see if lightning strikes twice.

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Speaking of people breaking down...

Ken Griffey is only a week older than Rivera, yet Griffey has just been bad these past two seasons. Unfortunately, he and Don Wakamatsu are the only ones who don't realize he's done. After Mike Sweeney's performance on May 21, he'll mostly have the DH slot to himself.

Projected Final Season: 2010

I would be shocked if he played next year, and who knows if he'll even finish out the season. He's a first ballot Hall of Famer, so he has nothing to be ashamed of.

Arthur Rhodes

There's something about pitchers that makes it easier for them to play later—probably because they don't have to play every game.

As for Rhodes, at 40 years, 7 months, he is having the best season of his career. 18 strikeouts to four walks, a 0.52 ERA, and a WHIP under 0.7 is his stat line. Needless to say, he's found his groove the past few years and looks to remain a force in the bullpen.

Projected Final Season: 2012

Rhodes is in the same situation as Saito. Many bullpen arms can be great one year and awful the next. In both cases, they probably can't afford an awful season as that will likely mean retirement.

Brad Ausmus

At 41 years, one month, Ausmus has shown reliability and consistency by not being on the disabled list...until this season anyway. He only played 36 games last season, and now that he's hobbled by back problems, it might be the end of the line.

He's had a solid career, but unless the Dodgers want to keep him on to mentor Russell Martin (who doesn't really need mentoring) and A.J. Ellis (who needs playing time more than mentoring), he's probably done unless someone gets short on catchers.

Projected Final Season: 2010

Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs, the Man Of 1,000 Teams. Well, minus 988. At 42 years, three months, Stairs has been hanging in there, but has been struggling badly with the Padres. He's had a sub-.200 average the past couple of seasons and his power is starting to diminish.

I could see someone taking a chance on him like the Blue Jays did in 2007 (that worked out well for them), but I think he's out of gas in the tank.

Projected Final Season: 2011

I say 2011 due to the above situation, but realistically it would be a handful of games and more than likely he's done after this season.

Trevor Hoffman

Look at his stats this season.

Who's in agreement that he should pitch game number 1,000, get a nice send-off, and retire? Sounds like a plan. At 42 years and seven months, he's done.

Projected Final Season: 2010

Unless he drastically turns it around this season, he won't even make it to September at this rate, let alone next season.

Omar Vizquel

Yes, he's hitting badly this season, and is only occasionally playing for the White Sox, but teams don't sign him for the hitting. He's in there for his fielding.

Unfortunately, both Texas and Chicago have bumped him around the infield rather than use him at shortstop, the position where he's had his great career. Unlike Stairs or Griffey, you can't throw him into the DH position. If there's no room for him on the field, then that's it for him.

We're up to 43 years and a month now though.

Projected Final Season: 2010

I could see a possible add-in if someone has a struggling shortstop, but I think he'll bow out at season's end—he can't do much these days.

Tim Wakefield

Now we're at the two big guns. 43 years, nine months.

Wakefield has always had fairly high ERAs—that doesn't worry me. What does worry me is his move to the bullpen, as it probably signifies that he does not have much left. Granted, he's probably better than Daisuke right now, but Boston's clearly trying to keep his pitches low and not use him quite as often.

Are they hoping to recapture 2002 or are they phasing him out? It's probably the latter, though if he really wanted to he could pitch until 48, most knuckleballers seem to.

Projected Final Season: 2011

He's got another year left in him I think, but if there's nowhere for Boston to put him, then he would retire before pitching for another team.

Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer is 47 years old. In fact, he's 47.5 years old.

He's still pitching for the Phillies, and not doing too bad of a job either. None of his stats over the past couple of years are really concerning, and he will continue to pitch until he can't, and when no one will sign him. That won't happen unless his stats start looking like Hoffman's.

If he wanted to pitch until 50 and someone wanted to sign him, it would happen. Granted, Phil Niekro pitched fine at 47 but fell apart at 48. Hoyt Wilhelm pitched well at 47 too, but didn't do much after. Same for Julio Franco too.

Projected Final Season: 2011

I would love to see him play when he's 50, but that most likely won't happen. Maybe Atlanta will give him a shot if the Phillies don't next year. After all, they signed Niekro, Wilhelm, and Franco near the end.