Vladimir Guerrero: The Secrets of Aging

Angels’ slugger Vladimir Guerrero recently underwent a mysterious transformation. In a span of 12 months, he’s managed to age two years, though there are no physical signs of change.

Although the happening is rare, there have been a number of sightings across the major leagues. Miguel Tejada, Bartolo Colon, Rafael Furcal, and Ray Ordonez are just a few names that became victims of this phenomenon.

For some, it’s not mysterious at all, and all too common to their tiny speck on a map. It’s an age-old practice in the Caribbean, and my earliest recollection of the occurrence is with a Little League pitcher giving it national exposure.

In 2001, Danny Almonte, like many of his Dominican countrymen, discovered the power of the bat and glove, and its instant reversal of the aging process.

This island version of the fountain of youth didn’t only allow a player to mow down children from a Little League mound, but it escalated interests of talent scouts and men willing to distribute large sums of money for extended periods of time. 

Instead of waiting for the inevitable reversal of fortune, which often accompanies ballplayers in the latter stages of careers, they implemented a reversal “for” fortune to squeeze an additional paycheck.

What does it all mean? Not much in the preliminary years of negotiation, but it may contribute to millions earned at the tail end of diamond careers. It’s no secret that a magic number is present in every sport, in regard to an athlete’s ability and earning potential.

Once a player reaches that number, lengths of contracts are considerably less, and annual earnings may also decline.

It’s similar to the worth of an automobile dropping as the mileage is increased, though in rare cases you’ll find classics that retain their value.

Mark Teixeira’s new mega-contract with the Yankees covers eight years, and he’ll be 36 years old when it expires.

That’s the current age of Manny Ramirez. And as you can see, in Man-Ram’s case, no one was willing to extend him an offer for more than two years.

Vladimir Guerrero is listed as 33 years old, but recently admitted he’s 34. You can call it a slip of the tongue that led to his admission or an inaccurate post in the Angels media guide and other major league sources.

But whatever the reason for the discrepancy, he remains consistent to a trend that doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. Owners and GMs are playing a numbers game, and some players have long prepared themselves to win it.

The Dominican Republic has supplied the major league with some of the biggest stars, and the tiny island nation is one of the favorites to win this year’s edition of the World Baseball Classic.

That alone should draw a large audience, because it’s not everyday you get to see veteran teams defeated by a group of 12-year-olds.

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