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| Photo Credit: The Baseball Scholar |
By Zane
Miller
Born on September
24th, 1964, future MLB first baseman Rafael Palmeiro found himself
drafted in the eighth round of the 1982 MLB draft by the New York Mets
following a successful high school baseball career at Miami Jackson High School
in Miami, Florida. Rather than take the Mets’ offer, though, Palmeiro opted to
go into college, playing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the Southeastern
Conference. Even though he came into the 1983 NCAA season with plenty of hype
as a fairly high draft pick for a high schooler, his time in college baseball
would still exceed expectations.
At
Mississippi State, Palmeiro started off his college career strong with 95 hits,
78 RBIs and 18 home runs, playing in all 57 games as a freshman outfielder.
This outstanding effort also allowed Palmeiro to collect an insane batting
average above .400, batting .406 with a mere 11 strikeouts at season’s end, as he
was named Freshman Player of the Year to go along with first-team All-American
honors. The Bulldogs ended the year with a 17-5 conference record to win the
Western Division and reach the SEC Tournament. The team took care of business
against the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers, winning 5-3 and 9-4
respectively to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the finals. Palmeiro, who
registered a two-RBI game against Florida, saved his best performance of the
tournament for Alabama with two more RBIs on four hits. Despite Mississippi
State having a pair of four-run leads, they were unable to put away Alabama, who
scored the title-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to hand the
Bulldogs the 10-9 loss.
Despite
losing the SEC championship, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Mississippi State
as they were still invited to the NCAA tournament as part of the Central
Regional bracket. The Bulldogs advanced past the Tulane Green Wave and Texas
Longhorns, winning 4-2 and 6-2 respectively, to face the Texas-Pan American
Broncs (now Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros) in what was essentially the
regional semifinals. Palmeiro knocked in four more hits with another RBI as the
Bulldogs came back from a 5-0 deficit to win 7-5 and make their way to the best-of-three
regional finals, which would be a rematch against Texas as they had qualified
via the losers’ bracket. However, the rematch would not go well for the
Bulldogs, getting shut out 7-0 in the first game before suffering a 12-3
blowout in game two. Palmeiro struggled in the finals, mustering just one hit
and an RBI in the two-game set.
Although
1983 ended on a sour note, Palmeiro and Mississippi State still had a lot to
look forward to in the 1984 season. In 61 games, he again dominated with 98
hits, 94 RBIs and 29 homers, posting a .415 batting average in the process. This
enabled Palmeiro to become the first triple crown winner in SEC history, naturally
retaining his title as first-team All-American at the outfielder position.
Mississippi State won the Western Division title once again with a 18-5
conference record, but their SEC tournament bid got off to a rough start after
losing the first round to Tennessee 13-11. The Bulldogs defeated Alabama 8-4 in
the losers’ bracket, but fell to the Volunteers again in the following round by
a score of 8-3, ending their tournament. Nonetheless, Mississippi State would
have a chance at redemption in the NCAA tournament, with a home field advantage
to boot as the South II regional bracket was held on campus in Starkville. The
team started the double-elimination tournament behind the 8-ball after losing
to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round, but rebounded with
victories against the New Orleans Privateers and Eastern Kentucky Colonels to
set up a rematch against South Carolina. The Bulldogs wouldn’t be caught off
guard again, winning in an 18-9 blowout with Palmeiro exploding for five hits
and four RBIs. The team faced New Orleans again for the regional finals, but the
Privateers completed the upset with a 6-3 win, taking their only regional championship
to this day.
Palmeiro’s
stats took a bit of a dip during his junior season in 1985, though they were
still quite respectable as he got 75 hits, 67 RBIs and 20 home runs in 65 total
games. Even so, he was named a first-team All-American outfielder for the third
consecutive season. Mississippi State was unable to capture the Western
Division three-peat, losing to the LSU Tigers by just one game, but still made
it into the SEC tournament with a 16-8 record in-conference. The Bulldogs drew
Florida in the opening round, pulling away late to win 8-3 as Palmeiro drove in
two RBIs with one hit. In the semifinals, they would face their canine
counterparts in the Georgia Bulldogs, but Mississippi State would get the 2-0
shutout win thanks to a brilliant pitching performance by Gene Morgan. The two
teams would face each other in the championship game after Georgia won their
losers’ bracket game against Florida, but it would be Mississippi State winning
8-3 to take their second SEC crown in program history. Palmeiro added a hit in
the championship game, but the victory was a true team effort as every player
in the Mississippi State lineup recorded at least one hit.
A week and
a half after earning the conference title, the Bulldogs were invited to the
NCAA tournament yet again, playing in the South I Regional bracket. The team
easily handled the West Virginia Mountaineers 10-1 in the first round, then
took down New Orleans 8-4 to reach the regional finals matchup with the Michigan
Wolverines. The Wolverines proved in the first game that they would be tough to
handle, taking a 14-6 win to put Mississippi State on the ropes. Fortunately
for the Bulldogs, they only needed to win the second game of the finals to
advance to the College World Series, as Michigan had lost a game earlier in the
tournament. Now refocused, the Bulldogs left no doubt who would be moving on,
as they claimed a 16-5 lead after six innings. With Palmeiro contributing four
RBIs on a pair of hits and a walk, Mississippi State wrapped up the regionals
with an exclamation point, winning game two in a 19-8 beatdown. The team got
off to a good start in the CWS, beating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 12-3 in the
first round and bumping off the Arkansas Razorbacks 5-4, before falling in
back-to-back games to Texas and the Miami Hurricanes, losing 12-7 and 6-5
respectively to exit the tournament just short of making the finals.
Now with
plenty of college experience under his belt, Palmeiro would forgo his senior
season for a chance to become a first-round pick in the 1985 draft. While some
teams likely had concerns about his drop in production in his most recent year,
the Chicago Cubs would take a chance on the outfielder with the 22nd
overall pick, getting taken just before the end of the first round. Palmeiro
wouldn’t waste any time in signing with his new organization, nor would the
Cubs brass waste any time in getting him to Illinois as he became a starting
outfielder for the Class A Midwest League’s Peoria Chiefs for the remainder of
1985.
In 73
games for Peoria, Palmeiro contributed 83 hits with 51 RBIs and five home runs,
helping the Chiefs to the South Division crown at a 75-65 record. The opening
round saw the team take on the Beloit Brewers and win two games to one, setting
up a five-game series against the Kenosha Twins for the Midwest League title.
However, Peoria would ultimately come up short as the Twins took the series
three games to one. Nonetheless, Palmeiro was on the fast track to reaching the
major leagues, being called up to the Class AA Pittsfield Cubs in the Eastern
League for the bulk of the 1986 season.
Sitting in
western Massachusetts, the city of Pittsfield is known for having one of the
oldest operating baseball stadiums in Wahconah Park, built in 1919. However, its
most unique feature came to be a detriment as it was built with home plate
facing west, rather than north-south as is the case with most other outdoor
parks. The extra glare from the sun did not impede Palmeiro, though, as he amassed
156 hits, 95 RBIs and 12 homers in 140 games played to earn the Eastern League
MVP award. The Pittsfield Cubs went on to finish with a 76-64 record, thanks in
large part to Palmeiro’s production, but were knocked out in the first round of
the playoffs by the Vermont Reds. The disappointment of losing out on a
potential MiLB title was likely short-lived for Palmeiro, however, as just a few
short days later, he was called up to the big leagues to close out the 1986
season with the Cubs proper, making his debut on September 8th
against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In his 22
games on the 70-90 Cubs squad, Palmeiro nabbed 18 hits, 12 RBIs and three home
runs for a solid warm-up to his MLB career. However, he was unable to make the
opening day roster after spring training in 1987, instead starting out the year
at the Class AAA level with the Iowa Cubs. In Des Moines, Palmeiro entered 57
games and posted a total of 64 hits, 41 RBI and 11 home runs before earning his
call-up for good in mid-June. This proved to be a notable loss for Iowa, who
ended up missing the American Association playoffs at 64-74.
In
Palmeiro’s absence, the Cubs started off at a respectable 34-29 record, with veteran
outfielder Jerry Mumphrey and utility man Brian Dayett splitting starts in left
field. However, with Palmeiro now in the picture, left field became a
three-headed monster with each getting a substantial amount of playing time there
the rest of the way. Appearing in 84 games, Palmeiro had another impressive
stint with 61 hits, 30 RBIs and 14 home runs. Despite this, the Cubs were
unable to keep their winning record, ending the 1987 season at 76-85. With the
team desperate for their first winning season in four years, Palmeiro was named
the starting left fielder for 1988, ending the three-outfielder experiment.
The 1988
season was also a notable year for the Cubs in particular, as this was the
first in which their home park of Wrigley Field would play night games due to
the new and somewhat controversial installation of lights at the nearly 75-year-old
facility. In his first season as an everyday starter, Palmeiro contributed an
impressive 178 hits in his 152 games played, though his power numbers were a
far cry from what they would become with just eight home runs and 53 RBIs on
the season. Chicago remained a below average team despite the changes to their
stadium, going 77-85 and finishing well out of contention for the NL East crown.
By this point, the Cubs were looking for a roster shakeup to break out of their
run of mediocrity, eventually finding a team willing to oblige in the Texas
Rangers. In December 1988, the two clubs announced a massive nine-player trade,
sending Palmeiro and pitchers Jamie Moyer and Drew Hall over to the Lone Star
State in exchange for veteran infielder Curt Wilkerson, reliever Mitch Williams
and four minor league prospects.
To start
off the 1989 season with his new club, Palmeiro would wear a jersey number
other than 25 for the only time in his MLB career (with the exception of Jackie
Robinson Day games), using #3 as his familiar number was already taken by longtime
Ranger Buddy Bell, who was making his grand return to the Dallas area after
being traded midway through the 1985 season. However, after Bell retired early
in the year, Palmeiro reverted back to #25 for good. As for the season itself, manager
Bobby Valentine opted to move Palmeiro away from the outfield for the first
time in his career, naming him the new starting first baseman to replace the recently
departed Pete O’Brien. This proved to be more than a temporary change, as
Palmeiro went on to play first base full-time for the rest of his career. He
would still struggle to hit for power with only eight home runs and 64 RBIs in
156 games, but also managed a solid total of 154 hits. The Rangers claimed a final
showing of 83-79, but were still way out of a playoff spot with a fourth-place
finish in the AL West.
As the
1980s came to an end and the 20th century entered into its final
chapter, Palmeiro began to show even more signs of his eventual superstardom.
Though his home run totals only saw minor improvement in 1990 with 14 bombs, his
RBI totals jumped up to 89 on the year while leading the American League in
hits with 191. This was enough for Palmeiro to get his first votes for AL MVP,
but still had a ways to go for serious consideration. Texas matched their
record to a T from the previous season as they also went 83-79 to start off the
‘90s, but likewise came up well short of a playoff spot. The 1991 season was
even more of a career turning point for Palmeiro, as he nearly doubled his previous
high in homers with 26 on the campaign. He also captured what would be his career
high in hits, amassing an impressive 203, though this was not a league-leading
total as that belonged to Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Paul Molitor with
216. Interestingly, despite the massive increase in home runs, Palmeiro’s RBI
totals actually went down slightly in 1991, getting 88 as the team claimed an
85-77 record. Though the Rangers were still consistently posting winning
seasons, they finished 10 games back of the division-winning Minnesota Twins,
who also went on to win the World Series that season.
For 1992,
Palmeiro’s RBI and home run remained about the same, getting 85 and 22
respectively. However, his total hits took a noticeable drop-off, hitting 163 despite
playing in 159 games, the same as his games played from a year prior. The
Rangers as a whole had a bit of an off year, flip-flopping their 1991 record at
77-85. However, both Palmeiro and the Rangers would have a convincing response in
the 1993 campaign. In the send-off season for Arlington Stadium, which had been
the team’s home since relocating from Washington, DC, in 1972, Palmeiro popped
off for 37 home runs and 105 RBIs, both of which being career highs at that
point. He also nabbed 176 hits in his 160 games, enabling him to take the
eighth spot in the AL MVP race. Palmeiro’s best game of 1993 came on July 15th
against the Detroit Tigers, as he hit two home runs with four hits and four RBI
as Texas claimed the 12-7 victory. He also happened to reach some notable
career milestones during this season, as his 1000th hit, 500th
RBI and 100th home run all occurred in 1993.
Also,
despite not being directly involved with the play, I also feel obligated to
mention him having a front row seat on May 26th for arguably the
most well-known regular season defensive blooper in MLB history. Holding down
first base against the Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians), Palmeiro
watched on as Cleveland designated hitter Carlos Martinez smacked a Kenny
Rogers pitch to deep right-center field, which right fielder Jose Canseco
attempted to track down for the out. Instead, comedy gold ensued as the ball bonked
Canseco directly on the forehead and bounded over the outfield wall for
Martinez’s 23rd career home run. Jokes aside, the Rangers took a
major step forward, collecting an 86-76 record, but were held out of the
playoffs yet again, finishing second in the division to the Chicago White Sox. With
that, the Rangers were set to move into their brand-new ballpark in Arlington,
imaginatively named The Ballpark in Arlington, but Palmeiro would not be making
the move with them.
During the
offseason, the Rangers were unable to work out a new contract with Palmeiro, leading
to the star first baseman inking a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. His
first season in the Charm City was a successful one, knocking in 139 hits, 76
RBIs and 23 home runs while playing in all but one of the team’s 112 games. Unfortunately,
the 1994 season came to an early conclusion due to a players’ strike in
mid-August, with no postseason being played. However, the Orioles were
certainly in the mix for a playoff berth at 63-49 at the time of the stoppage,
with a division realignment prompting MLB to add a wild card spot, thus
increasing the total number of playoff seeds from four to eight.
In 1995,
the strike rolled on deep into what would have been spring training, but was
eventually brought to an end in early April. This necessitated another
shortened season at 144 games for each team, though Palmeiro didn’t let this
stop him from crossing the 100-RBI mark once again. Playing in 143 games for
the Orioles, Palmeiro set a new career high of 39 home runs for 104 RBIs,
collecting 172 hits in the process. Understandably, his strong on-field
production was somewhat overshadowed by the incredible feat of teammate Cal
Ripken Jr., who set the new MLB record for most consecutive games played in
September of that same season. The 1995 Orioles squad was definitely not
remembered for their final record, which came in at 71-73 despite a late-season
surge. The upcoming season would be a different story.
Palmeiro
was firing on all cylinders by 1996, playing in all 162 games for the first time
in his career. Looking at his stats from this year, it makes a lot of sense why
the Orioles didn’t want to take him out of the lineup, as he matched his total
of 39 home runs and secured 181 hits while blowing his previous career best in
RBIs out of the water at 142. Not only that, he also bolstered his plate
discipline, accumulating a career-high 95 walks.
Palmeiro’s
most notable single game performance occurred on May 17th in a wild
home game against the Seattle Mariners, with Palmeiro driving in six RBIs on
five hits and a home run. The Orioles held on to triumph in a 14-13 slugfest, as
catcher Chris Hoiles jacked a walk-off grand slam with his team down three runs,
becoming just the 19th player in the World Series era to do so. This
turned out to be a good omen for how the remainder of the Orioles’ regular
season would go. After a decade in the major leagues, Palmeiro was finally
going to the playoffs as Baltimore took the American League Wild Card spot with
an 88-74 record.
In the
opening round of the playoffs, the Orioles faced off against the AL Central-winning
Indians in a five-game set, with the first two games being held in Baltimore
while any subsequent games would be played in Cleveland as needed. The Orioles
capitalized on their early home field advantage by winning both of their Camden
Yards contests, then bounced back from a game three loss by winning 4-3 in 12
innings the following afternoon to clinch the series. Against the Indians,
Palmeiro drove in three hits with two RBIs and a home run, though he failed to
reach base in the game three loss. The Orioles would face their division rival in
the AL Championship Series for a chance at making the World Series for the
first time in 13 years, starting out on the road against the New York Yankees.
Palmeiro
started the seven-game series with a bang on October 9th, collecting three hits,
two walks and a homer, though it only led to one RBI. Struggling to capitalize
on Palmeiro’s strong showing, the Orioles watched as the Yankees tied the game
in the eighth inning, eventually winning it 5-4 in extras to get the early
jump. The next day, Palmeiro managed just one hit, but made it count with a
go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh. This time, Baltimore got the job
done, winning 5-3 to tie the series. After game two, however, Palmeiro went ice
cold offensively, being held hitless for the remainder of the series.
Predictably, the Orioles lost all three games (despite being at home) with
their franchise first baseman being held in check, granting the Yankees the
five-game series win and a World Series berth, which they would eventually win
over the Atlanta Braves.
Although
the 1996 postseason run ended with disappointment, Palmeiro was ready to bounce
back in 1997. Playing nearly the entire slate of games at 158, he smacked 156
hits and 38 home runs for 110 RBIs on the season. Not only that, Palmeiro also
received accolades for his defensive play, securing his first career Gold Glove
as the AL’s top defensive first baseman. With their exceptional 98-64 record,
the Orioles earned the AL East title for the first time since their World
Series-winning 1983 campaign, and would have home-field advantage in the ALDS against
an up-and-coming Mariners club.
With the
first round of the playoffs getting underway right as the calendar turned to
October, the Orioles made relatively quick work of Seattle, winning both of the
first two games by scores of 9-3, before ending the series in game four with a
3-1 victory. Interestingly, Palmeiro did not start in both game one and game
four, with manager Davey Johnson instead starting Jerome Walton (who had
primarily played as a center fielder throughout his career) at first base.
Regardless, in both cases Palmeiro was moved back to his normal spot by the
fifth inning, but this did reduce his at-bats slightly for the opening round.
After posting three hits against the Mariners, Palmeiro went right back to work
versus the Indians for a World Series ticket. In what would be a six-game ALCS,
he contributed seven hits, two RBIs and a home run, but it wouldn’t be enough as
Cleveland advanced after grinding out a 1-0 game six win in 11 innings.
With
Palmeiro now beginning to get used to making the playoffs, but obviously
getting tired of getting denied with the Commissioner’s Trophy in sight, the
Florida native looked to get the O’s back in position in 1998. Palmeiro did his
part, playing in all 162 contests while grabbing a new career high in homers
with 43. Of course, Palmeiro’s thunder in this regard was stolen by the Mark
McGwire-Sammy Sosa home run chase going on that same season, but, along with
Palmeiro’s 121 RBIs and 183 hits, he would score the AL Silver Slugger Award as
the best offensive first baseman. While no individual game jumps out as
Palmeiro’s best from this season, my vote goes to his July 17th performance
against the Anaheim (now Los Angeles) Angels, as he drove in all four Baltimore
runs thanks to his three hits, a walk and a home run in the team’s 4-1 triumph.
The 1998 season also saw him claim his 1,000th career RBI in a 9-8
10-inning home win against the Mariners on June 2nd.
If the
Silver Slugger wasn’t enough already, he would also maintain his Gold Glove
from the previous year, being hit with just nine total errors despite appearing
in 159 games at first base. However, the Orioles as a whole had a disappointing
campaign, missing the playoffs at 79-83. Despite achieving the Gold
Glove-Silver Slugger single-season combo for the first time in his career, Palmeiro’s
time in the Old Line State was up for the time being as he left in free agency.
He didn’t need to test the waters for very long, as just a few weeks into the
offseason, it was announced that Palmeiro would be returning to a familiar
franchise.
Now
embarking on his second stint with the Rangers in 1999, Palmeiro would be
switching full-time positions for a third time, though he wouldn’t be on
defense much at all as he was named the starting designated hitter. Lee
Stevens, who had been the Rangers’ primary DH the year before, took over first
base for the bulk of the playing time. This would be far from the only
downright odd decision relating to Palmeiro’s 1999 season. Once he took to the
batter’s box, though, Palmeiro provided what he had delivered in Baltimore and
then some, finishing with his highest MVP vote standing of fifth after
contributing a personal best 148 RBIs on 183 hits and 47 home runs. Even
amongst a field of players who’s literal one job is to hit, Palmeiro still
stood out enough to score the Silver Slugger for the second year in a row.
However, the other award he won in 1999 was certainly more dumbfounding, as he
was credited with his third Gold Glove as a first baseman, despite only playing
28 games at that position. The head-scratching choice is still regarded as one
of the worst award decisions in pro sports history, let alone MLB history. Even
Palmeiro himself was at a loss for words, saying that he simply laughed upon
hearing the news. Comicality notwithstanding, this meant that Palmeiro had
become one of just a handful of players to win both the Gold Glove and Silver
Slugger simultaneously in back-to-back seasons.
Returning to
the offensive side, Palmeiro’s best game from 1999 came in interleague play
against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 5th, as he swatted a pair
of home runs (including a grand slam) for a six-RBI performance in a 9-8 Texas
win. Just over a month earlier on May 2nd, he collected career hit
#2,000 in an 8-6 victory. Along with Palmeiro, the Rangers boasted a stacked offense
including AL MVP Ivan Rodriguez and two-time MVP winner Juan Gonzalez, making
it unsurprising that they won the AL West title thanks to a 95-67 record. The
playoffs themselves were not pretty, though, as the team mustered just one run
in a three-game first round sweep by the Yankees. Palmeiro was able to get a
combined three hits and a walk, but had no home runs or RBIs to speak of.
Undaunted,
Palmeiro returned to posting his usual strong numbers in the 2000 season, getting
39 homers, 120 RBIs and 163 hits in 158 games played, while also drawing over
100 walks for the first time in his MLB career. In addition, he was moved back
to his normal role as the starting first baseman for the first time since
rejoining the Rangers, playing there for his 2,000th career game on
June 13th. Fittingly playing against the Orioles in Baltimore, Palmeiro added a
hit and a walk, but the Orioles still came away with a 3-2 win. Later on, the Rangers’
collective offense was dealt a devastating blow with Rodriguez sustaining a
season-ending thumb injury just past the All-Star break. Coupled with the team being
saddled with the league’s worst pitching staff at 974 runs allowed, Texas finished
the trying season well outside the playoffs at 71-91. The poor performance
prompted general manager Doug Melvin to make the biggest free agency splash of
the 2000-01 offseason, signing former Mariners star shortstop Alex Rodriguez in
late January at what was the largest contract in pro sports history at the time.
Even with
his new teammate taking most of the attention, Palmeiro had a 2001 season to
remember, matching his career-high total of 47 home runs in his age-36
campaign. Along with 123 RBIs, 163 hits and 101 walks in 160 games, he would
receive MVP votes for the final time in his career, though the Rangers made
little progress in their overall record. The pitching staff remained putrid, pacing
all MLB clubs in runs allowed at 968 and leading to a disappointing 73-89 finish.
Melvin was relieved of general manager duties after the season.
Not much
changed for the Rangers’ fortunes in 2002, missing the playoffs again at 72-90,
but Palmeiro was showing no signs of slowing down as he had another 43 home
runs, 105 RBIs and 149 hits in 155 games, with 104 walks to boot. His fourth
career 40-home run season put him just 10 away from reaching the illustrious
500-home run club, containing just 17 players at the time. While former Rangers
teammate Sammy Sosa beat him to the punch in 2003, hitting his 500th
on April 4th, Palmeiro followed a little over a month later on May
11th. Playing at home against the Indians and with his family in
attendance, he launched a seventh-inning pitch into the right field seats to
officially reach the half-millennium mark as the Rangers went on to win in a
wild 17-10 slugfest. As you can imagine from a score like that, Texas’ pitching
woes remained a glaring issue, finishing as the worst in MLB in that regard for
the fourth straight year. This squandered an MVP season from A-Rod and an
excellent rookie campaign from Mark Teixeira, who took over the starting first
base spot and left Palmeiro as the primary DH once again. In 154 games,
Palmeiro put up 38 dingers, 112 RBIs and 146 hits as the team staggered to a
71-91 finish.
While the
A-Rod era in Arlington came to a close with him being traded to the Yankees
before the 2004 season, it would also be the end of Palmeiro’s second run with
the Rangers. Opting to take his chances as a 39-year-old free agent, he
eventually found a team willing to take him up on the offer, that being none
other than the Orioles. In his second go-around with Baltimore in 2004, Palmeiro
still put up consistent hit totals with 142 in 154 contests. However, his age
showed with his decline in power numbers, claiming 23 home runs and 88 RBIs on
the season. Like the Rangers, the Orioles were stuck in a rut of their own, and
2004 wouldn’t do anything to change that as they missed the postseason at 78-84.
Had
Palmeiro simply cashed in and announced his retirement here, I think there’s a
good chance he would be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame today. However, he
still had some unfinished business coming into the 2005 season as he was 78
hits away from reaching 3,000 for his MLB career. Still serving as the Orioles’
main first baseman, he was providing similar numbers to those from his 2004
season, and was well on pace to make it to hit #3,000. On July 15th,
2005, he did just that on the road against Seattle, drilling a fifth-inning RBI
double in what would be a 6-3 Orioles victory. Freshly minted as the 23rd
member of the World Series era’s 3,000-hit club, Palmeiro seemed poised to ride
off into the sunset with his full-time playing career nearing its end. Of
course, this isn’t what actually happened, and you probably already know where
this is going.
On August
1st, Palmeiro tested positive for steroid use, with MLB handing him
a 10-game suspension. While the suspension itself didn’t have much of an impact
on his final career totals, the suspected steroid use still became an unavoidable
talking point when discussing his career as a whole. To summarize Palmeiro’s
side of the story, he claimed the positive test was a result of a tainted
vitamin supplement given to him by a teammate and denied any intentional
steroid use (he also appealed his suspension, but was denied). Regardless, his
MLB career came to an abrupt end shortly after serving the suspension, returning
to the lineup on August 14th and playing his final game on August 30th.
Officially his season ended early due to a combination of knee and ankle
injuries, but it’s also believed that the fan backlash upon his return from
suspension factored into the decision as well. The Orioles eventually finished the
tumultuous season well outside of playoff contention at 74-88. After getting 18
home runs, 60 RBIs and 98 hits in 110 games on the year, Palmeiro was open to playing
in 2006, but was unable to find a team to join up with, effectively ending his
MLB career at 2,831 games played, 569 home runs, 1,835 RBIs, 1,353 walks and
3,020 hits.
Of course,
Palmeiro’s chances at making the National Baseball Hall of Fame were
significantly hindered by the steroid-related suspension and its implications, though
he was inducted into the Mississippi State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and
the College Baseball Hall of Fame a year later. After becoming Hall of Fame
eligible, his highest vote percentage was 12.6% in 2012, needing 75 percent for
election. Palmeiro was dropped off the ballot in 2014 after failing to reach
five percent, though he had a second chance at induction in 2023 via the
Veteran’s Committee, a panel responsible for inducting players who have been
retired for at least 15 years. Unfortunately for Palmeiro, this also fell
through, but did not stop him from showing up on the field from time to time after
his final MLB game.
In late
2015, Palmeiro made a one-off appearance for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the
independent Atlantic League, scoring two hits and an RBI in a 10-4 win against
the Camden Riversharks. His son, Patrick, was the team’s primary third baseman,
though they would just barely miss the playoffs at a 68-71 record. In 2018,
Palmeiro made a more serious comeback attempt, playing 31 games for the
American Association’s Cleburne Railroaders in an effort to climb his way back
to the major leagues at 53 years of age. Had he been successful, Palmeiro would
have been the first player since Minnie Minoso in 1980 to play at the MLB level
after their 50th birthday, but it wasn’t meant to be as no MLB teams
came calling. Still, Palmeiro was able to collect decent stats with Cleburne, adding
six home runs, 21 RBIs and 31 hits in his 31 games. This stop also allowed him
to join forces with son Patrick once again, though the father-son duo were
unable to get the Railroaders into the postseason as they finished with a
record of 32-66.
After the
2018 experiment, Palmeiro appears to be retired for good as he hasn’t played in
an organized game since. However, his youngest son Preston had a multi-year pro
baseball career of his own after being selected by the Orioles in the seventh
round of the 2016 draft. Most notably, Preston Palmeiro was a member of the 2019
Bowie (now Chesapeake) Baysox team which reached the Eastern League finals,
playing in 105 games as the team’s starting first baseman. However, the Baysox couldn’t
grab the title, losing in four games to the Trenton Thunder. He was also prominent
fixture on the 2022 Rocket City Trash Pandas, who finished with the Southern
League’s best overall record that year at 81-57, but couldn’t translate it into
postseason success as they fell to the Tennessee (now Knoxville) Smokies in the
first round. Nonetheless, the Palmeiro family still maintains a presence in
baseball today, with Rafael being one of the best hitters in college baseball
history, but also among the best hitters to never make it to the World Series.
