Jim Edmonds has decided to play in 2011 in what will be his 18th big league season and ninth with the Cardinals.
Edmonds agreed to a minor league deal yesterday with the Cards and received an invitation to spring training.
Despite earlier rumors that Edmonds was seriously considering retirement, the 40-year-old is returning to the place where he made a name for himself from 2000 to 2007.
In my previous article about Edmonds, I highlighted his fantastic career and all of his major accomplishments. However, he is very close to a few milestones.
He definitely has something to motivate him this season. He is just seven home runs shy of 400 for his career and 51 hits shy of 2,000. Now, neither of these numbers are the benchmark for Hall of Fame voting, but they are impressive milestones all the same.
We also can’t overlook the fact that he may just be returning so he can retire as a Cardinal. Whether it be during spring training, the regular season or after the season, he will be retiring as a Cardinal.
Edmonds is fourth on the career Cardinals home run list with 241, leads the franchise in postseason RBI with 41, and postseason games played with 61. Edmonds is a fan favorite and one of the great all-time Cardinals, so choosing to return is a smart decision.
This one-year deal does nothing to affect his Hall of Fame chances. Assuming he makes the team and reaches both of the aforementioned milestones, it could even help his cause.
He may have lost a step or two in the outfield over the past few seasons, but he still brings the glove to the park every single game. He’ll be playing all three outfield positions this summer, and even spelling Albert Pujols every so often at first base.
“Jimmy Ballgame” is back and motivated, but his career won’t be lasting too much longer.
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