Rocco Baldelli Forced To Retire..It's A Damn Shame

Rocco Baldelli, only 29 years old, will announce his retirement from the Tampa Bay Rays today and I think it's a shame an illness can cut down a man in his prime. The most prominent example was the greatest, Lou Gehrig. Rocco said this...

"I don't anticipate ever playing baseball again. I'm retired. The paperwork will be filed. And you know what. The only time I feel like it's good to retire is when you're happy to retire. And I'm happy."

Baldelli became a star with the Rays after his 2003 rookie season. His playing time and ability were interrupted by a strange condition that sapped his energy.

"I don't regret anything. You know what's sad is that I love to play, and I really didn't get a chance to do it as much as I wanted to. But I don't live angrily; I live kind of happy. Why would I look at the negative aspects of everything that I've been through and live the rest of my life talking about those things that aren't the important things to me? The important things to me were all the wonderful things I got to do."

Wow, Rocco, you put that perfectly, straight from your heart. I'm sure you're all familiar with Rocco Baldelli. And I'm sure every one of us wishes him well. Thanks. And thank you Mark Topkin from the St. Petersburg Times.