Omar Vizquel: “This will likely be my last year”

Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com was on hand today when Blue Jays shortstop Omar Vizquel said today that 2012 will likely be his last year:

“This will likely be my last year. My motivation is to challenge myself to play another year. I know every year it starts to get a little harder for yourself and it’s always a challenge to be on a Major League team at an older age. I think as long as time has been going by, I feel more pride of the things I have accomplished in my career.”

Not terribly surprising, but then again, I would have been surprised if he had said such a thing at any point in the past five years. Dude began pro ball in 1984. He made his major league debut before I got my driver’s license. He’s got some miles on that odometer.

With over 2,800 career hits, 11 gold gloves and a reputation among everyone on the planet not named Jose Mesa as being a great guy, I have this feeling he’s going to go into the Hall of Fame someday. Does he deserve it? Eh, on this I agree with Matthew. But as we’ve seen with a lot of guys, deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it. And frankly, the world won’t end if he does make it to Cooperstown.