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Veteran Shortstop Trying to Hold Back Time
February 25, 2059: Catalina Island – To say 2058 was a tough year for Larry Barkin is an understatement. It started off well enough, with both the then 35-year-old and the team playing well in April. Then came the quad strain that he first tried to play through, but eventually put him on the shelf for a month. His return didn’t fare well, though, as a string of hamstring issues, tendinitis, and finally a fairly catastrophic groin tear sat him down for the rest of the year.
Will Barkin Return
At Full Power?All in all, Barkin managed only 50 games and 158 plate appearances.
Now, as spring training looms, so do the questions.
Can is now-36-year-old body handle the stresses of shortstop in the BBA? Will his bat, which has been at least steady since the nightmare of his 2056 season come back? With young Keith Williams now looking more ready behind him, and even younger Mitchell Cook in the wings, can he hold onto his spot? Especially given the financial aspect of his contract, which pays him $13M this year and has not one, but two vesting seasons that rely on him seeing 120 games.
“I doubt the money id going to be an issue in Barkin's case,” said Forever Land Sports Network’s Misty Morgan. “Larry is a professional’s professional. Everyone knows the team would love to have him contributing in the way everyone knows he can contribute. But the question is still there. There’s no hiding that he’s getting older, and that despite the recent trends baseball is still mostly a younger person’s game. Coming off what is essentially a lost season has to make you concerned until you see how he looks on the field.”
That is, of course, the real question. Some were saying his sparkling defense was already on the wane, so all eyes will be on him in the first few weeks of spring training.
“All I know to do is play as hard as I can,” Barkin said. “This team was so close to a post-season gig last year, so rather than worry about me and my time here, I’d rather focus on what we can do to make it over the hump this year. The division has just kept getting better, you know? We’ve got a real task in front of us.”
February 25, 2059: Catalina Island – To say 2058 was a tough year for Larry Barkin is an understatement. It started off well enough, with both the then 35-year-old and the team playing well in April. Then came the quad strain that he first tried to play through, but eventually put him on the shelf for a month. His return didn’t fare well, though, as a string of hamstring issues, tendinitis, and finally a fairly catastrophic groin tear sat him down for the rest of the year.
Will Barkin Return
At Full Power?
Now, as spring training looms, so do the questions.
Can is now-36-year-old body handle the stresses of shortstop in the BBA? Will his bat, which has been at least steady since the nightmare of his 2056 season come back? With young Keith Williams now looking more ready behind him, and even younger Mitchell Cook in the wings, can he hold onto his spot? Especially given the financial aspect of his contract, which pays him $13M this year and has not one, but two vesting seasons that rely on him seeing 120 games.
“I doubt the money id going to be an issue in Barkin's case,” said Forever Land Sports Network’s Misty Morgan. “Larry is a professional’s professional. Everyone knows the team would love to have him contributing in the way everyone knows he can contribute. But the question is still there. There’s no hiding that he’s getting older, and that despite the recent trends baseball is still mostly a younger person’s game. Coming off what is essentially a lost season has to make you concerned until you see how he looks on the field.”
That is, of course, the real question. Some were saying his sparkling defense was already on the wane, so all eyes will be on him in the first few weeks of spring training.
“All I know to do is play as hard as I can,” Barkin said. “This team was so close to a post-season gig last year, so rather than worry about me and my time here, I’d rather focus on what we can do to make it over the hump this year. The division has just kept getting better, you know? We’ve got a real task in front of us.”
