“I am going to play with my son. Period,” said former All-Star slugger Rafael Palmeiro as he wagged his finger at Sugar Land Skeeters management during an official hearing. Or something like that.
Whatever the case may be, the 50-year-old Palmeiro is coming out of retirement to join the Skeeters, a pro team in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, on a three-day contract.
The rationale for the three-time Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman making his return to the diamond? Palmeiro wants to play out the final three games of the Skeeters season alongside his eldest son Patrick, an infielder for the team.
The Skeeters, who are managed by fellow MLB great Gary Gaetti, announced the signing of the elder Palmeiro in a press release on Thursday.
“We discussed me playing earlier this year and it’s something I’ve looked forward to since then,” said Rafael in the release. “The chance to play with my son is an opportunity the Skeeters have offered me and I’m very excited to make it happen this weekend.”
Palmeiro had a phenomenal 20-year career in the MLB, holding a lifetime batting average of .288 as well as membership in the 500 home run club and the 3,000 hit club (one of only five players ever to be in both). His legacy was tarnished, however, by allegations of performance-enhancing drugs. Palmeiro tested positive for anabolic steroids in August 2005 and was mentioned in the Mitchell Report in 2007, both of which occurred after his notorious Congressional finger wag in March 2005.
Hopefully, his family affair over the weekend helps creates a better final memory for Palmeiro on the baseball field.
H/T theScore
