Prince Fielder’s career finished way too soon
By: Corey Parkinson
For 10 years the second-generation star Prince Fielder was one of the most dominant forces in baseball; with a swing that destroyed baseballs and an overall tenacity that was impossible not to respect. The played the game the right way and was on pace for a Hall of Fame career.
But sadly, his career is done way too soon.
On August 10, Fielder announced that doctors told him he could no longer play baseball because of his C4-C5 herniations in his neck. His incredible career in which he’s hit .287 and 319 home runs in 12 seasons is over in just his 12th season.
Baseball was Fielder’s life. He grew up around clubhouses following his powerful father Cecil Fielder around, and you could see just how sad he was to make the announcement that he was not able to leave the games on his own terms. Up until 2014 Fielder has never been on the disabled list but since then he seemed to find himself on it quite frequently. Fielder underwent his second neck surgery within a year last week and the injury was just too severe to risk him coming back.
At the very least, Fielder at least gets to share his 319 career home runs mark with his father, which tied them for 116th all-time in major league history. He and his father were also the only father-son duo to crush 50 home runs in a season; a feet never reached by the likes of the Griffey’s, the Bonds’, the Boone’s or and Alou’s.
While the shortened career will probably cost Fielder enshrinement into the Hall of Fame that he was working his way to, he will at least be remembered as one of the most beloved players of his era. Everybody loved him. There was never a teammate to say anything bad about him, fans never complained about having him on the team When he played you never saw him on the field with anything other than a smile on his face; but never saw him in the batters box without an angry scowl because he stepped up with a purpose. He would go out there with the intention of ripping the lining off the baseball when he hit it, but when he was running those bases he would move like a man half his size; in 2007 the 250-plus pounder legged out an inside the park home run. That just speaks to his passion and dedication.
And while his career is finished way too soon, the memories he gave us and how he acted as a great role model in a sport that has been tough for young kids to find somebody to look up to, is unforgettable.
Corey Parkinson
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