Well, White Sox Spring camp has literally only been in session for a few hours, but you can already break out the "News I Didn't Want to Hear" folder to file away this nugget... Mark Buehrle is mulling retiring in a few years.
Now, before I do something crazy like overreact, let's remember two key things. First, Mark Buehrle has supposedly wanted to go to St. Louis and pitch for his boyhood idol Cardinals forever. I think I knew Buehrle was a Cardinal fan before I knew who Buehrle was. The guy proved his loyalty to the Sox when he took a hefty hometown discount in 2007 to stay here through his prime years. Next, this article is from Phil Rogers, one of my least favorite baseball writers (and for good reason).
Now, that all said... What the hell, man? It's not like I'm so vain that I think Mark Buehrle "owes" me something, but why does he always drop hints like this? Yeah, he signed the long-term deal here, but for a few years there always seemed to be a story out with him talking about how much he'd like to pitch in St. Louis. Maybe in the fake world of pro sports, he's just too honest of a guy, but for one day, I'd like the fake smile and faux happiness, you know? Pitchers and catchers reported today and now, Mark Buehrle might have less than 100 starts left in his career? Ouch.
Ultimately, I don't think he'll do it. As much of a family guy as he is, I think the competitive fire will still be burning, and at 32, he's going to have to leave an awful lot of money on the table and not just from the Sox. I don't see him pulling a Jamie Moyer and pitching until he can start cashing Social Security checks, but reliable left-handed starting pitchers are just too rare. Now, whether he spends his whole career with the Sox, I'm not sure.
Ah, the joys of being a White Sox fan.
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