Bobby Abreu to play last game against first team

While this day will be mostly remembered for the retirement of Derek Jeter, there is another great player participating in their final major league game today as well. Back in 1996, Bobby Abreu made his debut with the Houston Astros, the same team he is facing today.

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Abreu, now with the New York Mets, has had a pretty respectable career. In fact, one could argue it is borderline Hall of Fame worthy. Often overlooked in favor of more iconic players during his prime, Abreu was a force in the middle of the Philadelphia Phillies line up for years.

His career totals of 2469 hits, 574 doubles and 400 stolen bases are formidable, especially the latter with the sport’s recent decrease on emphasis for speed.

A career .291 hitter with a .395 OBP, Abreu was selected to two all star teams, and won the 2005 home run derby by slugging a record 41 bombs over the course of the tournament. His 24 in a single round has been eclipsed just once (Josh Hamilton in 2008 had 28).

Though he never won a world series, Abreu did collect a silver slugger award and a gold glove in 2004 and 2005 respectively. His eight career 100 RBI seasons, including seven straight from 2003-2009 are a testament to his productivity behind the plate.

And unlike many of his contemporaries from that era of the game, Abreu has never been tied to any sort of controversy, both on the field and off. One of the nicer clubhouse guys, he was the Phillies representative for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2004, given out to the player that most embodies the philanthropic aspect of the game.

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