He Ain't No Talking Tub Of Butter, But Close

Rarely do I find any value in my ESPN Insider (insert stupid icon) account. I do, however maintain it and I continue to receive large format magazines with brightly colored covers that I do not read. One of the reasons I thought it would be cool was the rumor section for MLB and NFL. Generally it's a vast disappointment, but last night I noticed one little tidbit that I wouldn't have wanted to miss:

Left-handed pitcher Jim Parque, who hasn't appeared in the major leagues since 2003 because of shoulder trouble, is healthy again and trying to make a comeback, reports ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.

Whoa! Jim Parque?? As I'm sure Trout and Bob remember, the summer of 2000 was truly a wondrous one for Parque and the White Sox. A 13-6 Record with a 4.28 ERA. Not bad. Of course then he blew out his shoulder and had a couple of comeback efforts finally giving into injury and retiring in 2003. Now, at 30 years old, he's poised to take the baseball world by storm and get back in the game. And, coincidentally the Reds and White Sox were mentioned among the teams looking at him.

So, this is a former big time prospect who had one decent year seven years ago and is now trying to make a comeback. One of two things is going on here. Either, he just can't give up the game and has to give it one more effort, or he's noticed the ridiculous amount of money going to mediocre-to-awful pitchers this year and wants a piece of the pie. Of course, unless some GM hasn't updated his calendar in a few years, I doubt there will be a bidding war.

I can't decide if I support his potential feel-good story or yet again just wish old ballplayers would go away. If he does sign with the Reds, though, I would certainly be looking forward to the overblown optimism column in the Cincy Enquirer that includes the quote "but, if Parque can regain his form from the 2000 season..." That's always fun. You know what? Bring it on, just so I can cheer "GO GET EM BUTTER TUB!!!" It's the small victories, really.