(*) MASTER NOTES: Godspeed, Jered Weaver

“I’ve decided to step away from baseball. While I’ve been working hard to get back on the mound, my body just will not allow me to compete like I want to.”

So said Jered Weaver on Wednesday of this week, announcing his retirement after 12 seasons. Too many innings, too many injuries, too many years.

When I think of Jered Weaver, three things pop into my mind, displacing the usual cobwebs and dust up there. First, he was really a good pitcher both in fantasy and on the field. As well, he was a guy who helped me see beyond the conventional wisdom about pitcher skill—that a pitcher might have a skill for which he’s not getting credit, and that I should start looking for other pitchers who had it. And finally, he made a decision about where...

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