I just hope the Rangers didn’t waste their money making Prince Fielder Bobble Head dolls.
Then came the nine-year, $214 million mega-contract with the Tigers, the franchise that employed Cecil for six-plus seasons in his fence-clearing prime.
Prince spent just two years in the Motor City before a trade to Texas, though he made a pair of All-Star teams and a World Series appearance during that time.
The first neck operation followed in 2014, and with it came the beginning of the end.
Fielder’s deal with Detroit is an albatross in hindsight. In June, Sports Illustrated’s Cliff Corcoran named it one of the worst contracts in baseball, and he wasn’t wrong.
It’s easy to forget, however, that prior to 2014, Fielder defined durability. He appeared in at least 157 games every year from 2006 to 2013, and he played in all 162 games four times.
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And just like that, Fielder’s career is apparently over. After having neck fusion surgery for the second time in three seasons he’s reportedly expected to announce Wednesday that he is physically unable to play, thus ending his career. The medical designation means he will collect on the remaining $96 million, he’s owed on the nine-year, $214 million contract he signed with the Detroit Tigers in 2012.