Former Twins Pitcher Boof Bonser To Retire

[Parker Hageman]

According to Boston Sports For Life blog, former Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser will retire rather than seek an opportunity to continue his professional career. 

 

Bonser, who was acquired along with Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano from the San Francisco Giants in the A.J. Pierzynski trade, pitched in the Twins system from 2004 through 2009. In three seasons in a Twins uniform, Bonser compiled an 18-25 record, a 5.12 ERA, with 317 strikeouts and 125 walks over 391.2 innings.

 

Perhaps most memorably, Bonser was the starting pitcher in Game 2 of the ALDS against Oakland A's. He completed six innings of work allowing just two runs and was replaced in the seventh by Pat Neshek after Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer went back-to-back in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. Neshek allowed a single to Mark Ellis who was replaced at first by catcher Jason Kendall on a fielder's choice. With the left-handed Mark Kotsay on deck and two outs, Neshek would be pulled for the left-handed Dennys Reyes. Reyes fell behind Kostay and the A's outfielder laced a 3-1 offering to center where the Twins' Torii Hunter attempted to make a diving catch, only to misplay the ball into an inside-the-park home run to Kotsay, putting Oakland up 4-2 on their way to winning the series. 

 

The Twins traded Bonser to Boston in December 2009 for minor league pitcher Chris Province. Bonser bounced around the league, signing with the Athletics, Mets, Giants and Indians. After being released by the Indians, Bonser played in Taiwan with the President 7 Eleven Lions before signing with the independent league Bridgeport Bluefish in 2014.

 

Bonser told ThroughTheFence.com's Matthew Orso in November that he was seeking a job but was not receiving interest from any teams. "I haven't talked to one team," Bonser told Orso. "Hopefully we will see." 

 

 

[gunnarthor]

Best of luck to him, he was really solid down the stretch in 06. 

[ashbury]

I didn't even realize he was still plugging away.  He pitched only in an Indy league in 2014, so no offense to him intended but at age 32 the distinction between that and retirement is small and mostly in his own perspective.

[Parker Hageman]

Definitely. Reminds me of the line from Moneyball:

 

We're all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children's game, we just don't... don't know when that's gonna be. Some of us are told at eighteen, some of us are told at forty, but we're all told.

 

 

That said, I recently read John Feinstein's book "Where Nobody Knows Your Name" (recommend it) which follows various ex-Major Leaguers attempting to hang on in the professional ranks. Often we think of these players are just names but sometimes forget about the difficulty of admitting to yourself you are no longer able to perform/wanted in the system. 

[Linus]

Best Twins trade ever.

[Bark's Lounge]

It makes you wonder if Boof will legally change his name back to John going into the next phase of his life and career.

 

If I was hiring someone to work for my company, I would totally hire a guy named Boof because of the guts it shows on his part, even if a guy named John was a better candidate.

 

I guess that is why I am unemployed and live in my grandfather's garage.