In Spring Training, we all fawn over getting to see our favorite players for the first time in months. But mixed in amongst the superstars we love is a very special group of men known as the Non-Roster Invitees. Yes, these are players that are so awesome, so amazing, so impressive that they are invited to training camp without even having to be on the roster!
…or something like that. But before you go and start mocking these mostly anonymous players, you should know that many of them were once All-Stars, possibly even household names. And who is to say they can’t be All-Stars again? (SPOILER ALERT: They probably can’t)
Let’s give these brave souls who swallowed their pride and showed up in camp as if they were mere rookies just so they could fight for a big league job some love.
These are YOUR (if you want them, which you probably don’t, that’s why they don’t have guaranteed contracts) Non-Roster Invitee All-Stars!!!!
C – Dioner Navarro, CIN: Did you know that Dioner Navarro was once an All-Star? Did you know that Jeff Mathis actually has a guaranteed contract for $1.5 million? America, ain’t it great?
1B – Carlos Guillen, SEA: Nobody tell Eric Wedge that Guillen is a three-time All-Star, he might guarantee him the starting second base job and bat him clean-up.
2B – Jose Lopez, CLE: Wait, there used to be Mariners position players not named Ichiro capable of hitting well enough to make an All-Star team? I just blew my own mind.
3B – Cesar Izturis, MIL: Despite being a former All-Star, he may not even be the best Izturis in baseball anymore.
SS – Omar Vizquel, TOR: The last time he was a non-roster invitee, Huey Lewis and the News had the #1 song in America. And it was for “Jacob’s Ladder.” Seriously.
LF – Scott Podsednik, PHI: This former All-Star has a great shot at making the roster, if only because the Phillies need another way to block Dominic Brown.
CF – Aaron Rowand, MIA: Let’s all root for Rowand to make the Marlins. With his propensity for crashing into the outfield wall, this may be our best shot at ridding ourselves of this monstrosity.
RF – Brad Hawpe, TEX: This is what happens to All-Star hitters when they leave Coors Field.
SP – Jamie Moyer, COL: Moyer wasn’t actually invited, he was just living in a retirement community in Arizona and went looking for a drive he hooked off the fifth tee and mistakenly stumbled into Rockies training camp.
SP – Livan Hernandez, HOU: Being listed on the same team as Jamie Moyer and Omar Vizquel is the only time that Livan Hernandez ever feels young.
SP – Kevin Millwood, SEA: Remember when he was the heir apparent to Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and John Smoltz? Those were good times.
SP – Zach Duke, HOU: Did you know Zach Duke was once an All-Star? Do you even know that Zach Duke is an actual person?
SP – Vicente Padilla, BOS: Considering his off-field reputation, he’s lucky to get invited out for coffee, much less training camp.
CL – Jason Isringhausen, LAA: Just made it in under the wire! The best part of this NRI is that Izzy is actually in shape and ready to compete this year, unlike last spring when he admittedly showed up to play for the Mets because he was bored of playing softball.
LHR – Hideki Okajima, NYY: This may not count, technically speaking. Okajima was invited to training camp, but before he ccould RSVP, he failed his physical. Alas, he was the only former All-Star lefty middle reliever NRI.
RHR – Francisco Rodriguez, LAA: OK, now this is really cheating. We needed a right-handed middle reliever but nobody had an All-Star selection to their credit. Francisco “The Other One, Not K-Rod” Rodriguez is as close as we can get. I was hoping nobody would notice. I think I might’ve blown my cover.
