By David Gibb

Following the 2004 season, Moises Alou made a decision that many thought was career suicide: he left the Chicago Cubs and the friendly confines of Wrigley Field for the spacious gaps of San Francisco’s PacBell/SBC/AT&T Park at the age of 39.In his last year wearing a blue cap, Alou batted .293 with an OPS of .918, but most experts assumed he was due for a drop-off, especially given San Francisco’s gigantic outfield and pitcher-friendly dimensions.

Alou defied all expectations by batting a combined .312 in his two years in San Francisco and continued practicing his ball-murdering methods, crushing 19 home runs one year and 22 the next.

He was patient at the plate, working a 1.09:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and succeeded on the field in every way. Staying on the field, however, became an issue.

Alou appeared in 123 games in 2005, the first time since 1996 in which he failed to make it into at least 125. In 2006, the number dropped down to 98. Leg injuries became a major problem for the slugger, who began to suffer from ailments in both his hamstrings and a calf. In spite of (and because of) his inability to stay healthy, Alou became the Giants’ most important player: when he was in the lineup, they won; when he was out, they lost. His skills, even at 40, could not be denied, but with his unreliable health, he was a luxury for a team like the Giants.

And so he came to the Mets and to another pitchers’ park: Shea Stadium. Even at 41 in a spacious yard, Mo hit. Mo hit .341. Mo slugged .524. Mo had an OPS of .916, which would have been 20th best in the majors if he had qualified. He didn’t qualify, though, because he only played in 87 games. He only got 328 official at-bats, and yet he hit 13 home runs.

Let’s sit back and compare Mr. Alou’s 2007 to that of Dodger second baseman Jeff Kent, two years his junior. Kent hit 7 more home runs, walked 30 more times, and drove in 30 more runs. Unlike Alou, however, Kent played in 136 games, getting 494 official at-bats. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 49 more games and 166 more at-bats. Alou batted 39 points higher, and slugged 24 points above Kent.

The bottom line is this: Moises Alou is one of the best pure offensive players in the league over the age of 37. He is one of the best bats of all time over the age of 40. That’s why it’s so disappointing that he can’t stay healthy.

On Wednesday, March 5th, the Mets announced that Alou would start the season the disabled list, where he spent 75 days last year, as he is undergoing surgery to repair a hernia.

This is not good news for Alou or the Mets, who lose their most senior member, now that Julio Franco is no longer in the picture. But rest assured Mets fans, Mo will be back in the lineup, and when he’s in, he will rake. What Moises Alou continues to do year-in and year-out is by even more impressive than anything the aforementioned Franco accomplished. Mo is not just a gimmick, an aging circus sideshow act, he is perennially one of the league’s great offensive forces.