The world isn't fair and never has been, but that doesn't make it any easier to understand it when bad things happen to good people.
And such is the case with former Pirates second baseman and local fan favorite Neil Walker, whose season for the Mets is now done because of a recurring back injury that will require surgery.
It is a tough blow for Walker because he was in the midst of a career season and one that would have gotten the pending free agent paid big-time in the offseason.
Walker posted career highs in OPS, batting average and slugging percentage and had his second highest on-base percentage ever. Walker also hit 23 home runs, and that tied his career high with a month left in the season.
Had he finished the season with those numbers, he would have been one of the most attractive free agents on the market, and he would have gotten that huge pay day baseball players work so hard for during the early part of their careers.
In short, had he stayed healthy, there is no doubt Walker, who makes $10.55 million this year, would have been able to get a four- or five-year deal for $12 million to $13 million per year, if not a little more.
That means he was set to get $40 million to $60 million guaranteed, which, at age 30, means he is set for life and he has the ability to take care of his family for generations to come.
That's what baseball players work toward _ that first big free-agent contract after playing on year-to-year deals during pre-arbitration and arbitration years.
But now, I'm not sure what the market will be for Walker given that he's 30 years old with a clear history of back problems.
On Wednesday ESPN baseball analyst Jim Bowden, who is a former general manager for both the Reds and Nationals, was a guest on the Cook and Poni Show on 93.7 The Fan and said front office executives are very leery of back problems because they never go away.
He said there is no doubt Walker's back surgery and the fact that he has been on the disabled list in the past with back issues will impact his market _ and not in a good way.
It is true that this is the fifth time in seven full MLB seasons that Walker has failed to play at least 140 games, but I don't know if it is completely accurate to say he has been injury-prone.
In the previous five seasons, Walker has made more than 530 at-bats and appeared in at least 129 games, which means he has been more durable than some would like to characterize.
But the fact that Bowden, who obviously has a good idea of the kinds of discussions that occur in front offices with regards to potential free-agent acquisitions, said back injuries are always a red flag is indeed troublesome.
I hope, for Walker's sake, that someone takes a chance on him and signs him to a good contract, because I like to see good things happen for good people.
And make no mistake, Walker is a good guy, and I have had the privilege of getting to know him over the years, and I have covered him since he was a sophomore in high school _ I left him off the PG-North Baseball All-Star team because another catcher was a senior and had better stats.
I can admit that was not the best decision of my career, but he laughed about it when we discussed it in his early days as a Pirate. He also laughed when I told him he wasn't bad for a Pine-Richland athlete (my kids go to North Allegheny).
That's really how he has been his whole career _ a good guy with a good sense of humor who never takes himself too seriously _ and that's why he is such a good clubhouse guy and teammate.
And even though he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and the Pirates didn't give him the opportunity to stay, he handled himself with class and didn't blast the organization like he could have on his way out the door.
He made a couple of very thinly veiled remarks in the offseason hinting that he didn't feel as if the Pirates treated him right _ they didn't, by the way, and I have no problem saying they didn't, as they should have kept him around for one more year _ but his comments were very innocuous in the grand scheme of things.
Then earlier this season when the Mets came to town, he was gracious in his dealings with the media, addressed all the right questions and said all the right things.
He is everything we want our athletes to be as role models, he practices the right way and approaches and plays the game the right way. He is an excellent baseball player, and he works hard to be better.
That's why it is easy for me to root for him and why I was sick when I heard the news Wednesday that he was out for the season.
The Pirates would be a better team and in better shape in the standings had they brought Walker back. They missed his power, his ability to drive in runs and all of his intangibles in the clubhouse.
But now his future, which just a few weeks ago looked so bright, is a bit uncertain and he's going to have to persuade a team to take a chance on him.
I understand he has been blessed and has made a lot of money. There are people far worse off, and I shouldn't cry a river for a millionaire playing a kids game.
That's true, but that's not relevant, and that doesn't change the fact that I'm feel bad for Walker because he's done all the right things and seemingly deserved better.
Somebody will sign Walker and I assume give him a decent contract, but it won't likely be for as much as it should have been and he may not have as many options to choose from, either.
That's the tough part of the business, and it is yet another reminder that things aren't always fair and the good guys don't always win.
