Express Train: Volume 4 - Not Quite Dunn

[Underground]

Bob Dunn turned 42 just a few days ago on August 31st. His teammates in London got him a rocking chair and a comfortable knit sweater. He still can't believe "his teammates in London" is a sentence able to be said for him in 2032. In fact, Dunn thought his major league career was over in 2028 when (then 38) he was informed by Palm Springs that he was no longer part of their major league plans. Mere weeks from announcing his retirement he received a call from London GM Cyan Winters. If he wanted to keep playing ball, the organization was looking for experienced vets to help mentor the kids and they were offering him a paycheck to keep playing ball. The only catch was it was in AA. Nevertheless Dunn took the deal, not quite ready to give up the game he loved and figuring it might be fun for a little while. He could always leave at any time.

What happened next was a surprise to everyone - including Dunn himself. Playing in 123 games the wily vet managed to hit .262 with a staggering on base percentage of .405 thanks to 98 walks. He knocked in 43 runs and even stole 3 bases. For good measure. He finished the season with a 3.7 WAR, good for third best on the team. Winters called again and let him know that the organization would let him keep playing if he wanted to, and even planned to move him to AAA for 2030.

Continuing to give father time the middle finger, Dunn celebrated 40 in AAA hitting .277 with a .374 OBP and a 2.6 WAR. The best was yet to come however when in 2031 he batted .299 with a .400 OBP in AAA. He started the season joking he just hoped he'd have as many RBI as he had trips around the sun. He finished with 52. So they invited Dunn back again for 2032 and while his average dipped a bit, he remained an above average on base player and continued to offer valuable insight to the young bats coming through the London system.

Then his phone rang. It was Winters again. The team had made some trades, Tony Cuevas was gone. London needed some infield depth. Then nearing his 42nd birthday, Bob Dunn was called up to the majors. The talking heads laughed and wrote him off. Players around the league shook their heads. But Bob Dunn had bought into his own hype and damnit he was going to go out on his terms. By the time he turned 42 he had appeared in 9 games for the Underground. He's batting .450. He has an RBI. Not typically one to get emotional, the man shed a tear when he earned that RBI. After the game he remarked at how in 2028 he thought for sure his career was over. He was grateful for the minor league opportunities London provided but never thought he'd be back in the major leagues. He certainly never thought he'd knock in another run or do anything to help a team win.

Now age 42, Bob is out to prove to himself and to everyone else that he's not quite Dunn. When asked if this fairy tale season would be the end he just shrugged. I guess we'll have to wait and see.