Stairs open to offers
Published Saturday November 7th, 2009
Matt Stairs, less than three days removed from his second trip to the World Series, has made the trek back to his home in Bangor, Me.
And the phone is already ringing with calls about next year for the Fredericton slugger whose sporting resumé includes 259 major league home runs.
At this point, there is plenty to assess.
The main question seems to be centred on if he will play in 2010, which would extend a big-league career that started in 1992 and includes a World Series title in 2008.
Or will he retire and move into the coaching ranks.
Stairs, 41, is a valuable veteran, described by many as a professional hitter, one who can launch an opposition fastball over any fence in the big leagues. But after more than a decade of regular duty, his opportunities were limited to just over 100 at bats in 2009.
He's a free agent with plenty of knowledge, a big bat and an eagerness to continue his career for one more year. Yet, there are no guarantees.
"We'll see what happens," Stairs said Friday, indicating he likely won't return to Philadelphia.
"I still want to play one more year but if not, I want to get into coaching. That's something where we (Stairs and his agent) have put our name out there. We have quite a few organizations that are interested so we have to wait and see. The World Series just ended so I am going to sit down and relax a little bit."
He's been through this process many times as a big leaguer. It seemed every year from 2001-08, Stairs waited until December or January to ink a pact to play in places such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City or Toronto.
This weekend, he's also recovering from the loss to the New York Yankees, a sharp contrast to the elation he felt when the Phillies downed Tampa in 2008.
"You are disappointed because you are so close to making history and winning the World Series in back-to-back years," Stairs said. "On the other hand, you have to tip your hat to the Yankees. The hardest part was getting back there. I was very proud of my teammates, the coaching staff, the fans and the front office for putting the right pieces together."
He slammed five home runs this year in 103 plate appearances, mostly a late-inning pinch hitter with potential to yank a fastball deep to right field. However, he hit just .194 and went more than a month between hits at one point in the summer.
"The biggest thing is that Charlie (Manuel) is a type of manager who played his everyday players every day," Stairs said. "It was tough and I am not going to sit here and make excuses. I didn't swing the bat well. Despite the terrible average, I am happy with three things."
Those trio of items were the home runs, his status as a threat off the bench at the end of the game and his on-base percentage (.357).
"Frustrated?" he said. "Yeah, but you can't look at the numbers, you have to look at the opportunities. When you go 35 days without starting a game, it is hard to stay sharp. Not playing was a little difficult but, all in all, I was pleased."
Last year, he made one appearance in the Fall Classic when the Phillies downed the Tampa Rays but this year, he was the designated hitter in Game 2 (he went 1-for-4 with a run batted in a 3-1 loss) and overall, he went 1-for-8 in the series.
"The biggest difference was timely hitting," Stairs said. "They came up with some clutching hitting."
Stairs played a key role in a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, drawing a walk against closer Jonathan Broxton which led to a rebound from a 4-3 deficit in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.
It was a deju vu moment of sorts.
In the 2008 NLCS, Stairs slammed a mammoth home run off Broxton to give the Phillies a 7-5 lead in Game 4, a shot that is still celebrated in Philadelphia as a pivotal moment in the team's championship run.
"I stepped in the batter's box and all I thought about was last year - it was Game 4 against Broxton in another key situation," Stairs said. "I felt very comfortable. What is funny is that for two months, I wasn't comfortable hitting but steeping into the batter's box that night, I knew something special was going to happen. I felt confident and comfortable hitting there and I walked on four pitches."
In all, his stats anchor the foundation for his eventual trip to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame - 1,761 games played, 5,040 at bats, 1,333 hits, 287 doubles, 259 home runs, 881 runs batted in and a .264 career average in 16 seasons.
And two appearances at the World Series.
"That is the goal, to get to the World Series," he said. "Knowing I had an opportunity to do that, it is an honour."
While Stairs sorts things out for next year's baseball season, he'll be back on the ice, where he will coach at Bangor High School. He coached at the independent John Bapst School the past few hockey seasons.
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