It'll be over before you know it, rook

 

Howie Kendrick announced his retirement the other day.

I admit my first thought was "good." I am still having a problem digesting that 2019 postseason.

 

My second thought was his rookie card. Kendrick's rookie card is in the 2006 Topps Update set and anything having to do with that 2006 set, flagship or update, means a little extra to me. That was my return to collecting modern cards. That was the year I discovered they sold cards in Walmart down the street and responded by trying to complete everything Topps issued in flagship that year.

Kendrick's retirement means that there are precious few rookie card players from that Update set that are still active.

This kind of stuns me. Was 2006 that long ago?

Yeah, turns out it was. All of the following notables with rookie cards in 2006 Update are no longer playing:

Andre Ethier, Stephen Drew, Jered Weaver, Chad Billingsley, Mike Napoli, James Shields, Kendrys Morales, Ben Zobrist, Josh Johnson, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Quentin and Russell Martin.

 

See that, Luis Robert? It'll be over before you know it.

 

So, which '06 Update rookie card guys are still playing?

 

Kind of a difficult question to answer, especially in 2020. There are a few that may have hung it up already but we don't know that yet and maybe even they don't know that yet. Here are some free agents who may or may not have seen their final playing days:

 

 

 

(Yes, I know you can't read the names. We're dealing with 2006 Topps here).

 

A couple will likely be back. A couple (or more) won't.

 

Even the one guy who is likely to return is also a free agent and his status not certain:

 

When did Jon Lester get old?

I'm telling you, I returned to collecting a long time ago. Only 5 of the 39 players with a rookie card in 2006 Topps Update have a chance of making the majors next season.

Even with the 2006 Topps regular set there aren't many rookie card players who are still suiting up for a big league team. In fact one took last year off. And another isn't planning to return until 2022:

 

 

Three guys. Three out of the 57 rookie cards in the main set.

 

Retired rookie card notables from the 2006 base set include: Ian Kinsler, Jon Papelbon, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Matt Cain, Prince Fielder and a few other semi-notables like Ricky Nolasco, Conor Jackson, Tom Gorzelanny, Fausto Carmona/Roberto Hernandez and Craig Breslow.

And, of course, the most famous rookie card player in the 2006 set -- one that almost no one has -- also has retired. Alex Gordon announced his retirement effective at the end of last season.

It doesn't seem like I've been back in collecting all that long but this underlines it for me. And it should for any rookie ballplayers out there.

 

Time flies when you're having fun.