Into the Sunset 

Posted 9:59 AM by Sean
Tim Salmon will have surgery after the season is over, which may require up to 10 months to recover from. Apparently his injuries are somewhat more serious than have been thought:

The Angels announced after the All-Star break that Salmon underwent an MRI test that showed some irritation and wear and tear in the shoulder, but the 35-year-old veteran revealed Wednesday that the exam actually showed tears in three of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff, as well as a tear in the biceps tendon.

Depending on the type of surgery involved, he may miss anywhere from a few weeks to several months of the 2005 season.

Salmon stands to make $10 million in 2005, an amount that would be awfully hard to pass up, but at this point one has to wonder if this isn't a blessing in disguise for him. It's an opportunity to retire gracefully - and maybe with a buyout, so as not to lose the full $10 million - and live forever as they guy who we'd like to remember: 1993 Rookie of the Year, impact player, and lifetime Angel who helped reverse decades of trauma in 2002.