Mo Vaughn

After he left the Sox, Vaughn's luck took a turn for the worse. On opening day with the Angels, he fell down the stairs of the visitor's dugout while chasing a foul pop-up. (The incident prompted many major-league clubs to put fences in front of dugouts to prevent future accidents.) Injuries kept Vaughn on the sidelines briefly and affected his swing for the remainder of the season. His batting average dropped below .300 for the first time in six years, but he hit a respectable thirty-three home runs and 108 RBIs. Injuries again sidelined Vaughn in 2001, when he discovered that he had been playing with a ruptured tendon in his left arm. Surgery kept him out of the game for the entire 2001 season.

Returning to baseball, Vaughn signed with the New York Mets in December 2001. But the player's comeback was marred by yet another injury—a fractured right hand, sustained in April 2002. When he returned to the game, Vaughn seemed to struggle with his confidence. Time away from baseball had resulted in significant weight gain, and the once powerful hitter's bat speed had slowed. Vaughn scoffed at any suggestions that he would retire at age thirty-four. Meanwhile, the Mets threatened to terminate his contract if the slugger did not lose weight and get into shape before the start of the 2003 season. "I'm not going out like this," a determined Vaughn told Pete Caldera of the Record (Bergen County, New Jersey). "I want to be the dude that I was. I think I can play this game five more years."

Whether or not Vaughn will make his promised comeback remains to be seen. When he does retire, Vaughn will be remembered for his batting prowess, charisma, large-heartedness, and leadership abilities. It is with this combination of talents and qualities that Vaughn has made his own personal, and very significant, contribution to modern baseball.