Non-Roster Invitees Still Cling to The Dream

For the first time since the Reagan Administration, Barry Bonds is not suiting up this spring. The guys below however, are hanging on by a thread. Here are some of the more notable Non-Roster Invitees to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues:

Name (Age), Team
Edgardo Alfonso (34), Texas: The former Mets star hit .126 in 30 games with the Angels and Blue Jays last season.

Kris Benson (33), Philadelphia: Philly fans would rather see Anna.

Bret Boone (39), Washington: He's persistent, you gotta give him that.

Bartolo Colon (35), Boston: Won the Cy Young in 2005. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Marcus Giles (30), Colorado: Hit .316, .311, 291 from 2003-05, slumped to .229 last year.

Juan Gonzalez (38), St. Louis: Had one AB in '05, none since.

Eric Hinske (30), Tampa Bay: Things haven't gone as planned for the 2002 AL ROY.

Javy Lopez (37), Atlanta: Hoping for a happy homecoming in Hotlanta.

Trot Nixon (34), Arizona: You'll have to tear the uniform off this former Boston stalwart.

Hideo Nomo (39), Kansas City: Hasn't pitched in the bigs since '05.

Chan Ho Park (34), Dodgers: He was a solid hurler for the Dodgers before becoming a punch line in Texas.

Scott Podsednik (32), Colorado: Injuries have derailed his career.

Shannon Stewart (34), Toronto: Hit .290 in 146 games with Oakland in '07, but couldn't get guaranteed money.

Jaret Wright (32), Pittsburgh: His career leaves you wondering what could have been.

I'm rooting for Fonzie to catch on with the Rangers. He's one of my all-time favorite Mets, even though he totally dopped off after 2000. And I'm guessing he's not 34.