Ichiro and Dirk? Wake up, smell the coffee, retire

Decades ago, NBA legend (and co-GOAT with LeBron James; how's that?) Michael Jordan just couldn't hang it up. Call it addiction or whatever, but he wound up semi-embarrassing himself, or at least his legacy. At least in baseball, Jordan accepted he could't hit the curve and moved back to the Bulls.

Kobe Bryant was more than halfway to that point by the time of retirement, even allowing for the Achilles recovery.

And now, and speaking of in the first case, in basketball and baseball, we have parallel cases.

Dirk Nowitzki is at semi-full embarrassment. He may just not want a league-wide retirement party, or maybe he wants to play next year, too, but he has yet to indicate he's going to retire after this year.

And, it wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to hang out another year, saying that he hadn't rehabbed enough from his Achilles injury to properly go out of the Association this year.

I can understand that. But ... that's reality. (I now have an updated version focusing on him needing to join D-wade in going out with him.)

Meanwhile, in baseball, the Mariners have signed Ichiro Suzuki to a minor-league contract that will pay $750K if he makes the big club. Why?

The man had a 33 OPS+ last year. Arguably, he hurt the Mariners simply by occupying a roster spot.

I know they're in a quick-rinse rebuild and this is in part to attract fans. Let's be honest, front office. Nonetheless, if he is called up, he arguably hurts the rebuild timetable. And, if he's not? Does he get butt-hurt down at Tacoma?

It's easier to do this in baseball than hoops. Nonetheless, the vanity appearances of Minnie Minoso and Satchel Paige didn't float my boat either, plus I think Ichiro doesn't see this as a vanity appearance.