Saberhagen battled more shoulder issues during the 1999 season. While he made it through the playoff run, Saberhagen was pitching through pain and sat out the following year. His comeback attempt in 2001 lasted only three games before he had to hang up his cleats and call it a career.
Following his retirement, Saberhagen spent the next five years coaching High School baseball in California where his kids went to school.
He changed course to try a career as a sports agent, only find out that “slimy business” wasn’t for him. Saberhagen had one agent his entire playing career and the loyalty they had between them was important to him. The game has since changed and he found that same loyalty was no longer as prevalent as it once was.
These days, Saberhagen spends his time doing charity work and some paid appearances. Just last week he participated in the annual American Century Golf Outing, a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
He must never tire of playing golf. When I spoke with him, Saberhagen had just finished up a round of nine holes in Colorado and was preparing to play nine more.
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His playing days are over but it’s clear Saberhagen’s passion for the game of baseball hasn’t faded. His stint is Boston may have come at the tail end of his career yet it’s an experience he’ll surely never forget.