Will Clark, 2000 Pacific Paramount Red #30

It's funny. I don't think of Will Clark as having been a productive player for the Orioles, mostly because he replaced the eye-popping numbers of Rafael Palmeiro and missed chunks of time due to injury. But according to Raphy (no relation) at the Baseball-Reference Blog, "The Thrill" had the seventh-best season among all hitters in the final year of their careers. That was the 2000 season, which he split between Baltimore and St. Louis. The 36-year-old played in 130 games (his second-highest total in seven seasons), hitting .319 with an excellent .418 on-base percentage, 30 doubles, 21 homers, and 70 RBI. His .964 OPS was the highest of his 15-year career, fueled largely by the 28 extra-base hits he stroked in 51 games after being traded to the Cardinals. His efforts totaled up to a 4.1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), a very solid number.

Among the six players whose swan songs outrank Will's, three come with an asterisk. The 1-2 combo of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch both played their final season at their physical peaks, as they were banned from baseball after the 1920 campaign due to their roles in the Black Sox scandal. Carlos Beltran currently ranks fourth because injuries have kept him out of action thus far in 2010, but he will likely drop back off the list before long. Long story short, an aging Will Clark was still a damn sight better than Garrett Atkins.