Months after announcing his intention to try to play professional baseball again, former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro made his debut with the independent league Cleburne (Tex.) Railroaders May 18.
The 53-year-old Palmeiro, a long-time Texas resident, signed earlier this month with the Railroaders, who are based just south of Fort Worth, Tex. Palmeiro went 0-for-4 in the Cleburne's season opener against the Winnipeg Goldeyes, the first competitive game he's taken part in since 2015, when he played one game for the independent league Sugar Land (Tex.) Skeeters. But Palmeiro hit a home run May 21, part of a 2-for-4 effort.
Palmeiro signed with the Railroaders along with his son, Patrick. Patrick Palmeiro, 28, played three years in the low levels of the Chicago White Sox system from 2012-14. He played for the Skeeters in 2015 and signed with the Orioles in 2016, but was released before ever playing for an affiliate.
