Now that the Mariners have signed Kenji Johjima through the 2011 season, one must ask–will Johjima be worth a damn at 35?

We all know what happened with another local 35-year-old pro, Marcus Pollard–Mike Holmgren thought Pollard could catch 50 passes at that age, even though only two TEs in NFL history had done so.

Pollard didn’t get anywhere near 50 catches (he had 28), and in the Hawks’ biggest game of the year he dropped more than he caught.

Luckily for us, the track record for 35-year-old catchers is much better. In the past twenty years, a 35-yo catcher has managed to play 100 games 42 times. Jorge Posada was 35 last year, all he did was hit .338 and slug .567. Carlton Fisk, Benito Santiago, and Mike Piazza all had decent seasons at age 35.

Here’s the full list, sorted by home runs.

As you can see, 35 is about at the end of a catcher’s useful lifespan, but not over it, the way it is for tight ends.

Although not everyone would agree that even a 36-year-old tight end is done. The Patriots signed Marcus Pollard last week.