SOUNDING OFF:

Know when to say when.

One of my favorite news anchors, Brit Hume of Fox News, recently announced his retirement. The youthful-looking, 65-year-old former ABC News White House correspondent, who’s been with Fox for a dozen years, is at the top of his game. But Hume says he wants to retire while he still has his fastball.

That’s commendable.

I retired in February at the age of 63, after 36 years as an administrator at OCC. I loved my job and wasn’t quite ready to go. But I’d witnessed a number of colleagues hang on too long; their 95-mph rising fastballs reduced to erratic 50-mph Eephus pitches. I didn’t want it said of me, “That guy should have retired years ago.” So I packed it in.

As one of my previous bosses whom I greatly admire once observed, “My mama always told me to leave the party while you’re still having fun.”

I’ve watched too many former power pitchers take the mound long after their best stuff had been replaced by change-ups and loopy curves. Sadly, they don’t seem to realize that they can no longer bring the heat, and they tarnish legacies that took decades to build.

Take Gen. Douglas MacArthur for example, a World War I hero with a reputation for leading his men “from out front.” During World War II MacArthur was supreme allied commander of the Southwest Pacific. As UN commander during the Korean War, however, his arrogance and massive ego so impaired his ability to lead that, at the age of 71, President Truman had to remove him for insubordination. His fastball was gone, his reputation in tatters.

Remember basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s somewhat heart-rending NBA “Farewell Tour” in 1988-89? Kareem stayed too long at the fair and was reduced to a depleted shadow of himself. The greatest scorer in NBA history was, during his final season, a 42-year-old mastodon. He should have gracefully exited three years earlier.

North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole recently said: “My whole life has been about trying to help others.” “Liddy” was in Washington, D.C., for 40 years, and headed the American Red Cross before becoming a senator. Praiseworthy. But wasn’t the 72-year-old astute enough to realize that her hummer was toast? Kay Hagan ousted her from Congress in this month’s general election.

In hindsight, we can blithely assert that Liddy, a North Carolina Republican, had attempted to cross a bridge too far. But before this election cycle, wasn’t there an alarm bell going off somewhere in the back of her brain?

Like Brit Hume — as well as NFL running back Jim Brown — we should aspire to go out before our careers reach their inevitable decline. Brown left the Cleveland Browns at age 29 after nine brilliant seasons. He was the NFL’s leading career rusher (and still ranks eighth behind seven guys who all played longer than he did). Brown hung it up in 1965 with nothing left to prove and the world still “wanting more.”

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Exceptions like Alan Greenspan, Vin Scully and Joe Paterno.

But, let’s face it; they’re not really of this world!

So, why is it so difficult for some to know when to leave the building? Why do others leave, then sneak back in through the parking garage? Ego.

We dare not forget horrifying career re-ignition attempts by Bjorn Borg, Dan Rather and Jose Canseco.

Why is Lance Armstrong now entertaining thoughts of returning to cycling? What can he possibly do to enhance his legacy?

How about this? How about reinventing yourself? How about doing something entirely new?

Though I hate to see him go, Brit Hume has it exactly right. Say farewell before you’ve lost your fastball. Go out with your integrity intact. Leave them shouting for more.

JIM CARNETT lives in Costa Mesa.