Following up on ARod and his "fatigue"

I don't care if this was a party scheduled 14 years ago, or 14 days ago. I don't care what the cause was, or which A-listers were present. This is why:

Alex Rodriguez's two days of rest was instigated by the front office, as was reported first here. But it shouldn't necessarily be taken as a slap at manager Joe Girardi. A-Rod just couldn't bring himself to admit he was wearing down whenever Girardi checked with him. So Yankees higher-ups Brian Cashman and Randy Levine engaged A-Rod and Yankees medical staff on a conference call (Girardi wasn't available at that moment), and Rodriguez finally admitted he was tiring to the point where he wasn't himself. Rodriguez's refusal to give Girardi the straight dope isn't a reflection on Girardi but the natural course for players who don't like to sit. So the decision was made on the conference call.

ARod was benched for fatigue. Not being "mentally tired"; fatigued. Skip the damn party, Alex.

I might be in the minority on this one, and I'm OK with that. If your (or my) management has a conference call to discuss your (or my) physical well-being and they recommend a few days off to rest, you (or I) should rest. Rest doesn't happen at 2:30am. I don't care what his "work" hours are.

This is not ARod bashing; I'd do the same thing for any player, any team. If you're hurt, you rehab. If you're sick, you do what you can to get well. If you're fatigued, you rest. It's that simple. Trying to justify it as anything else is silly.

Wishing Jerry Remy a full and speedy recovery

While Yanks fans and Sox fans generally like to hate each others' teams, I'd like to think that there's some semblance of decency and respect towards the people waging war.

So naturally, I want to extend my wishes to Jerry Remy a quick and full recovery as he takes time off to recover from lung cancer surgery. Let's hope his message gets heard by all:

“I hope that disclosing my bout with cancer will reinforce the dangers of smoking to every member of Red Sox Nation, especially children,” said Remy, the president of Red Sox Nation.

Amen.

Painful sounding things: "inflamed colon"

Put this on my list of ailments that I hope not to suffer from at any point in my life:

An ailment diagnosed as an "inflamed colon" knocked Ken Griffey Jr. out of the Mariners' lineup for Monday night's two-game series opener against the Rangers.

Griffey explained before the game that he has experienced the same thing several times. "It just comes and goes when it wants. It feels like someone kicked you in the damn side," he said. "I would be more than happy to demonstrate it on you. Just sign this waiver I already have printed up."

Glad he was laughing about it.


NOTE: there will be no accompanying pictures. Google Images made me ill.

No more jokes: Prior's shoulder hurts

At some point, the running joke about Mark Prior's injury history ceases to be funny and an overall sadness about a ravaged potential takes over. I've been more of the latter than the former, but just seeing this headline drives it home:

Prior reports shoulder soreness to Padres
Righty might have to 'take a step back' in comeback attempt

What a shame. I/we can only wonder what this kid's career could have been like if not for the injuries, misuse (Dusty, I'm looking at you) and general bad luck that resulted in so many surgeries.

Can it be that Prior hasn't pitched in the majors since 2006?!? Really. Stunning.

Right-hander Mark Prior, who hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues since 2006, reported soreness in his right shoulder after a bullpen session on Tuesday...
[...]
Prior, who has had two significant surgeries to his right shoulder since 2007, had not reached the point yet where he was throwing to live hitters.

So which is it: throw MORE or LESS?

At this point, I am not sure what's the best way to build long term arm strength for pitchers. Is it throw more, like Tommy John, Leo Mazzone and Nolan Ryan espouse, or is it throw less, as clearly the Yanks' BP coach (and Little League coaches from coast to coast) preach?

Well, score one for the Yanks' BP coach, this time:

Brian Bruney returned to Boston but is on the DL after being diagnosed with a strained flexor mass in his right elbow. "I don't feel like it's a serious, serious injury," he said.

Bruney said he plans to revise his routine between games and throw less. He said bullpen coach Mike Harkey has encouraged him to throw less in the past, but he did not listen. Bruney called the injury his own fault.

I'm generally from the school that would preach usage vs. rest, that you can't run a marathon by training in one mile sprints. You need to train your arm and body to handle the stress and strain of throwing and you can only do that by throwing. Not soft-tossing, but throwing from the bump and long tossing in the OF.

At least that's what I think I think.

Enough already: Ban the maple!

What on Earth is MLB waiting for, a serious injury? Death? We narrowly escaped it last night when Kerwin Danley got knocked on the noggin with a shattered bat.

With one out in the sixth, Rangers designated hitter Hank Blalock's bat broke on an infield pop. A large piece flew back and hit Danley on the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.

"It was a high and inside fastball, a cutter that broke my bat," Blalock said. "I heard something happen behind the plate and I figured the barrel hit somebody. As soon as the out was made I turned around and Kerwin was lying down. I felt bad, it was an accident."

If nothing else, ban the maple until a solution is found.

EDIT/UPDATE: Thanks to reader Dre and further looking on my part, Blalock was indeed using an ash bat. I unfortunately assumed that given the way the bat shattered, it HAD to be maple. Thanks for keeping me honest!

Blalock uses an ash bat, which shatter differently than maple bats and are generally considered to be less risky. Ash bats tend to crack lengthwise while maple bats usually explode into several fragments and travel further.

It still doesn't change my ever-repetitive refrain about banning maple until a solution is found. In case you haven't been paying attention, my thoughts on the maple bat "situation":

• Dunn switches to ash from maple
• Seriously, can we do SOMETHING about these bats already?
• Maple bats and minus 3.5
• A solution to broken bats, aluminum bats
• It's about the wood, stupid

Nady's done, possible implications for 2010?

If the reports are indeed true that Nady needs TJS and will be lost for the year, what are the implications for the Yanks? Some quick thoughts to ponder:

• If he's on the 60 day DL, does he accrue the time to be a free agent after this year anyways? I don't know the answer but it seems a reasonable question.
  
  
• Do the Yanks offer him arbitration?
  
  
• If yes, will he accept as he'd want a year of good performance (healthy playing) before diving into the FA pool?
  
  If yes, will Boras instruct him to decline anyways as that's Boras' M.O.?
  
  If yes, his arb figure will be based upon his $6.55m salary this year, which isn't terrible, unlike Abreu's arb figure last year ($16m). That's pretty managable if the team decided to risk the arb offer.
  
  
• Who do the Yanks bring up to fill out the bench? I can't see them bringing up Austin Jackson to ride the pine. Shelley Duncan, maybe? Another farmhand?

Aaron Gleeman, at his vacation spot at Circling the Bases, had this to say:

However, making Swisher an everyday player significantly weakens New York's bench, which now essentially consists of Melky Cabrera, Ramiro Pena, and Jose Molina. Calling up either Shelley Duncan or Juan Miranda to take Nady's spot on the roster will give them a usable bat off the bench, but with Hideki Matsui stuck at designated hitter for a while Cabrera is in line to get any extra outfield at-bats.

I don't think it materially weakens the bench. Swisher was outperforming Nady anyways. It requires Matsui to play more and actually DO SOMETHING when he's at the plate. The Yanks are a better team when Damon's playing (at least offensively) anyways.

Bottom line, this is not something to panic over.

Anticipating ARod's return

Seems that ARod's at 70% already and eyeing a return before mid-May. Wonderful. I hope he comes back pain-free and can have a typical ARod year.

Now, just for giggles sake, here is the posting that I ran last May 20th, as ARod prepared to return from his thigh injury (with the strike outs being replaced with this year's information):

The NY papers are depicting ARod riding into the Bronx on a white horse, a savior, a returning hero.

Um, sorry. This is not a good move.

The erstwhile ARod, an all-time talent, is not one who seems to react well as the pressure rises. Pressure turns carbon into diamonds but for some reason, in baseball with ARod, it turns a diamond often into dust.

Expecting him to return and go bonkers and save the Yanks is both unrealistic (for the fans to expect) and unfair (for ARod). The last thing we need is for him to struggle to find his groove while the fans ride him incessantly. He's returning from injury; give the guy a chance to get back to form.

Maybe this time will be different. Maybe ARod truly conquered his inner demons last earlier this year after admitting in Spring Training that all was not rosy with he and Cap'n Jetes he used PEDs earlier in his career. Maybe he'll relish the adoration and attention that he's bound to get and use that constructively to hit like he did last April June and July. The truth is, however, that the Yanks DO need ARod to come back and spark this catatonic offense the team. Badly. Nothing would make me happier. However, I am dialing my expectations back a notch.

I'm hoping for the upside surprise.

I really, REALLY hope that I don't have to revise this posting again each year from here on out.

Hurry back, Dontrelle

Dontrelle Willis has had a rough go of it the last few years. He's gone from the emerging "face of the game" to an afterthought in Detroit. At least the doctors now think they have an explanation, even if it's not the explanation:

Willis cited blood tests that were conducted earlier this month that raised concerns. Research suggests there are no lab tests to diagnose an anxiety disorder, but such tests can be used to look for physical causes for symptoms, ruling out other factors.

Willis said doctors told him that the condition is easily treatable...
[...]
Several Major League players have gone on the disabled list with conditions grouped under anxiety disorders. Perhaps the best-known case in recent years is Royals starter Zack Greinke, who abruptly left Spring Training in 2006 and eventually went on the DL with what was diagnosed as social anxiety disorder. He missed most of the season before returning late in the year, but has recovered to become a top young starter in the American League. Pete Harnisch and Jim Eisenreich are also listed among the better-known baseball players who have had anxiety disorders.

I sure hope that he responds well to treatment and we can get back to seeing the real Dontrelle again soon.

Sheppard out for Opening Day

Sadly, the Voice of God won't be up to attending and calling the first game. It would incredible if he felt able to do it, but he's in his late 90's and it's just too difficult for him:

So the opener is out of the question? "He would love to be there; he would love it,'' [his wife] said. "But at the moment the stamina isn't there.''

Sheppard, who is in his late 90s and has been the Yankees' public address announcer since 1951, missed the entire 2008 season recovering from a bronchial infection.
[...]
Mary Sheppard said warmer mid-season weather might help ease her husband's return."He's been through a lot,'' she said. "But there is no one particular problem. His weight is fine. And his voice is still excellent.''

I wish him well!

Then again, it's not always about the money

Here's wishing Corey Koskie a long and symptom free life away from the game as he calls it quits due to continued post-concussion problems.

He took himself out of Thursday's spring training game against Seattle in the third inning. Koskie batted twice in the game and fielded a pair of grounders. But he said he began feeling ill after diving for another grounder.
[...]
Koskie said he made his decision to end the comeback bid after talking with the Cubs' medical and training staffs and with his own doctors. In the end, he said the risks didn't make the potential rewards worth trying a comeback.

"I wanted to get back out there," he said. "I wanted to play. It might have been a little too soon. I might not have been prepared. I kind of decided, I said, 'You know what? Really, is it worth it? Is it worth the risk to go out there and play a couple more years versus having the rest of my life, living a normal life?' That's one of the biggest questions with a concussion because you try to minimize your symptoms, and you always feel you can do it.

"I know I can go out there and do it. But there is a little more head risk. Is it from my neck? Is it from my head? Is it really worth the risk to go out there and find out?"

I discussed this topic back in February 2008 and it's a shame that these problems still persist for Corey. While I commend him for giving it another shot, it's much better to see him making a decision that will hopefully help him his whole life rather than put everything at risk for maybe another year or two in the game. I am sure he will have a role in the game down the road should he choose, be it in broadcasting, coaching, managing or opening some "training acadamy". I wish him well.

Surviving ARod's absence

The silly "Yanks are better off without ARod" type articles are nearly as bad as the "Yanks can't live without ARod" rebuttals. Honestly, I have tried hard to read neither. The Yanks have a huge hole to fill at 3b and in the middle of the lineup. No matter how much you hate, revile, mock, despise (insert your choice here) ARod as a person, you can't discount his incredible abilities on the field.

So while I think he will be missed, I also think the Yanks can do well thanks to the fact that they added two superb pitchers this off-season to front what was merely a good rotation and nothing more. CC and Burnett, in front of Wang, Pettitte and Joba should anchor the rotation and help cure the ills that a lineup sans ARod suffers from.

From Boston beat writer Nick Cafardo:

For the last five years, A-Rod has averaged 42 homers and 123 RBIs, but the Yankees have not won a championship. You can't blame that all on him.

What could help the Yankees ride this out is their superior starting pitching. Don't forget, it was pitching and defense that won them championships.

"It hurts not having A-Rod, but I'm not sure it kills them," said another AL GM. "When they throw those five starters at you, that's awfully tough. They still have good hitters who can score runs, and if I were a betting man, I'd bet they're trying to get another hitter in that lineup."

Yep, that's spot on.

The low-down on ARod's surgery

There's an excellent review/summary on ESPN about the minimally invasive surgery that ARod's going through today. Having had arthoscopic surgery once (on my knee), the procedure itself is usually fairly quick and the initial recovery, at least for me, wasn't too bad. It's the subsequent rehab that will prove the biggest hurdle to ARod.

Simply put, many labral repairs also require some bone work or resurfacing of the joint. A condition known as FAI (femoral acetabular impingement) often exists in conjunction with labral tears. In basic terms, it describes a scenario in which the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum (the bone that forms the hip "socket" for the femur) repeatedly come into abnormal contact in certain hip positions as a result of an athlete's particular anatomy combined with the demands of his sport. That repeated abnormal contact, or impingement ("pinching"), can lead to bone issues such as spurring, and over time, can ultimately result in damage to the labrum, as well as the cartilage surface.
[...]
Surgery to repair the labrum alone, without addressing any underlying bone issues, results in a shortened time frame. During surgery the damaged piece of labrum is either repaired or resected (removed), depending on the extent and location of damage. Since the labrum does provide some protection for the joint surface itself, surgeons aim to preserve as much of the healthy tissue as possible. Following surgery, the athlete is required to go through a "protective" phase, during which the amount of weight-bearing is limited to allow the tissue to heal, and range-of-motion and strengthening exercises are increased incrementally. Later in rehab, the athlete returns to weight-bearing exercises, which then get more complex in scope (meaning they start to look sport-specific -- baseball-type exercises, in Rodriguez's case -- as opposed to basic leg-strengthening exercises). Once the athlete has demonstrated sufficient strength and stability, he can return to sports drills and eventually return to play. Complete recovery from a labral resection or repair typically ranges from 10 to 16 weeks. This scenario allows Rodriguez to return for the majority of this season, with the announced second surgery in the postseason to address any bone issues.

Got all that? Good. See ya in mid-May at the earliest, Alex. Please don't do or say anything stupid while you are rehabbing in Colorado. Just focus. Reduce your distractions. Remember that you used to love this game and I hope like hell that you realize how much you miss it when you can't play. Then get back and hit like mad, but still, I beg you, keep your yap shut and your distractions to a minimum!

Then again, he might play

I'm not posting and updating every stinkin' ARod tidbit. I'm sick of it all. But here's one update saying that he might not need the surgery and it's not an injury that's like Bo Jackson's. So that's good, I guess.

So the parties involved have taken the more conservative route of rest and rehabilitation, and Rodriguez's hip will continue to be monitored to see if the labrum tear worsens.

If that happens, the cartilage in the hip would be exposed, and this could lead to microfracture surgery, as explained on the conference call.

If there are signs that Rodriguez's tear is worsening, surgery would take place before any microfracture surgery becomes necessary.

There had been speculation that Rodriguez might have a hip condition similar to that of former Kansas City Royals outfielder Bo Jackson, but there was no talk of that type of injury on the conference call, sources say. Rather, the injury is being regarded as something that can be fixed, whether it is during the season or after.

ARod needs surgery, out until May?

Just heard on MLB on XM: ARod needs hip surgery and will miss all of April. Waiting for confirmations on MSM outlets.

• Here's the ESPN Deportes link, if you can read Spanish. I can read enough of it...Yanks haven't commented on this.
• Here's the MLB.com link. All sources from the DR.

"We're not giving any information right now," Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said Thursday.

"I do not have that information. I have not heard that yet. I have to talk to Cash," manager Joe Girardi said, referring to general manager Brian Cashman.

So who plays third for the first month? Angel Berroa?

Seriously, can we do SOMETHING about these bats already?

When is it going to be enough? Nearly piercing a coach's eye not enough? Do we have to wait until someone is permanently maimed (or worse) before doing something? Outlaw the maple bats until you can figure something out, something to make them safer for other players, coaches, umpires and the fans. Once you figure out a way to prevent the bats from splintering and helicoptering into the seats or the field, bring 'em back. Until then, no more maple bats.

This is ridiculous:

[Indians' Triple-A manager Torey] Lovullo was standing with Shelton in the dugout during the fourth inning of the Indians' game against the Rockies on Sunday, watching Crowe at the plate, when Crowe's bat shattered on contact with the ball. The broken bat flew over the heads of Lovullo and Shelton, hit the netting directly above the Indians' dugout and ricocheted back. When Lovullo turned to see where it went, the bat immediately struck him above the eye.
[...]
Back at work Monday morning, Lovullo had a nasty shiner under his sunglasses, his left eye essentially sealed shut.

He was lucky he was wearing sunglasses at the time of the incident. Had he not been wearing them, the bat might have pierced his eye.

Bud, this one will be on you and you can't act surprised. Time to be PROACTIVE!!!!

Wishing Baldelli well

Hard for any fan of the game to root against Rocco Baldelli, even a staunch Yanks fan.

"It's tough," Baldelli said. "I don't know if there is a layman's way to describe it. It's almost impossible. My muscles get tired, but I prefer not to even say things like that because I don't want that to be the headline of the story. That's why I don't really get into it much. It's tough for me to explain to other people exactly what's going on."

I can't imagine what it must be like to be a world class athlete in peak condition to have trouble cranking the engine when needed. I hope he can make a full recovery and makes 80+ starts in right field.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

In the same article, there's a comment about the "new" Sox clubhouse. Sox fans, your team's persona is on the same path as the Yanks: professional, corporate, vanilla. Just read this next comment and swap out "Baldelli" for "Jeter", "Sox" for "Yanks", "2004" for "1996", and "Jesus hairdos" for "former drug-addicted Mets":

Baldelli is polite, almost shy when dealing with the media. He'll deliver words and fill the sound bite for the 11 o'clock news, but strives to say as little as possible. This makes him a perfect fit for the 2009 Sox. Theo and his guys have assembled a group that is the polar opposite of the 2004 Idiots. No more wild and crazy quotes. No more Jesus hairdos or Jack Daniel's shots.

Not saying there is anything really wrong with that corporate, vanilla persona. We just have to recognize that once a team wins and eventually loses the key players of that team, the team will bring guys in who try to fit in rather than just be themselves and giving the team a new identity. It melds into something pretty santized.

The '04 Sox lost Manny, Pedro, Damon, Millar, Foulke, etc. Think of those personalities. Big personalities, lockerroom leaders. Sure, 'Tek and Papi are still there, intense as ever. Papelbon seems to be a bit of a wacko, and I mean that as a compliment. But JD Drew, Ellsbury, and Bay aren't exactly guys you think of as leaders. Pedroia seems to be a natural leader, but is he (and Lowell) the loose kinda guys in the lockerrooms like Damon, et al, were? I ask because I don't know the answer, not facetiously.

The "early dynasty" Yanks lost the same type of leaders: Wells, Cone, Paulie, Bernie, Jimmy Key. Sure, we filled them with other guys, some of which had larger than life personalities (Clemens, Giambi) while others were as vanilla as they come (Moose, Abreu, Matsui). And the team slowly conformed to Jeter's "give 'em only what they need to know/hear" personality. Santized, scrubbed, polished. And ARod and his personality is as obvious as they come. I heard someone say on XM MLB #175 today that it looks like ARod is acting like he is playing ARod in a movie about ARod. "Sincerity" is not a word I'll ever use to describe him. The truth is, if he was a pompous ass, crass and crude, people might have an easier time accepting him. At least we'd know he was honest with himself. I think this is what helped Giambi's "recovery" in the eyes of fans. [Not for nothing: I think adding Sabathia's clubhouse presence will do wonders for this team, who needs a boost of personality]

I still think the Sox are as feared an organization as there is in baseball, this year and for years to come. I think I have been more than fair in my thoughts on this team, no matter how much I want them to fail. My respect for Tito, Theo and so many of their personnel is tremendous. I think their off-season acquisitions were smart and calculated, even without Teix. But this team is no longer the Boston Dirt Dogs. They are now a corporate powerhouse. They are no longer the lovable losers; they have an image to uphold (and sell).

Speedy recovery wishes

Wishing Ben Sheets a speedy recovery.

Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery on Sheets in Birmingham, Ala., repairing a partial tear in the pitcher's right flexor tendon. Sheets said that while Andrews set no timetable, the doctor was confident that he would pitch later this season.

Andrews performed the same surgery on left-hander Andy Pettitte in Aug. 2004. Pettitte has since produced four straight 200-inning seasons, two with the Astros, two with the Yankees.

Someone's going to sign Sheets in July with a good team option for 2010 and come out looking rather smart.

Sad news about Robbie Alomar

If true, this is terribly sad (emphasis mine):

Baseball great Roberto Alomar has full-blown AIDS but insisted on having unprotected sex, his ex-girlfriend charged Tuesday in a bombshell lawsuit.

The shocking claim was leveled by Ilya Dall, 31, who said she lived with the ex-Met for three years and watched in horror as his health worsened. In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.
[...]
Alomar, 41, who quit baseball over health issues in 2005, could not be reached for comment.
[...]
Also in 2005, Alomar told Dall that when he once was raped by two Mexican men after playing a Ballgame in New Mexico, according to the suit.

Other symptoms began to develop, she says, including erectile dysfunction , a chronic cough, and fatigue.

While I hope it's not true from any number of angles (that he doesn't have AIDS, the rape story, that if he does he didn't do what's alleged), perhaps that explains his precipitous drop off in performance. He batted .336 in his final year with CLE only to slide to .266 in his first year (2002) with the Mets. He batted .258 in 2003, split between the Mets and the WhiteSox.

Alomar's eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.


UPDATE: If you want to read the whole sordid filing, here it is on The Smoking Gun. Warning: It's ugly.

The Unfortunate Case of Ben Sheets

• July 2008, Ben Sheets starts All-Star Game
• September 2008, Ben Sheets done for year with torn muscle in throwing arm
• January/February 2009, Ben Sheets agrees to two year deal with Texas pending a physical
• February 5, 2009, Ben Sheets needs surgery to repair torn flexor tendon in his elbow, likely missing all of the 2009 season

Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it? I mean, we could all guess, from a distance, that there had to be SOMETHING precluding teams from taking a flier on him. Now, we get to watch Sheets try to stick the Brewers with the bill.

Really unfortunate.