First pitch in tonight's game is about an hour away and I'll be watching intently. I hit Pedro pretty hard in my Flushing University column this week, which was not easy to do. I hope that the Pedro supporters out there are correct and that I got this one wrong. Rotator cuff injuries are just so difficult to overcome - can anyone think of a player who made a full recovery from the surgery? Joe Saunders has progressed nicely this season, but his K rates are atrocious. Rick Reuschel was effective in his late 30s, but I'm struggling to remember any other pitcher who ever made a full recovery from this type of injury.
That said, I feel like my columns have been very negative the past few weeks and it's too easy to get into that habit as a writer. I'll try to switch it up next week.
4 comments:
Well, it looks like you nailed it. Even with a quiet second inning he's thrown 40+ pitches and once again put his offense in a big hole. We'll see if he can give them five without giving up any more runs. I'm going to sleep cause I don't think its worth finding out.
El Duque, Tony Armas Jr. and Jimmy Key who won 16 games one season a few years after surgery
You Googled that MLB.com article, didn't you? You can make an argument for El Duque, although he hasn't pitched a full season since his rotator cuff surgery. Armas has never recovered - he's been terrible since going under the knife in 2003.
Key is a more interesting case - he had the worst full season of his career in 1996, the year after his surgery. He didn't even average six innings per start that year. He gutted out 1997 and still had a high WHIP, but the ERA went down and the run support went up to get him those 16 wins. The shoulder gave out in 1998 and his career was over.
I did not seek, nor did I invite your subtle jab that I google cheated. You asked for names, I gave ya names. For the sake of us that eagerly tune in everyday, do your homework, will ya?
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