2012 MLB Regular Season Running Thread

If a PLAYER in any sport bailed in the midst of high stakes competition for fear of aggravating a past injury, he'd be done as a pro. He'd be a pariah for all time. But if the TEAM does it for him, that's good management? I don't get it.

 

Shit's starting to get real in Kansas City. 15/15.

 

You are protecting the player from himself. I am not sure what you don't get about that.

This is the same board that rails about the NFL and lack of regard they have for player safety.

 

And it's over. Unfortunately, for him, he wasn't pitching against the Rays.

 

Kris Medlen since he joined the Braves rotation on July 31:

7 GS, 43.2 IP, 36 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 50 K

6-0 with a 0.82 ERA

P.S. — Medlen had Tommy John surgery about two weeks before Strasburg did. He's about 2 1/2 years older.

 

Why wouldn't players and teams have different standards of behavior?

 

Oh for Christ's sake. Apples and anvils.

 

Why?

The Nationals obviously believe this can have a negative impact down the road. I imagine they base this on a hell of a lot more data and medical expertise than most have on here. Yet, people are advocating to let him just go ahead and pitch, fuck the long term effects. How is that any different than bitching about NFL teams letting players play when they have no business being out there?

 

Not even remotely the same thing as what I've been talking about with the NFL and its disregard for player safety. My issue there is protecting athletes from brain injuries.

Unless you think risking a blown-out arm is comparable to brain damage. You don't really think that, do you?

What is the risk for Strasburg? Career-ending injury at the absolute worst? He'd still be able to function just fine the rest of his life. The worst thing that can happen to a football player if he is allowed to take the field with a concussion is he could die. It doesn't happen that often, but it has happened at the high school and college levels. It nearly happened in the pros, but the doctors were able to resuscitate Merril Hoge when his heart stopped in the Bears' training room. http://www.aolnews.com/2009/11/29/merrill-hoge-concussion-caused-him-to-flatline-in-trainers-ro/

Actually, that may not be the worst thing. They could live with brain damage. They could have post-concussion syndrome symptoms such as vertigo and debilitating migraines. They could suffer permanent memory loss or they could be crippled.

It's the level or risk, JC. That's the answer to the question you just asked Bubbler. The level of risk is so different to make your comparison a terrible one.

 

So as long as it is not a head injury who cares about the long term health of the player, just suck it up and get out there and play.

 

You skipped a step there. First, you need to acknowledge the error in your comparison of the Nats trying to protect Strasburg's ability to throw hard to what NFL teams should be doing to protect their players from brain damage. They are not even remotely the same thing.

Secondly, your conclusion here is overly simplistic and inaccurate. The Nats are worried about protecting Strasburg's long-term ability to pitch, not his long-term health. The evidence that he is even at a greater risk of an injury that would take away from his ability to throw the ball is flimsy at best. He is not at risk of any kind of damage that would impact his long-term health.

We already dismissed the brain damage thing as a valid comparison. Or at least we should have.

Is Strasburg at risk of being crippled like Earl Campbell or Jim Otto if he pitches? Not at all, barring something freakish happening.

He's not in danger of cutting his life short if he pitches over 180 innings this year. He's not risking the quality of his life after baseball if he pitches. So to go on about long-term health is disingenuous at best.

To give you another example aside from brain injuries, the Steelers will be without Pro Bowl safety Ryan Clark for their opener in Denver, just as they were for the playoff game last year. He's not hurt, but he nearly died due to the effects of playing at that altitude a few years back. Even though the doctors have cleared him, Mike Tomlin won't allow him to play. It was a major factor in Pittsburgh's playoff loss last year and it will hurt again this coming Sunday, but I support the decision completely. It just isn't worth the risk, but it's Clark's life on the line, not his ability to play the game.