Bob Ojeda article in the Times

It's the number 12 most emailed article in the Times in the last 24 hours:

http://www.nytimes.com/most-popular-emailed

Probably a lot of people emailing their friends about how stupid the article is.

 

It resonates largely because it's the same story that a lot of washed-up never-weres could tell. And it's getting more relevant with each passing year.

It also strikes a chord because it's easy to forget just how much pain these guys are in sometimes. Ojeda pitched the whole year, and was pretty damn good, with this stabbing pain. That's interesting.

This weekend is my son's first travel ball tournament. 9-year-olds. Yesterday the #3 pitcher had to leave the mound because of shoulder pain, after taking the previous two weeks off while getting physical therapy. The #1 pitcher is battling arm pain but pitching through it. The #2 guy is holding up well this year, but last year when he was 8 he had to stop pitching before the season ended.

 

Definitely. You could make the case that any parent who lets a 9-year-old "pitch through the pain" is guilty of neglect, if not straight-up child abuse.

 

It is a sick joke being played on American society, but it is all true nonetheless. Last year the #1 pick of our league draft had to miss the season with what is commonly known now as "Little League elbow." He was 10.

 

When, for example, living near Boston I see a slew of comments on articles about how Jacoby Ellsworth, J.D. Drew and Clay Buchholz are essentially pussies for not playing, it's not hard to imagine what the people behind those comments are doing to their kids.

 

The is the ache of tired muscles and then there is the pain of injury. Most athletes, regardless of age, recognize the difference; some parents and coaches don't.

 

Agreed, Doc. But if we're talking about a 9-year-old, he should have a professional check whether it's fatigue or injury, right?

 

And even if it's just the fatigue of tired muscles and not the pain of injury, I'd think a 9-year-old needs to sit out and not "pitch through it".

I'm not a doctor and certainly not a pro athlete, but I'm a parent. And that just sounds like it makes sense to me.

 

Safe to say Ellsworth and Buchholz are not.

 

Don't need to have an MD to appreciate common sense

 

As an update to my prior post, I add that the 9-year-old who came out of the game because of shoulder pain Saturday returned today to pitch three innings. By his third inning he was able to throw strikes on at least a third of the pitches.