Strasburg has a torn UCL

[Purebred Dawg]

and will likely need dreaded Tommy John surgery per the WWL. Wow. Mark Prior 2.0.

 

[Purebred Dawg]

and will likely need dreaded Tommy John surgery per the WWL. Wow. Mark Prior 2.0.

 

[bonedaddy401]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5502866<div>
</div><div>Maybe he tore it counting all that moneytheypaid him.</div>

 

[DawgatAuburn]

I heard yesterday that this was a possibility but that it was worst case scenario. I hope the surgery goes great and he is back to normal in 2012.

 

[SanfordRJones]

Since when is Tommy John surgery, relative to other major sports-related surgery, dreaded? Also, Mark Prior never had any UCL problems. Most of his injuries were in his shoulder.

 

[Xenomorph]

..and if not Mark Pryor, then Kerry Wood.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Since when is Tommy John surgery, relative to other major sports-related surgery, dreaded?

Since the day Tommy John had it I would suspect.

 

[ArlngtnDawg]

Why would they dread it? It is a very common surgery and has been shown to actually increase performance.

http://www.usatoday.com/s...8-cover-tommy-john_x.htm

 

[SanfordRJones]

relative to other major sports-related surgery

He may certainly end up being an injury waiting to happen, but the fact that he has to have Tommy John surgery alone certainly isn't the death knell of his career. Look at the list of superstars who have had it. Almost every pitcher who has had it over the last decade or so has completely recovered from it.

 

[SanfordRJones]

relative to other major sports-related surgery

What part of "relative to other major sports-related surgery" do you selective readers not understand?

 

[8dog]

its the single most dreaded surgery b/c it affects the arm--the most important body part to a pitcher. You just dont know how someone is going to react. And if the reaction is anything less than the previous ability of the arm, the pitcher is pretty much screwed. Not to mention the recovery time is ridiculous.

 

[boomboommsu]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/13824602/want-to-save-arms-from-blowing-out-dont-put-them-in-coach

 

[DawgatAuburn]

The recovery is at least a year. In most cases pitchers don't become really effective into the second or even third year. I don't see how you can possibly think that this injury and surgery aren't dreaded by every pitcher at any level. And those parents who are taking their teenagers in to get the surgery to try and increase their performance should be lined up and shot.

 

[boomboommsu]

....just from his arb/FA being pushed back a year. And he's looking at a very painful and difficult rehab, as well as actually going under the knife. I'd call that dreaded. Not like that guy who snapped his arm in mid-pitch, no, but still dreaded.

 

[LandArchDawg]

starting pitching is a lot like long distance running. You have to hold some back for longevity. I had a feeling Strasburg was throwing as hard as he could, as opposed to the general rule in pitching of thowing with about 80-85% of your strength.

I hope he recovers well and learns from this experience.

 

[SanfordRJones]

And those parents who are taking their teenagers in to get the surgery to try and increase their performance should be lined up and shot.

I certainly agree with you there. That's just retarded for parents to even consider that. It's still major surgery with a very long recovery. But, looking at the list of people who have come back from the surgery and what they have accomplished after surgery and rehab vs. people coming back from other surgeries and procedures, the prognosis for professional athletes undergoing UCL replacement is extremely optimistic.

 

[SanfordRJones]

I'd take UCL replacement over a torn rotator cuff any day if I were a professional pitcher.

 

[patdog]

It's still major surgery with a very long recovery.

Not to mention that any time you go under general anesthesia, there's achance you might not ever wake up. It doesn't happen often, but it comes close to happening a lot more often than people realize.

 

[gtowndawg]

I've had this conversation with two parents over the last two years. They're MAKING their 7 YEAR OLD kids play summer and fall baseball. About 100 games total.

 

[Todd4State]

Tommy John is one of the more preferred injuries in baseball- if such a thing exists. Tommy John has an 85% success rate at coming back- depends a lot on the rehab and how the pitcher heals as an individual.

A torn labrum, often times a SLAP tear- which is what Mark Prior had- has about a 50% chance at full recovery- full recovery in this case being defined as being able to pitch at the MLB level at or near the level prior to the initial injury to contrast the two.

Not sure about the success rate for a torn rotator cuff, but I couldn't imagine that it would be 85%.

On the parents wanting their son to have Tommy John- agree 100% with those that want them lined up and shot. The solution for me would be to NOT have the child operated on, but rather to give the child the exercises that are used in rehab for Tommy John. The exercises are great for arm strengthening, and that can yield better results on the mound without the surgery.

 

[patdog]

They're MAKING their 7 YEAR OLD kids play summer and fall baseball.

It's one thing to encourage a kid to play sports, but you should never make them play.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

 

[JimHalpert.nafoom]

nm

 

[DawgatAuburn]

[No message]

 

[57stratdawg]

pitchers have Tommy Johns right as they get on campus and they're usually 1st <17> rounders.

Tough break for the kid, but here's the real question.

Isn't this type of injury something that is detectable ahead of time? I hear of pitchers needing Tommy Johns without an injury. How did the Nationals not MRI that dude during evaluations and check to see if he might soon need Tommy John's?

 

[Mutt the Hoople.buhoops]

,

 

[DawgatAuburn]

[No message]

 

[Todd4State]

Washington has had a rough baseball history. They're the only city in America that has had TWO teams move from there- the Twins and the Rangers.

But besides that, I think that this might be a blessing in some ways for Strasburg. Now there is an outside chance that the Nationals will be able to put together a pretty strong team in a couple of years- meaning that Strasburg won't have to pitch on a crappy team next year, which may help his numbers in the long run. Not only that- there is a very good chance that this is not a career ending injury. Because he is returning from an injury, he will get better match-ups and he won't be considered the ace once he comes back, and that is going to allow him to get a good foothold on being the ace. And the more favorable match-ups also may help his numbers as opposed to him pitching against everyone else's ace.

The thing about the Cubs is that they are "lovable". I don't think that really applies to the Nats. The Cubs are America's favorite underdog, bad luck team.

 

[patdog]

At least the Cubs occasionally tease their fans before they collapse.