So I’m listening to the updates of Kerry Wood’s first start today for the Cubs…and he’s…struggling.
We’ve got a wild pitch, a single, a walk in one inning.
So tell me what is the exact process of this miraculous Tommy John surgery that claims to fix up pitchers good as new and yet renders Kerry Wood completely useless?
Was his phenom rookie year a total fluke or did his injury end his career as a good pitcher regardless of any surgery you’d like to give him? I mean he’s had a season to recover and everyone says to give him time. Time! Good christ, how much more do you need?
Time can sometimes mean more than a year, unfortunately. This isn’t just some nip-and-tuck surgery, of course. The good news is that it can not only save a career, it can prolong it. John had his surgery about halfway through his career - and he pitched for a quarter-century!
Different pitchers (and all players) react different to surgery. Some come back too quickly, and others not quickly enough - it’s really still a guessing game. It’s like, on a much smaller scale, getting an organ transplant - you don’t know for sure how the body’s going to react to the new organ, whether it’ll accept it or not. Surgery can be like that, and sometimes pitchers’ arms take some time.
Be patient. He’s very talented, he’s very young, and he seems to have his head screwed on right.
No idea on the Kerry Wood thing, except to point out that doctors are not miracle workers, that just because somebody sewed it all back together again doesn’t automatically mean it’s good as new. Bodies can take a lot longer to heal than people think. My ankle is still bad and it’s been a year and a half. Good thing I don’t have a multi-million dollar contract riding on it.
And sports medicine-wise, there’s always gonna be another Magic Bullet, you know? Magnets, TENS units, ice/don’t ice, steroids, etc. etc. And now it’s “Tommy John” time.
Another thing about Kerry Wood’s surgery is that he has changed his delivery a bit to take stress of his elbow. Many suggested that his original style of pitching contributed to his injury.
At the big league level, a subtle change can mean the difference between being Pedro Martinez or being Jamie Navarro.
Tommy John and Kerry Wood are two totally different pitchers. Tommy John was terrific because of his ball movement, location, ability to change speed. He never had a great heater, although he had more zip before the surgery. Pitchers just don’t get the heater back after this kind of surgery and I’d be shocked if Kerry does. Remember Frank Tanana? It wasn’t TJ surgery, but he’s the only example I know of where a power pitcher lost a 95 mph+ heater and was able to become a finesse pitcher.
Actually, the heater usually comes back pretty well after this surgery. Kerry has been back up to the 98-mph fastball since about the middle of last season. It’s the nasty curveball and slider that he hasn’t been able to use so much…which, more than the fastball, were his really good pitches. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the 20-K game…the slider literally looked like one in a Nintendo baseball game.
Plus, the arm generally comes back as strong or stronger than before…pitchers who have had the surgery rarely have problems later, at least with the elbow.
However, that’s still no excuse for DoughBoy…er, excuse me, Don Baylor, to leave him out there for 120 pitches every other start.
And, jarbabyj, worry not…if Kerry should ever learn control, he will become one of the most dominant pitchers in the league…he’s approximately as hittable as Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens (even last year, the league only hit .226 against him). However, that’s a big if…
Well, Mr. Jarbaby says I should ease up on Kerry. But I will not. I must push him telepathically to be the best pitcher he can be. He struck out ten guys yesterday and said in a press conference that ‘he felt good about it’. Got news for you Kerry, 10 is HALF of 20, which you used to be capable of.
On a Cubs hijack side note, Hows that $18 million Sammy Sosa? one for five on opening day, tried to steal an unecessary base yesterday AND missed a simple fly ball. Baseball’s been very very good to you…and you treat us like crap in return.
jarbaby, I know you know baseball better than this. When he struck out 20, he was only the third person to do so in the history of the game.
Ten strikeouts is phenomenal given that a) he had major surgery and b) the quality of the hitting has rapidly increased. You won’t find many who can strike out 10 nowadays.
And he’s still capable of 20. Have patience! Season’s only a couple of days old!
Yes, I know. :: kicking dirt :: i’m just tired of the Cubs sucking and I need to vent my anger at somebody. Nomo gets a no hitter and Kerry strikes out ten… :: grumbling, kicking more dirt ::
it’s hard to be patient with the Cubs. That’s all anyone ever tells us to do!
I don’t blame you for being frustrated, not in the least. But at least you have a gorgeous home field and some of the best fans around. I’ve been to a lot of the baseball stadia in the country, and Wrigley’s the best in the NL I’ve been to. On the other hand, you haven’t won a Series since 1908, so maybe the appeal of such a great facility has worn off a tad. But don’t blame poor Kerry, he’s the best thing ya got. Better than Sosa!
