Today’s news is powered by a view of hip labrum surgery (not for the easily squeamish, but hey … what OTHER baseball website is gonna offer you this?):
- The initial hip labrum surgery for A-Rod was deemed a success.
- Did you know that golfer Greg Norman and ice skater Michelle Kwan have had the same procedure done? Its part of an excellent article detailing the physiology at play in A-Rod’s surgery.
- First it was pool …. now Girardi has the players “golfing” … on the basepaths.
- Andy Pettitte realizes the pitchers have to step up in the absence of A-Rod.
- The Captain believes the Yanks will survive without Alex … cause …. what choice do they have?:
“We were hit pretty hard last year,” Jeter said. “You’re talking about the combination of Jorge and Hideki, that’s a pretty big chunk right there, two guys in the middle of your lineup.
“But hopefully Al is not going to be gone for long. I don’t know the timetable, but you hope he’s back sooner rather than later.”
Can the Yankees survive without A-Rod?
“We have no choice,” Jeter said. “But we have enough guys on our team that we’ll be all right.”
- Count Wallace Matthews in the camp of “he should have had the whole procedure done now”:
By announcing that A-Rod will undergo a scaled-down surgical hip repair this morning, then be rushed back into the lineup ASAP, the message they are sending out is an SOS.
As in, Save Our Season. How misguided is that?
In the interest of long-term safety, they could have chosen to shut down their $275-million third baseman for four months, allow him to take as much time as he needs to recover, and try to muddle through with the other $190 million or so worth of ballplayers still on their active roster. …
… But the Yankees didn’t do any of those things. Instead, in announcing A-Rod’s fast-track recovery plan, they made an unmistakable announcement of their own: We can’t win without this guy.
Forgetting, conveniently, that in five seasons, they have yet to win a thing with him.
[My take: There are back-handed compliments … and then there are back-handed putdowns. But I do agree that for the long-term health of A-Rod, having the entire procedure done now in one shot would have been preferred.]
- PeteAbe notes that Brett Gardner leads the club in homers, with 3.
- The always entertaining Joe Posnanski offers some interesting observations on Rodriguez:
… I do feel badly for him. He has been been a great player who, in many ways, has not been fully appreciated. He’s brought a lot of that on himself, of course, with his brazen grab for money and his admitted steroid use and, yeah, a few ill-timed playoff struggles. But I don’t think those things make him much different from many of the other great players in baseball history.
I think of the beautiful line in Richard Ben Cramer’s epic Esquire story about Ted Williams:
”He wanted fame, and wanted it with a pure, hot eagerness that would have been embarrassing in a smaller man. But he could not stand celebrity. This is a bitch of a line to draw in America’s dust.“
Richard has been working on a book about Alex Rodriguez, and I think I know why. Because A-Rod, like Williams, craved something desperately. I think A-Rod’s case, it was more than fame, though he wanted that. It was more than money, though he wanted that too. It’s corny and amateur psychology, but I do believe he’s just wanted to be loved. And here is Alex Rodriguez. He has hit 553 home runs, and he has won three MVP awards, and he has made every All-Star Game for more than a decade, and he is rich, and he is famous, and he is a star. And, also, he’s facing two hip surgeries and an uncertain future except for the certain boos that will surround him in every ballpark he will visit. It’s a hell of a thing about life. You never know the ending until you get there.
- Over at Baseball Musings, David Pinto offers up a lineup analysis of the Yankees, with and without A-Rod. (p.s. The site is having a pledge drive this month. Show them that you care.)
- According to Baseball America minor league transactions page, Yankees Rookie Gulf Coast League OF Michael Jones was placed on the Restricted List.
- On this date in 1930, Babe Ruth signs a two-year contract with the Yankees worth $160,000.
Wow, Canada was eliminated from the WBC. Did anyone catch the Korea-Japan game?
Diane, it never was bowling. It was pool.
Raf, I missed the Japan-Korea rematch, but I'm really turned off by the seeding games in Rounds 1 & 2. The team that clinches 2-0 should be the top seed and the team that clinches 2-1 should be the second seed. Japan went 2-0, mercied Korea, then had to play them again, lost 1-0 and now they're the second seed? Is that at all fair? That sixth game is a waste of time and a horrible way to determine the seeding. All it does is makes the two best teams play with very little on the line, which is bad for the tournament. When Japan and Korea play, it should be to clinch or eliminate.
[2]
Mea culpa .... you are right. I've corrected it. :-)
[2 & 3] But, wasn't Girardi's original idea to take them bowling? He changed it to pool because he didn't want to take any chances with the pitchers (which was a smart move...I went bowling the other day for the first time in a few years, my arm is still sore...)
[4]
Yes, I believe Joe thought of bowling first ....
Diane, you think his next idea might be a Scrabble tournament? ;-)
[1] I caught the game...it was very well played and very exciting. If anyone thinks this tournament isn't filled with meaning and passion, this was the game to watch...even though seeding was the only thing on the line.
[2] I was a little surprised by the seeding format as well, but what they have basically done is convert the tournament from pool play to quasi-double elimination. The pros of this format are it eliminates a lot of meaningless games in favor of an extra matchup between two better teams (the worst team plays one fewer game, which is replaced by a #1/#2 face-off) and has a bracket like structure. The major con is it can be a little unfair, but at least the effect is only on seeding, not advancement to the next round.
As for Arod, if there is a 90% chance that the Yankees could have him for 4-5 months, I can't fathom why anyone would rather have him take the chance of missing the year by getting both surgeries now.
[6]
If he did, Papelbon (a noted Scrabbler) would hear about it and want in.
[2] I'm not too thrilled about the seeding either, but after dealing with the 3 tier MLB playoff system (Yanks-O's ALCS?) after all these years, I'm used to it.
The major con is it can be a little unfair, but at least the effect is only on seeding, not advancement to the next round.
Fair point.
the netherlands - puerto rico game was pretty exciting too.
i didn't see netherlands score but watched most of pr's abs which were pretty high drama as they kept getting on-base but had a hard time until they finally scored some runs.
as to mr. wallace matthews point - i think wanting arod to miss as little time as possible this year indicates the yanks see this year as as good an opportunity as any to win a ws and they want to go pretty much all in (with the exception of cf, maybe cashman swings a trade later).
i know some have disagreed with me before, but i think it is fallacy to think the yanks have an endless window of opportunity. yes, they can spend more than anyone else, but there aren't always quality players to spend this money on - especially at the premium positions.
[11] You could also argue that pool play can be a little unfair, especially if your the team who faces Venezuela when they have Felix going. I don't think pool play works in a sport like baseball where a major component of your team changes every game.
[12] That was a great game too...the Netherlands doesn't have many hitters, but they have some live arms as well as some guys that can play a little defense (including an outstanding catcher).
Yes, having single games determine anything in baseball is problematic, but the only solution to that would be to cut out half the teams and add a week to the schedule.
I'll third the Neth-PR game, even my wife was riveted in the 7th and 8th innings, and she's otherwise already burned out by all the WBC I have (and have had) to watch.
My problem with journalists (or fans) commenting on medical procedures (the best treatment) is that we're too entirely ignorant. Yes, it seldom stops people from having opinions, but my instinct here (as opposed to, say, whether a pinch runner should be used or the bullpen is being mismanaged, where I am too confident of my judgment!) is to lie low and listen. Absent evidence of incompetent physicians, I'll assume the player and team are getting sound guidance.
Is there a timetable for Jorge to test whether he can catch a day or even two in a row? To my mind this is critical for March, and based on that assessment, we may well need a better catcher option, plus we may end up with a mess at DH. With Alex down to early-mid May, best case, getting production elsewhere matters more.
Posada should get behind the dish this weekend. Not sure when they'll try him back-to-back.
"Forgetting, conveniently, that in five seasons, they have yet to win a thing with him." I know October matters a lot, but isn't this statement a little extreme? They've won a lot with ARod, including 3 divisions.
I hear people, in and outside the media, criticize the Yankees for placing too much emphasis on October and not enough. You can't have it both ways.
Looks like Joba and the gang will be on Yes tonight. Hopefully, Joba rebounds. So says Cpt. Obvious.
Three divisions, one wild card, and one ALDS, to be exact.
[0] Dr. Phillipon, the pre-eminent hip specialist in the country, said that:
I don't think any non-orthopedic surgeon is in a position to second guess that determination..
[15] I agree 100%. It's one thing to say "if the doctors advised having both surgeries, it would have been better for Arod to get them both done", and another to spout igornance in the manner that Wally Matthews does everytime he sits down next to his keyboard.
That YouTube is absolutely amazing.
[21] If we want a macro issue here, it is the depressing level of media incompetence and shabby non-thinking all over the place on the sports beat these days.
The minute the case gets beyond 'Canada blew it by saving their best pitcher for a game they never got to play in the WBC' (which is true) and reaches discussions of law, medicine, drugs, books (the Torre, before anyone even read it), sports culture, sports ethics (now and 40 years ago), team dynamics off the field ... we enter the twilight zone.
This isn't even a blogosphere vs old-media battle. By me, both sectors have been equally appalling, with a handful of exceptions.
Meanwhile, as of today's coverage, it actually does look as if Roger Clemens is a fair bet to get jail time for perjury before a Congressional Committee. I wouldn't place that bet, myself, but it could happen.