2015 Baseball season/Off Season Discussion

[Falcon]

Wainwright diagnosed with ab strain, back in camp by this Friday and (allegedly) good to go for opening day.

Good news but I'll believe it when I see it.

[pilferk]

His contract is LOADED on the back end too... they are on the hook for 32 million plus in 16 and 17... Brutal...

I THOUGHT I remembered there were sobriety, morals, and specifically drug use clauses added to his contract.  Maybe I'm thinking of the Texas extension, and not his newest deal.

[pilferk]

Wainwright diagnosed with ab strain, back in camp by this Friday and (allegedly) good to go for opening day.

Good news but I'll believe it when I see it.

Shit ton better than a sports hernia.

[tim_m]

If he gets suspended for the season that would help the Angels financially. They wouldn't have to pay his salary of 24.5 million this year. There were apparently stipulations in his reinstatement that his minor league positive could be considered if he uses again. So he could be in big big trouble.

[tim_m]

Looks like it will be at least 25 games for Hamilton.

[JAEBALL]

Is there a HTGH fantasy league with a spot open ?

If there is I'd love to get down.

[TheBaconman]

Single game tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 am.   Got to love the jays!!!!   As long as they all don't get injured in spring training

[faldor]

Is there a HTGH fantasy league with a spot open ?

If there is I'd love to get down.

Not that I'm aware of. We do one for football if you're interested next season.

[tim_m]

The Rangers season took a big hit today. Darvish has a sprain of the UCL out at least 4 months and may ultimately need Tommy John surgery. Ouch.

[pilferk]

Looks like Jays lose Stroman for the year to an ACL.  That's a big blow for their rotation....Sorry Baconman.

[tim_m]

And it looks like Darvish is definitely getting TJ surgery.

[pilferk]

It's early....and Stroman's injury isn't elbow related, but...

If MLB continues to see the kind of injury rate they saw last year, with arm and elbow issues...I'm thinking they are going to HAVE to find a way to act.  They are going to have to, in short order, figure out a way to modify the game (maybe something with the mound?) to address that issue.

I actually suspect the "Pace of game" rules may lead to MORE pitching injuries as they speed up the pitchers coming to the plate.  But we'll see.

[faldor]

And it looks like Darvish is definitely getting TJ surgery.

I read that Tanaka had the same injury as Darvish but 5 doctors recommended he try to pitch through it. Yet 2 doctors recommend TJ surgery for Darvish. Is it as simple as Darvish's injury is more severe? Or did Tanaka just see the (right) doctors? I assume there's pretty considerable risk with him pitching through the injury?

[pilferk]

And it looks like Darvish is definitely getting TJ surgery.

I read that Tanaka had the same injury as Darvish but 5 doctors recommended he try to pitch through it. Yet 2 doctors recommend TJ surgery for Darvish. Is it as simple as Darvish's injury is more severe? Or did Tanaka just see the (right) doctors? I assume there's pretty considerable risk with him pitching through the injury?

1) Yes, more severe in Darvish's case. For him, his ligament is essentially torn through. Tanaka was a sprain and SLIGHT tear (not through and through)
2) Tanaka's injury has had success being pretty much healed (at least to a functional level) through other treatments (Enriched plasma injections, rest, PT).  Darvish....TJ or bust.
3) Not really any risk, at least in terms of eventual outcome (ie: His health and duration of career).  The truth is, Tanaka will, eventually, need TJ surgery. He'll eventually get benched for 12 to 18 months.  That's pretty much inevitable, at some point.  Even those that have successfully gone through what Tanaka did for treatment have, years down the line, still had TJ. But in some cases...it's been 5 or 6 years down the line.  So, there's no risk to NOT having the surgery...because the repair is the repair. All it does is sort of change when...delaying the inevitable.

[faldor]

Thanks for the clarification pilferk. Paints a clearer picture.

I also saw on Twitter that the Yankees Twitter account went out of their way to avoid mentioning A-Rod's HR yesterday. Comical if true.

[pilferk]

Thanks for the clarification pilferk. Paints a clearer picture.

I also saw on Twitter that the Yankees Twitter account went out of their way to avoid mentioning A-Rod's HR yesterday. Comical if true.

Ummm...I don't know if their account did (I'll check..it wouldn't surprise me) but I saw it all over my feed, complete with video. I know the YES network feed tweeted 3 times about it, and one of them included VIDEO!!

[Falcon]

Sucks about Darvish, very unfortunate.

Hopefully Tanaka avoids the inevitable for the time being, it's not if but when for sure.

There's really nothing MLB can do about it, these guys have so many miles on them before they hit the big leagues they all break at some point.

[tim_m]

I'm hoping Tanaka can get in a few seasons before he inevitably needs it. He looked sharp in his first start tonight.

[pilferk]

There's really nothing MLB can do about it, these guys have so many miles on them before they hit the big leagues they all break at some point.

There's some stuff they can do, at all levels, to try to help.  It won't help the guys in the bigs NOW, but it would help guys coming up through the system. 

The guys, today, are pretty much "lost causes".

It's the guys 5 years from now that you can "save". 

[GeorgeSteele]

There's really nothing MLB can do about it, these guys have so many miles on them before they hit the big leagues they all break at some point.

There's some stuff they can do, at all levels, to try to help.  It won't help the guys in the bigs NOW, but it would help guys coming up through the system. 

The guys, today, are pretty much "lost causes".

It's the guys 5 years from now that you can "save". 

The 2 biggest targets of blame that I hear most are: (1) babying pitchers with pitch counts and over-monitoring of use; and (2) over-intensity of little leagues at too young an age (e.g., 8 year olds throwing sliders).  I think the first reason is just macho hot air from old dudes who walked 10 miles to school in the snow without shoes.  The second might have some merit though.  What would you say can be done now with young guys currently at the lower levels?