Steve Gann
Sandra 1The Gann Guide To Baseball Injuries
April 23rd 2009 05:23
So you have awoken to find in the daily box scores that one of your best fantasy players has sustained an injury. You may have less than twenty-four hours to decide whether to keep or waive him from your roster. We who partake in fantasy leagues have all been faced with this tough decision. For many struggling fans and managers of fantasy leagues, the terminology of some of today's baseball injuries may seem too difficult to comprehend. Today's athletes have the latest medical advances to help keep them in top form, but sometimes these are not enough to eliminate a player from having to go on the disabled list. Unlike athletes in other sports, who may be able to play with broken bones and even torn ACLs, baseball players need their bodies at one-hundred percent to compete at the highest levels. This is why after years of exhaustive research, I am proud to unveil my guide to Major League Baseball injuries.
Let's start with the pitchers; it is important to note if the injury has taken place on the left or right side of the body. If your pitcher has sustained a blister on his throwing hand, he will definitely be lost for the season and will need extensive rehab to get back to the league. If he has gotten a splinter in his hand it gets a little more tricky. Did the splinter cause any bleeding? If yes then he will be out at least sixty days and should definitely be replaced on your roster. An injury that is becoming more and more serious with pitchers is the ever dangerous buttock tightness. I have a well known closer on my fantasy who has struggled with this condition throughout the last two seasons.
Lifestyles and eating habits must be taken into consideration when drafting pitchers. Charlie Hough once broke his pinky finger shaking hands, so be careful in drafting pitchers that might seem too friendly and cordial. Mark Portugal got food poisoning after eating some bad Mahi-Mahi. David Cone was bitten by his mother-in-law's terrier and missed a scheduled start. I make an effort to avoid all players who have dogs or mother-in-laws. Steve Foster once injured himself on the the Jay Leno show by knocking over milk bottles and Jeff Juden got a nasty infection after getting a new tattoo. This eliminates all Leno guests, milk drinkers, and body art enthusiasts.
For position players, even more diligence is required in your roster decisions. Not only must he play everyday and risk on the field injuries, but also seemingly harmless day-to-day tasks could lead to the dreaded disabled list. Mickey Tettleton lost playing time after tying his shoes too tight and getting a bad case of athlete's foot. Ken Griffey Jr. injured himself when his cup slipped and pinched a testicle. Sammy Sosa and Russ Davis both slept wrong and endured shoulder injuries. Glenallen Hill, who suffers from arachnophobia, fell out of bed after having a nightmare that involved giant spiders. Kevin Mitchell strained a muscle while vomiting and Bret Barberie missed a game because he accidentally rubbed chili juice in his eye.
To the layman it may seem that these injuries are minor and the players are weak and lazy. What may be characterized by us non-medical types as a “boo-boo” may be a serious detriment to everyday players. A bruise that is part of life for us and other athletes, may be the thing that throws off the precision timing and balance that baseball players need to excel in their sport. These players know their bodies and can't risk the chance that even the smallest injury could hurt the team. What team would rather have a future Hall-Of-Famer risk further injury from a small cut when you have a career .200 hitter ready to take his spot in lineup?
I hope this guide has helped fellow fantasy managers with their player analysis. I have only one definite conclusion from my research, never draft Ken Griffey Jr. He is a great player and a seemingly good person, but the worst fantasy league nightmare in the history of baseball.
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