Post-Flash News

[cubfan33]

I'm thinking maybe Zimmerman shouldn't have been such a flash. Its
not like we didn't see this coming. No worries though and its
exciting to see FLASH in the email box, isn't it? Zimmerman's
surgery went well and Dr. John Conway cleaned out some scar tissue
from around the joint. Indications are that Zimmerman will begin
throwing again in three weeks and an August 1 return date is
expected.

There is a great article on Tommy John surgery(tm) over on Yahoo.
(http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/columns/...surgerygivingp
l.html). Its the best one I've seen in explaining the history of it.
Who knew Frank Jobe owned the trademark on it? A couple weeks ago, I
got sick of typing Tommy John surgery (tm) and tried to come up with
a cool new name. I called Kerlan-Jobe today and learned that yes,
when referring to alliografted ulnar collateral ligament grafting, I
should refer to it as "Tommy John surgery (tm)." The trademark
hasn't been enforced in the general media, but they do hold the
rights. That's pretty cool. They also hold the rights on "Orel
Hershiser surgery (tm)" but that's another story.

Randy Johnson was skipped today due to back spasms. The spasms are
muscular and on the left side. The injury does appear pitching
related, first being reported to medical staff the day after his
last start. Johnson was reportedly very unhappy at missing a start.
Bob Brenly plans on starting Johnson Monday, but his unhappiness may
force Brenly to throw him this weekend.

Matt Anderson visited Birmingham today and was diagnosed with a
strained supraspinatus muscle. The supraspinatus is one of the four
muscles that make up the rotator cuff. Dr. Andrews did not feel the
injury was serious, but feels that Anderson must re-strengthen the
muscle before returning to pitching 97mph. He'll start a training
program while he's on the DL and return close to 15 days from now.

Austin Kearns took an ugly beaning last night. Nasty. His eye was
swollen shut this morning and he has a pretty mean headache. He'll
be out a couple days and it may mean he'll end up back in the minors
since ...

... Ken Griffey had his running session yesterday. It would be more
accurately described as jogging or trotting, but it did show that
Griffey is close to returning. Monday, May 6, is still being bandied
about, but we're still not sure. Why risk him vs. Milwaukee and why
not let Kearns heal, hit some more, and send Wilton Guerrero out
instead?

Another eye injury happened tonight in an odd fashion. Milton
Bradley was hit on the carom by a batted ball. His eye looked like
Apollo Creed in Rocky and he was replaced by Brady Anderson. It's
too early to tell if this will cost Bradley any time, but it didn't
look like he'd broken any bones.

Josh Beckett, who would have been well served to have gone to Texas
A&M and won a couple College World Series instead of wasting time in
the minors, is on the DL due to recurrent blisters on his pitching
hand. There's very little in the way of treatment for blisters.
Brine is a folk remedy and don't get me started on the idea of
urine. (No, Beckett didn't waste time in the minors and yes, I am
bitter.)

Brent Mayne has back spasms and will miss the rest of this week. The
Royals suck either way, but at least Muser is gone.

Robert Person has pitched through some elbow soreness without
telling Larry Bowa. This says more about Larry Bowa - that his
players don't talk to him and have lost respect for his bullying,
B.S. ways - than it does about Person. While Person may end up on
the DL, he asserts that early season stiffness has been common for
him.

The Cardinals are hosed again. Garrett Stephenson was due to come
off the DL and pitch tonight, but was a late scratch after admitting
that he still felt pain in his back. Sources indicate that Larussa
wanted to have Stephenson pitch anyway and then put him back on the
DL tomorrow. I'm not sure if that's legal, but I know it's stupid.
Worse, Steve Kline is headed to the DL with a strained pitching
triceps. I'm beginning to think that someone in the St. Louis
bullpen found a mummy's tomb during a game and called over his
teammates to explore it, thus releasing an ancient Egpytian curse
that has brought down fire, brimstone, and pestilence on all that
desecrated the tomb. Or something like that.

Next report tomorrow.

[Slippery Pedro]

Will congrats on the mention in John Hunt's column this week:

http://usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-05-01/fantasy.htm

SOME GAIN FOR THE PAIN: With many players getting hurt, some mysteriously and others — Mike Piazza, Gary Sheffield, etc. — maddeningly staying off the disabled list, injury information is more in demand than ever.

Rick Wilton of the Baseball Weekly hot sheet (hotsheet.rototimes.com) is an injury guru, and you might want to check out another well-informed source for medical musings, Will Carroll's "under the knife" forum at http://www.netshrine.com/vbulletin2/...s=&forumid=18.

I noticed several "guests" on the boards yesterday - I'm sure it was a result of the column mention which came out yesterday.