SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2010
KLMNO
EZ SU
From Page One Strasburg’s rookie season comes to painful end strasburg from A1
operation — involving the re- placement of the torn ligament with one from a cadaver or anoth- er part of Strasburg’s own body. It is commonly known as Tommy John surgery, for the pitcher who first underwent the procedure in 1974. “This isaminorsetback,” Stras-
burg said late Friday afternoon. “But in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a blip on the radar screen.” And so, the story of Washing-
ton’s Summer of the Phenom can be told in two pitches, the first and the last. The first pitch came at 7:05
p.m. on June 8, under a pristine sky, in Strasburg’s hotly anticipat- ed major league debut at Nation- als Park. It was met by the near- unison clicking of cameras. It was a fastball, 97mph.After smacking into the catcher’s glove, the ball was handed off to a man in a suit and white gloves, then whisked away for posterity. Strasburg struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates that night. A pitcher has never looked more powerful, or his ca- reer brighter. The last pitch came on Aug. 21
at9:40p.m.,at CitizensBankPark in Philadelphia. It was a change- up, 90 mph. As soon as Strasburg threw it, his face broke into a grimace: Pain. He looked at his arm.He shook his hand.He beck- oned the team trainer to the mound.He was finished—for the night and, as it turns out, the season.Probably next season, too. Recovery time from this proce- dure is generally 12 to 18 months. Although the news feels devas-
tating to the thousands of fans who had come to build their tele- vision-viewing or ticket-buying routines around Strasburg’s ev- ery-fifth-day schedule, the long- term prognosis is not terrible. Elbow blowouts are common- place among pitchers, and liga- ment-replacement surgery has been perfected to the point where the Nationals can feel reasonably confident of Strasburg’s eventual- ly returning as good as new. “What we’re dealing with here
is something that’s very manage- able,” said Scott Boras, Stras- burg’s agent. “I’ve had so many clients who pitched until they’re 40 have issues like this in their
JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST
“This is obviously a test for me,” Stephen Strasburg said. “I want to be the best at everything. . . . I want to be the best at rehabbing.”
early 20s. I’ve had a number of clients who feel fine and then, boom, [the elbow] goes, and then they have [the surgery] and they come back and they’re fine. As a matter of fact, in the majority of cases they’re better.” Everyone in baseball knewthis
was a possibility. The Nationals certainly knewitwhenthey chose Strasburg, arguably the greatest college pitcher of all-time, with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 draft, then gave him a record-set- ting contract of $15.1 million. They knew it when they sent him out for a minor league appren- ticeship—a month in Class AA, a month in Class AAA—with strict pitch counts and innings limits governing his usage. “Stephen doesn’t want any fu-
neral type of thing,” Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, who charted the conservative course for Strasburg’s develop- ment, said on ESPN 980. “Tommy Johnsurgery isn’t open-heart sur- gery.We’re going to seehima year from today. He’s gonna be bigger and better than ever.He’s focused on the surgery and the rehabilita- tion and getting back here. . . . There’s no wake here.” The Nationals said their doc-
tors believe it was one pitch, as opposed to an accumulation of wear and tear, that tore Stras- burg’s elbow ligament—and if so, it was almost certainly that fate- ful change-up he threw to Phila- delphia Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown in the fifth in-
ning on Aug. 21. Though Strasburg felt good
enoughto pitch evenashewalked off themound—and even though a similar episode that occurred to himatSanDiegoState apparently caused no injury— an MRI exam taken Sunday showed a possible tear in the ligament, a diagnosis that was confirmed Thursday by an arthrogram. TheNationals knewof the con-
firmation by Thursday afternoon, but according to Rizzo, Strasburg asked that the news be held until Friday, so as not to overshadow the team’s introduction of Bryce Harper atNationalsPark.Harper, a 17-year-old outfielder taken with the first pick of the 2010 draft, is the new Strasburg, the newphenom, the newhope. Later Thursday night, the Na-
tionals played the St. Louis Cardi- nals in a game started by two Tommy Johnsurvivors: the Cardi- nals’ Chris Carpenter (surgery in 2007) and the Nationals’ Jordan Zimmermann (2009). All around baseball, in fact, are examples of successful pitchers whose elbows blew out and were patched back together.Ten of them appeared in last month’s All-Star Game. “When I see [some of] these
pitchers throw, I’m almost more surprised when they don’t end up in surgery,” said Nationals Man- ager Jim Riggleman. “So many of them break down. . . . If you put 12 names in a hat, three of them are going to have surgery.” It is natural to look for an
How Tommy John surgery works When the stress of pitching tears an ulnar collateral ligament, Tommy John surgery is oſten the answer. It stabilizes the inner side of the elbow with tissue from elsewhere in the body.
Tunnel
Treaded tendon
12 3
In acommon technique, the surgeon drills tunnels in the ulna and the base of the humerus.
Humerus
Ulnar collateral ligament
Radius Ulna SOURCES: Baseball Prospectus, American Journal of Sports Medicine
explanation for Strasburg’s inju- ry. Did the Nationals monitor his usage the right way? Were his pitching mechanics faulty? Did the shoulder stiffness he experi- enced in late July,whichsidelined him for a little more than two weeks, make him alter his deliv- ery and compromise the elbow? These questions and others were being asked Friday around base- ball, in the blogosphere and aroundNationals Park. In the end, though, the only
suitable explanation is the sim- plest one: “Pitchers break down,” Rizzo said in a conference call with reporters. “Pitchers get hurt. . . .This playerwasdevelopedand cared for the correct way. [Are we] frustrated? Yes. Second- guessing ourselves?No.” Strasburg said it took him a
matter of hours to come to grips with the diagnosis, before resolv- ing to dedicate himself to rehab- bing his elbow with the same competitive edge he previously
Te result
A2007 Penn study found that 56 of 68 major leaguers had no significant change in ERA,walks or hits per inning pitched aſter this type of surgery. Te average recovery time was 18½ months.
Bonnie Berkowitz And Alberto Cuadra /THE WASHINGTON POST
applied to obliterating hitters. “If I keep looking for an expla-
nation, it’s just going to eat at me,” Strasburg said. “I’ve got to let it go. I’ve just got to move on. . . . This is obviously a test for me. I want to be the best at everything. Rightnow, I want to be the best at rehabbing.” If anything, Strasburg may
have been undone by his own physical gifts, his own greatness. The fact is, the incidence of elbow blowouts gets higher the harder a pitcher throws. And almost no- body throws harder than Stras- burg. “There’s a direct relationship
between the velocity and the risk to the UCL,” said Benjamin S. Shaffer, the Nationals’ team phy- sician from 2006 to ’08 and a renowned expert on sports inju- ries. “Guys who throw 99 to 100 [mph], those guys have a statisti- cally higher risk of elbow injury than those who throw 93, 94. That’s published, public data.
[Pitching] is a violent act. It’s not really physiologic. There are a lot of stresses, and it leads to some elbowsandshoulders not holding up under that stress.” The only reason Strasburg’s el-
bow blowout seems bigger is be- cause he was a bigger star — the most hyped pitcher in genera- tions, the most fascinating young player in baseball, the most sig- nificant piece to arrive in Wash- ington since theNationals moved here in 2005. This injury doesn’tmake Stras-
burg a bust. It makes him a cau- tionary tale. “Pitching phenoms are born to
break your heart,” columnist Thomas Boswell wrote in The Washington Post on March 24, 2009 — 21/2
months before the
Nationals drafted Strasburg. “Here’s the question for the Nats: Do they fall for the scariest words in investing: ‘It’s different this time.’ ”
sheinind@washpost.com
Atendon, usually taken from the forearm or leg, is threaded through the holes in afigure-eight pattern.
Te tendon then functions as a ligament, stabilizing the joint by holding the bones in place.
Affected area
A5
Getadiscountonyourwindows. Notdiscountwindows.
With Pella, you don’t have to sacrifice to save. Pella can fit your budget with big savings on our beautiful, durable, energy-efficient windows and doors. For a limited time, we’re offering great discounts or special financing, and can even help you qualify for a federal tax credit. But hurry — these offers end soon!
window & door replacement Sale ENDS SEPT. 11!
To learn moreorschedule your free, no-pressure in-home consultation:
888-510-1888
pellareplacement.com/WSHPST1
your local Pella Window and Door Showroom
Lewes,DE 34382 CarpentersWay, Suite 2, Dartmouth BusinessCenter Annapolis,MD150 Jennifer Road, SuiteN | Beltsville,MD12100 BaltimoreAvenue, Suite 1 | Bethesda,MD7613 Wisconsin Avenue Easton,MD29466 Pintail Drive, Unit 2, Carlton Station | Hunt Valley,MD11309 York Road (Cockeysville) Springfield,VA 8410 Old Keene Mill Road | Falls Church,VA 7505 DLeesburgPike, Idylwood Plaza
STOP WAITING. STARTSAVING! $100 OFF
select windows and doors1
NO INTEREST IF PAID IN OR
FULLWITHIN36MONTHS Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late payment.2
$ 500 1, UP TO A
TAX CREDIT
IF PRODUCTS ARE INSTALLED BY DEC. 31 1 Discount applies to retail list price.Valid only for replacement projects installed by Pella professionals. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Prior sales excluded. Other restrictions may apply.See storefor details. Offer ends 09/11/10. 2 ThePella Windows&Doors Visa®
credit cardisissued byWells FargoFinancial National Bank. Special terms apply to purchases charged with approved credit at participating merchants. Regular minimum monthly payments arerequired during the promotional period. Interest will be charged to your account fromthe purchase date at the regular APR if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you makealate payment. Fornewly opened accounts, the regular APR is 25.99%.TheAPR may vary.The APR is given as of 06/01/10. If you arecharged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. If you use the cardfor cash advances, the cash advance fee is 4% of the amount of the cash advance, but not lessthan $10.00. Offer expires 09/11/10. 3 products areeligible. Consult with aqualified tax advisor to confirm eligibility.Visit
pella.com/taxcredit for moreinformation.MHIC #38731 KC Company ©2010 Pella Corporation
Consult with your local Pella professional to determine which 3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78