Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Blind-sided by pain cont.
It has been a week since my surgery and I can finally type without any stiffness or pain shooting down my arm. I can still feel where they repaired the UCL tendon, but that will subside soon enough. It is a good thing that I can begin to type because school at Vanderbilt University started today. Not too fun walking around campus with my arm in a "robo-cop" looking elbow brace with every person asking what I did. Most say they feel sorry for me and my usual response is "Shit happens.". Those two words are so true. This leads perfectly into my story...
So as I was saying, my whole focus this summer was to simply throw in the Prospect League in Danville, Illinois. I had recently dropped my arm-angle down in school ball... however, I chose to come back over the top this summer at my orginal low three quarters arm angle. That was one the best and maybe even my worst decisions I have made throughout my life. It was a great decision because I was throwing really well and was attracting attention from Major League scouts. Obviously we know why it was on my worst... insert torn UCL here.
When the Prospect League All-Star break rolled around, I had been invided to throw a bullpen for 10 major league scouts. During that bullpen I threw 15 pitches, 9 of which were fastballs that were clocked between 93-95 mph. After that bullpen, I remember that my elbow felt slightly different, but I gave it no thought and went on about the day. The next time I threw was three days later when I closed out a game. Everhting went as planned and I pitched a perfect ninth while striking out two. However, after that game my elbow tightened up, and it began to swell on the inner part of the arm. Since I was the closer for The Dans, I had to make sure that I was ready to throw the following day. Four days past before I pitched again, but during those four days I was trying to throw threw pain while playing catch. It hurt when I threw, but not enought to keep me from throwing with the same velocity.
Seven days after my 15 pitch bullpen for scouts, I entered a game and began to warm up on the game mound. Finally the pain was too much... I threw a slider and pain shot from my elbow down to my arm. Stubbornly, I tried to throw two more pitches before I told coach that I was not going to be able to perform.
Standing there, on that mound, waiting for coach to come take me out, was one of the worst moments of my life...
So as I was saying, my whole focus this summer was to simply throw in the Prospect League in Danville, Illinois. I had recently dropped my arm-angle down in school ball... however, I chose to come back over the top this summer at my orginal low three quarters arm angle. That was one the best and maybe even my worst decisions I have made throughout my life. It was a great decision because I was throwing really well and was attracting attention from Major League scouts. Obviously we know why it was on my worst... insert torn UCL here.
When the Prospect League All-Star break rolled around, I had been invided to throw a bullpen for 10 major league scouts. During that bullpen I threw 15 pitches, 9 of which were fastballs that were clocked between 93-95 mph. After that bullpen, I remember that my elbow felt slightly different, but I gave it no thought and went on about the day. The next time I threw was three days later when I closed out a game. Everhting went as planned and I pitched a perfect ninth while striking out two. However, after that game my elbow tightened up, and it began to swell on the inner part of the arm. Since I was the closer for The Dans, I had to make sure that I was ready to throw the following day. Four days past before I pitched again, but during those four days I was trying to throw threw pain while playing catch. It hurt when I threw, but not enought to keep me from throwing with the same velocity.
Seven days after my 15 pitch bullpen for scouts, I entered a game and began to warm up on the game mound. Finally the pain was too much... I threw a slider and pain shot from my elbow down to my arm. Stubbornly, I tried to throw two more pitches before I told coach that I was not going to be able to perform.
Standing there, on that mound, waiting for coach to come take me out, was one of the worst moments of my life...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Blind-sided by pain
For most collegiate pitchers, summer ball is a time in which pitch development, arm strength, innings pitched, and pitching statistics are at the forefront of their minds. However, for me this particular summer was focused around one specific thing at that was to simply THROW.
More to come with this... Typing with one hands is much harder than I thought. Probably have to wait for the soft cast to come off before I being to post regularly. Stay Tuned!
More to come with this... Typing with one hands is much harder than I thought. Probably have to wait for the soft cast to come off before I being to post regularly. Stay Tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
