Our dislike for John Lackey is amply recorded at this site. But we’re going to lay off. Not because we like his pitching (we don’t – it stinks), but because we have some decency and cut JD Drew slack when, during his first year, he had a major personal distraction. It seems that Lackey has more than his share of personal troubles right now, none of which we would wish on anyone. So we are just going to stop crapping on Lackey and stick to his performance, if it is even worth analyzing. We forgive Lackey his distraction, what is happening with him off the field generates incredible empathy from us, and in fact we hope everything gets better for him, baseball be damned. Of all his troubles baseball is the least important thing by a large margin.
The Red Sox have 17 wins, the Yankees have 20. That’s 37 wins. Pro-rating their team total salaries ($370M) over the first 37 games of the season (22.8% of the season) you get $84,360,000 spent. So that’s $2,280,000 per win for our teams, blended. This can’t be efficient.
Krueg, two of my players, one a Senior, one a Junior had very similar treatments for similar injuries this past off-season. One of the kids was initially told he needed TJ surgery, but these injections kept him from that. His doctor is the Yankees team doctor oddly enough. In addition to the injections the PT has been rigorous in an effort to strengthen everything else around it. Real interesting process.
As for Lackey, as much as I bagged on him this off-season, I feel bad for him and I too will stop knocking the guy.
For the record, I agree with giving Lackey something of a pass, at least from the usual invective we would hurl at someone who became just the third starter EVER to allow eight earned runs or more in three starts through his team’s first 37 games of the season. The J.D. Drew comparison is a good one (and somewhat comforting, given Drew’s resurgence in subsequent seasons).
But I’m still not sure if off-field issues can be cited as a reason why his velocity continues to decline 50 pitches into his starts. That’s worrisome to me.
At any rate, this team is getting tougher and tougher to watch.
I’m all for steroids/HGH/whatever to help players heal from injury…as long as it is an approved treatment from team doctors, why not???
Obviously my kids did not get the added HGH, lol. Just their own blood.
Kids too…why not?
Thanks for that link SF. Lackey’s “Everything in my life sucks right now to be honest with you” is pretty stunning. Good luck to him. I hope everything in his life improves except for his performance on the mound :)
Last night was a real low-point in my enjoyment of baseball. That Yankee game was horrible.
Damnit, I want to hate Lackey and that link made it a little bit harder. It really puts things in perspective.
It’s amazing what they can do with stem cells these days. A shame their development has been battled for so long by those who assume they all come from abortions.
“…A shame their development has been battled for so long by those who assume they all come from abortions. …”
hate is born out of ignorance…
as for lackey, i haven’t really piled on that i recall, but i have enjoyed his on field struggles…that won’t keep me from having some empathy for his off field troubles…i went through a particularly tough stretch of about 5 years a few years ago…i’ll spare the details, but i’d be lying if i didn’t admit that it affected all aspects of my life including work…my understanding, caring coworkers helped me get through that period, and i will never forget their love and support…best wishes john lackey…
My wife is looking at stem cell research as a possible career after she graduates…it’s sad such ground-breaking research can be held hostage by crazy people…and crazy is being kind.
(stepping down from soapbox)
I know too many of them to dismiss them as crazy. Ignorant, on the other hand, fits perfectly, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. I just want to scream: “They’re going to be destroyed anyway!!!!!!!!”
Sorry. That’s a little off the topic. But there are so many lives that could be improved or saved, which I think should be a priority for people who label themselves “pro-life.” Alas…
11 replies on “Quick Hits”
Very interesting…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/sports/baseball/disputed-treatment-was-used-in-bartolo-colons-comeback.html?_r=2&ref=baseball
Krueg, two of my players, one a Senior, one a Junior had very similar treatments for similar injuries this past off-season. One of the kids was initially told he needed TJ surgery, but these injections kept him from that. His doctor is the Yankees team doctor oddly enough. In addition to the injections the PT has been rigorous in an effort to strengthen everything else around it. Real interesting process.
As for Lackey, as much as I bagged on him this off-season, I feel bad for him and I too will stop knocking the guy.
For the record, I agree with giving Lackey something of a pass, at least from the usual invective we would hurl at someone who became just the third starter EVER to allow eight earned runs or more in three starts through his team’s first 37 games of the season. The J.D. Drew comparison is a good one (and somewhat comforting, given Drew’s resurgence in subsequent seasons).
But I’m still not sure if off-field issues can be cited as a reason why his velocity continues to decline 50 pitches into his starts. That’s worrisome to me.
At any rate, this team is getting tougher and tougher to watch.
I’m all for steroids/HGH/whatever to help players heal from injury…as long as it is an approved treatment from team doctors, why not???
Obviously my kids did not get the added HGH, lol. Just their own blood.
Kids too…why not?
Thanks for that link SF. Lackey’s “Everything in my life sucks right now to be honest with you” is pretty stunning. Good luck to him. I hope everything in his life improves except for his performance on the mound :)
Last night was a real low-point in my enjoyment of baseball. That Yankee game was horrible.
Damnit, I want to hate Lackey and that link made it a little bit harder. It really puts things in perspective.
It’s amazing what they can do with stem cells these days. A shame their development has been battled for so long by those who assume they all come from abortions.
“…A shame their development has been battled for so long by those who assume they all come from abortions. …”
hate is born out of ignorance…
as for lackey, i haven’t really piled on that i recall, but i have enjoyed his on field struggles…that won’t keep me from having some empathy for his off field troubles…i went through a particularly tough stretch of about 5 years a few years ago…i’ll spare the details, but i’d be lying if i didn’t admit that it affected all aspects of my life including work…my understanding, caring coworkers helped me get through that period, and i will never forget their love and support…best wishes john lackey…
My wife is looking at stem cell research as a possible career after she graduates…it’s sad such ground-breaking research can be held hostage by crazy people…and crazy is being kind.
(stepping down from soapbox)
I know too many of them to dismiss them as crazy. Ignorant, on the other hand, fits perfectly, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. I just want to scream: “They’re going to be destroyed anyway!!!!!!!!”
Sorry. That’s a little off the topic. But there are so many lives that could be improved or saved, which I think should be a priority for people who label themselves “pro-life.” Alas…