CC Sabathia may not be worried about his knee surgery, but the New York Yankees and their fans have to be.
It seems to be a relatively minor procedure, but Sabathia's health is crucial to the success of the Yankees starting rotation. Even if Andy Pettitte comes back, it seems unlikely he'll make it through a full baseball season without some injury time off. AJ Burnett is unreliable. Phil Hughes is young and durable and the innings leash should be completely off so that should help the Yankees. But Sabathia is the engine that drives the rotation.
I can’t help but wonder how much of this injury is related to his size. As Yankee fans, we’ve taken a lot of pride in our big guy, but perhaps he needs to downsize a bit just to make sure he can stay healthy. After all, Sabathia has five more years on his contract at about $25 million per so it’s in the Yankees best interest that he be successful and healthy.
It’s uncommon for baseball players, especially pitchers, to be as good at the end of these long contracts as they were at the beginning. But since Sabathia is only 30 and more than halfway to the magic 300-win mark that guarantees entrance into the Hall of Fame, he has a legitimate shot at baseball immortality and plenty of motivation to continue to pitch well. So for Sabathia, the key will be getting healthy and then staying healthy for a long time and that starts right now.
It seems to be a relatively minor procedure, but Sabathia's health is crucial to the success of the Yankees starting rotation. Even if Andy Pettitte comes back, it seems unlikely he'll make it through a full baseball season without some injury time off. AJ Burnett is unreliable. Phil Hughes is young and durable and the innings leash should be completely off so that should help the Yankees. But Sabathia is the engine that drives the rotation.
I can’t help but wonder how much of this injury is related to his size. As Yankee fans, we’ve taken a lot of pride in our big guy, but perhaps he needs to downsize a bit just to make sure he can stay healthy. After all, Sabathia has five more years on his contract at about $25 million per so it’s in the Yankees best interest that he be successful and healthy.
It’s uncommon for baseball players, especially pitchers, to be as good at the end of these long contracts as they were at the beginning. But since Sabathia is only 30 and more than halfway to the magic 300-win mark that guarantees entrance into the Hall of Fame, he has a legitimate shot at baseball immortality and plenty of motivation to continue to pitch well. So for Sabathia, the key will be getting healthy and then staying healthy for a long time and that starts right now.
Ahh come on now , RYC. This is a very common procedure that many athletes face. The success rate is extremely high and the recovery rate is quick. He'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteTypically, I'd agree with you that a man of his proportions might be more susceptible to an injury. In this case though, I think it's just common sports-related wear and tear.
I hope you're right. It's not so much the procedure that concerns me. It's more that him being such a big guy can make him prone to a far more devastating injury.
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