From the Dallas Morning News

What a crying shame if you really think about it. I've been through two shoulder surgeries myself, so I kinda have an idea what these kids are going through. I hate it for them because they are so young and still had their senior year to go. Man oh man. I hate it for them. I have a sophomore son who pitches and the pressure is there for him to start throwing a slider. I really don't want him to yet in hopes that this won't be him in two years. It might help him now, but I think the wait is worth it. Maybe too many sliders have caused these particular injury. I really don't know. I just know it's a crying shame for these boys and any others like them around the country. Good luck to them both and I wish them a speedy recovery.

Great kids!
positive "karma" coming from Carrollton!
Hope their recoveries are complete & they can get back out there & do what they do best!!

Heartbreaking to see that picture of Shawn sitting in the dugout with his arm in a sling.

Joey played with us this fall and his situation is made even more unfortunate since he had not yet signed with a major college.

A positive thing that can come from these injuries and the publicity of them is that maybe young athletes will realize just how fleeting their athletic careers can be and that they should be overly cautious when their bodies are not feeling right.

Guess we all felt like we'd live forever at that age....

John -- I agree with your comment ----- the challenge is teaching them to communicate to their coaches, etc.....and for coaches to recognize that their "plans" (pitching rotations, tournament schedules, and such) may be impacted on occasion by a tired arm(s).

Tolley thinks his injury may be the result of over-use -- but recognizing that fact does not solve the "problem" because he probably never said (even to himself), "I shouldn't pitch tonight because I think my arm is being over-used".

TJ surgery is probably 10 times more frequent than 10 years ago (ok, random stats that I pulled from my........) but it is surely more common -- without a definitive study on the subject, my hunch is that it is more than likely related to year-round baseball.

I think another study should be done to ask these guys when they started throwing a curveball or slider. I know I keep harping on this, but my experience, for whatever it is worth, tells me that throwing a curve ball too early leads to these kinds of injuries. I see it every single day with my job. So many young kids, even as young as 10 years old are being allowed by their idiotic coaches to throw curves. There needs to be some education with these guys and I mean real soon. I think you get my point!

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
John -- I agree with your comment ----- the challenge is teaching them to communicate to their coaches, etc.....

And parents.

We have one of the top HS pitchers in our area that had the same thing in the fall. Three years of overuse from a HS coach did him in.

quote:

We have one of the top HS pitchers in our area that had the same thing in the fall. Three years of overuse from a HS coach did him in.

JT

I doubt that the HS coach is the only one that had the kid pitching. How many innings did he throw in the summer and fall as well during the last 3 years?

Ken -- I wholeheartedly agree that the athlete needs to learn to communicate with his coaches AND his parents concerning his health (my "etc." was intended to include parents, doctors when they see them, trainers, even friends). But many here continually offer opinions that parents are TOO involved in their son's baseball decisions.

In this case, the coach and player need to be on the same page. From my perspective, the player should initiate the dialogue when it comes to his arm -- and ask his parents to become involved only when it seems that the player-coach communication isn't working.

quote:

In this case, the coach and player need to be on the same page. From my perspective, the player should initiate the dialogue when it comes to his arm -- and ask his parents to become involved only when it seems that the player-coach communication isn't working.

PD,

I would agree with that 100%. Great point there.

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
Ken -- I wholeheartedly agree that the athlete needs to learn to communicate with his coaches AND his parents concerning his health (my "etc." was intended to include parents, doctors when they see them, trainers, even friends). But many here continually offer opinions that parents are TOO involved in their son's baseball decisions.

In this case, the coach and player need to be on the same page. From my perspective, the player should initiate the dialogue when it comes to his arm -- and ask his parents to become involved only when it seems that the player-coach communication isn't working.

I believe you took my statement in a different light.

I agree with your post but that is not where I was coming from.