Injuries

[Jazz]

Over the last 3 years, the cubs have arguably been the most injured team in baseball, at least when it comes to their core players. How much of that is just due to bad luck, player abuse, or a bad medical staff. I honestly feel that if all the players we have on this team currently could return to their prime form (not career years as much as career norms) we'd already be a force to be reckoned with.

[Soriano12]

bad luck, player abuse, or a bad medical staff..

 

a little bit of all IMO. Also add in "inability to play through pain".

[Sammy Sofa]

That the training staff wasn't fired actually ticks me off more than Hendry still being around.

[Pinktermite]

I believe the Cubs HAVE fired the training staff recently, have they not? And the injury excuse is just that...

 

All teams deal with injuries...the Cards and Yankees were pretty beat up this year. Nobody seemed to notice that they still made the playoffs I guess.

 

I'd more blame the management than the training staff, most of the medical stuff is pretty well documented, so the management (Dusty and pals) over use or underutilize (whatever you want to call it) their players and mishandle themselves into things that are worse than they really should be.

 

We all knew Nomar was injury prone anyway, Prior and Wood were gambles that never should have been taken and players should have been acquired to replace them, Lee was a fluke (we hope) and there was nobody that could come close to making up for him...and the Lee thing was an indictment of how poorly Hendry assembled the roster.

 

None of these have to do with trainers...or Larry Rothschild...it all has to do with Dusty and Jim.

[CuseCubFan69]

Well....Ramirez came into the season in shape and what do you know, he was healthy all year. I think this has finally dawned on Wood. I'm not saying that being out of shape is the only reason for the injuries but it certainly doesn't help.

[Scott G. F.]

Well....Ramirez came into the season in shape and what do you know, he was healthy all year. I think this has finally dawned on Wood. I'm not saying that being out of shape is the only reason for the injuries but it certainly doesn't help.

 

 

 

Wood was in shape this year and years past. He hired a personal trainer in the offseason following the 1998 season. His hero is Roger Clemens who works out like he's crazy.

 

Being in shape goes a long why to stop injuries but it doesn't totaly pervent them. Wood was just injured, not because he was not in shape.

 

BTW same for Big Z. He slimed down too.

[Backtobanks]

Over the last 3 years, the cubs have arguably been the most injured team in baseball, at least when it comes to their core players. How much of that is just due to bad luck, player abuse, or a bad medical staff. I honestly feel that if all the players we have on this team currently could return to their prime form (not career years as much as career norms) we'd already be a force to be reckoned with.

 

I think that is one of the reasons a lot of people (including me) think the Cubs are not as bad as their record indicates and with a few smart moves can contend in the NL Central. I know the NL Central is weak, but once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.

[CuseCubFan69]

Well....Ramirez came into the season in shape and what do you know, he was healthy all year. I think this has finally dawned on Wood. I'm not saying that being out of shape is the only reason for the injuries but it certainly doesn't help.

 

 

 

Wood was in shape this year and years past. He hired a personal trainer in the offseason following the 1998 season. His hero is Roger Clemens who works out like he's crazy.

 

Being in shape goes a long why to stop injuries but it doesn't totaly pervent them. Wood was just injured, not because he was not in shape.

 

BTW same for Big Z. He slimed down too.

 

Hiring a tainer is nice but following his advice is another.

[Abe Frohman]

Remember how fat and out of shape Glendon Rusch and Ryan Dempster were when they reported to Spring Training? Both of them were pretty crappy last season.

 

It is going to be interesting to see what becomes of Prior and Wood. 2 years ago, they were our ticket - now they are both trying to salvage their careers.

[goonys evil twin]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

[Soriano12]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

[goonys evil twin]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

[C.C.]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I agree - In fact I think that most are too "in" shape. The zero percent body fat doesn't work well in baseball.

[Soriano12]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I forgot the sarcasm emotion.

[goonys evil twin]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I forgot the sarcasm emotion.

 

 

I should have known better

[Warpticon]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I agree - In fact I think that most are too "in" shape. The zero percent body fat doesn't work well in baseball.

 

I'm sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense.

[Derwood]

Not sure about the past 3 years, but the Yankees had some pretty bad injury problems this year. Sheffield, Matsui, Wright, Pavano, etc.

[wastra]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I agree - In fact I think that most are too "in" shape. The zero percent body fat doesn't work well in baseball.

 

I'm sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense.

 

I didn't make the comment, but I've read several doctors' opinions on it.

 

Over the course of a season, due to travel and SO many games over SUCH a long season, ballplayers tend to lose 10-20 pounds over the course of a season. It's actually more likely to lead to injury when you lose 20 pounds of muscle mass than if you lose 10 pounds of muscle mass and 10 pounds of fat

 

I have NO CLUE if it's right or wrong, but I've read it a few times. SOME level of body fat is healthy- that I DO know.

[Warpticon]

Ryan Dempster was fat and out of shape? I don't remember that. I remember Eyre and Rusch.

 

I thought he had nice definition in his shoulders and arms, but his abs could have used a little more work if you ask me.

 

:-k

 

Baseball players don't have to be models to be in game shape.

 

I agree - In fact I think that most are too "in" shape. The zero percent body fat doesn't work well in baseball.

 

I'm sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense.

 

I didn't make the comment, but I've read several doctors' opinions on it.

 

Over the course of a season, due to travel and SO many games over SUCH a long season, ballplayers tend to lose 10-20 pounds over the course of a season. It's actually more likely to lead to injury when you lose 20 pounds of muscle mass than if you lose 10 pounds of muscle mass and 10 pounds of fat

 

I have NO CLUE if it's right or wrong, but I've read it a few times. SOME level of body fat is healthy- that I DO know.

 

Okay, I can see how not being outrageously low in body fat might help a person withstand the rigors of a 162 game baseball season. I didn't look at it that way originally. I was trying to find any way that fat would help somebody throw a baseball or swing a bat better, and my brain exploded.