by Barry Klarberg | Aug 14, 2015 | Baseball
via Facebook
Transitioning to college certainly causes stress and anxiety for most incoming students. As an athlete, these students face additional hurdles with rigorous schedules lasting all day, full course loads and being away from friends and family. Until they settle into university life, life can be rather trying for any student–much less a student athlete.
For students coming from another country, this transition can be even more trying.
Stephon Marbury
That’s where Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista and the Bautista Family Education Fund (BFEF) come in. Since 2011, Jose and his great organization have helped student baseball players from Jose’s home country, the Dominican Republic, settle into collegiate athletic life in the United States. The BFEF dedicates its efforts to raise awareness and aiding these players by providing access to quality education so they can prepare for success on and off the field. In 2012, the program extended to Jose’s second home in Canada. For a complete look at the athletes the foundation supports, visit here.
This year’s third annual event was held at the Eagles Nest Golf Course in Maple, Ontario. While the weather wasn’t ideal for golfing, the day was still incredible. With a sell out crowd in attendance, the best way to follow all the fun was on social media. If you were following on Twitter, you may have caught a special message from the man himself:
I was proud to be on hand and take part in all the action. It was great to catch up with some great friends and colleagues like the legendary Stephon Marbury (above).
It’s great to see athletes and other prominent figures giving back. Jose has mentioned how the Latin Athletes Education Fund aided him as he adapted to life in the United States. To see him want to aide his fellow Dominican and Canadian athletes is a cause I am proud to support anytime. For more information on how you could submit an athlete for the BFEF, click here for further information.
by Barry Klarberg | Aug 6, 2015 | Baseball
via FreeImages.com
When a pitcher makes their usual throwing motion, it puts valgus stress on the arm–meaning their elbow bends in a direction the body isn’t intended to go. With the velocity and force that a major league pitcher has behind each of their pitches, that stress on the body rises to levels where the forearm wants to detach from the body. The reason it doesn’t is because of a small connection of ligaments. Once those ligaments snap after years of stress, they require reconstructive surgery that entails a lengthy rehabilitation stint.
In short, that is Tommy John surgery, the growing surgery of choice in Major League Baseball since the 1970s.
That is just one interesting fact into Tommy John surgery conducted by ESPN for its extensive May report. Another stunning fact is the amount of literal pressure a pitcher has on them with each pitch. If someone faced that pressure for a full minute, they would likely die.
But what might be most surprising is that the ulnar collateral ligament damage that necessitates Tommy John surgery occurs most during ages 6 to 17. As the sport has grown over the years, athletes were handed increased schedules that now often include multiple leagues that run across most of the year, summer camps and showcases. In short, it’s an issue of overuse at increasingly early ages. Famed physicians Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Glenn Fleisig are just two of several leading authorities in the field to advocate for revised pitching calendars for youth athletes. In recent years, reports of teenagers as young as 14 undergoing the reconstructive surgery have surfaced at an alarming rate.
No longer is the issue just about holding off teaching a child to throw a curveball–a rule often tossed aside by coaches and parents. Now, physicians urge for “6 months on, 6 months off” types of strategies that ensure ample rest for the athlete during the offseason. This may prevent the prospect from attending every summer camp and tryout, but it is highly likely that this will preserve their arm for the long haul. It is a risk that the player and their family must decide. When a potentially lucrative contract could be in grasp, how do you turn that down? How can you tell a budding prospect to tone down the force behind their pitches? That’s why some are willing to overuse their arm, or force the issue early and get Tommy John at a younger age.
Yankee pitcher Ivan Nova also had Tommy John surgery in 2014.
On the Major League level, the trend is rising as well. The Hardball Times writer Jon Roegele tracked the trend over the years and noted that 31 major leaguers accounted for the 101 professionals in the sport to undergo the surgery last year. Surprisingly, that is 50 percent more than 2013’s totals. This season alone has seen pitchers Yu Darvish, Zach Wheeler and Dodgers first round pick Walker Buehler go under the knife. With a few months left in the season, more could be added to list.
While the ESPN article pondered if we have just gotten better at diagnosing the issue, MLB is taking proactive steps to minimize the injury on all levels. As sports become increasingly modernized with technology, we are able to get better insight into what might cause this trend. The Tampa Bay Rays gained some attention when they announced plans to implement Kinatrax motion capture system to gauge a player’s biometrics–potentially identifying the exact movements to avoid causing crucial injuries. This is just another step for an organization that prides itself on cutting edge player health measures.
But MLB isn’t only focusing on the current stars of the game. They are focusing on the future. In a partnership with USA Baseball, the Pitch Smart campaign launched to educate adults on the age appropriate steps their athletes should be taking. One leading participant is Dr. Fleisig. The hope is that this helps form proper mechanics and habits that not only boosts health, but also proficiency on the mound.
While the issue has a ways to go, these steps should prove fruitful in the coming years if surgery rates decline.
by Barry Klarberg | Jul 29, 2015 | Yankees
Source: MLB
Every Major League Baseball team has decided by July 31st if they are buyers or sellers this season. For some teams it’s an obvious decision to go all in and make the postseason push. For other clubs, the end of July indicates rebuilding for the future. In other occasions, a middling team could keep fans on the edge of their seats to see how the rest of the season will turn out.
This year is no exception. This is the MLB trade deadline.
Yankee fans probably recall big name acquisitions like David Justice and Bobby Abreu coming over in past years, helping propel the club to the postseason. Teams short on success in recent years, like the Astros and Mets, now find themselves in a race to acquire talent for the fall.
Already this season, we’ve seen end of July deals send Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jose Reyes. Other notable players like Shane Victorino, Aramis Ramirez and Scott Kazmir also changed teams in recent days. Many more could join them soon. This year, names like Cole Hamels and Craig Kimbrel are mainstays on the hot stove.
Unlike other sports, MLB has a slightly different trade structure. While July 31st is the official trade deadline, teams actually have until August 31st to solidify their postseason rosters. If a team wants to trade a player outright, it must come before the July deadline. However, if a team wants to move a player after that, they must first pass through waivers. That explains why you may see some jaw dropping all-stars put on waivers in the coming weeks. Additionally, while you see draft picks involved in other leagues’ deals, MLB does not allow that. Rather, teams have the Rule 5 draft. One player chosen in the Rule 5 draft was then-Astro Johan Santana. After being selected by the Marlins, Santana was traded to the Minnesota Twins where he stayed on the roster the full season, solidifying his Twins status. From there, he became the bonafide stud pitcher we witnessed for several seasons.
When it comes to waiver trades, teams run a risk of having that player claimed on waivers. If that arises, the player’s original team has three options:
- Orchestrate a trade with the team that made the successful claim
- Rescind the player’s waiver and bring them back to the team
- Allow the new team to assume the player’s contract.
Most likely, you will see the first two options exercised more often.
This year may prove to be particularly interesting at the deadline with numerous borderline contenders around the .500 mark. Depending on which way they go, the league could turn on its head. A fringe contender could push to the top of the pack while a star acquisition can prove to be a colossal letdown. While I’d love to give you more details on the rumblings of my team, that’d be a bit too much “inside baseball.”
by Barry Klarberg | Jul 15, 2015 | Yankees
via USA Today
This year’s Gillette Home Run Derby came to Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark with a revised format. Under fears that the reformed competition would be a rain out, some worried the All-Star Game would be without one of its signature events. Thankfully, the weather held out enough to see veteran Reds third baseman Todd Frazier hoist the title in front the hometown faithful. Frazier fought back to beat Prince Fielder and Josh Donaldson in the prior rounds before defeating Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson with a buzzer beater home run to claim the title.
You heard that right. A buzzer beater home run.
The new timed elimination format appears to be a hit with fans. With hopes of reducing game time while accelerating play, the format had some thinking that we’d see a lack of home runs. Those concerns were quelled quickly and often when a total of 159 homers sailed over the fences during the competition–a significantly higher figure than 2014’s 78 home runs. Many league experts credit the new system for instilling a higher sense of competition while others credited a field of hitters that included some of the most impressive batters the league has seen in recent years.
Pujols and Champ Pederson share a moment as brother Joc watches on. (via SportsCenter Instagram)
While Frazier’s hometown victory seems like an impossible moment to top, there was one that transcended the game altogether. Angels’ slugger Albert Pujols combined with Joc Pederson for an incredible battle of the bats. However, the true touching moment came between Pujols and Pederson’s older brother, Champ–who has special needs, met on the field. Their moment together demonstrated the true power of the game and the players that make it possible.
To cap All-Star festivities off, the AL took home the big game and now hold home field advantage during the World Series. Here’s to an excellent second half of the season!
by Barry Klarberg | Jul 7, 2015 | NYC FC
After weeks of rumors, NYCFC proudly announced the signing of our third designated player, the maestro Andrea Pirlo! The AC Milan and Juventus legend joins the squad after an incredible season with Juventus that saw them capture the Italian Serie A title as well as reaching the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
For those that aren’t familiar with the pride of Italian soccer, Pirlo has dazzled the world over as one of the signature midfielders of the modern game. Pirlo’s determined style of play results in crisp passes, precise longballs and free kicks that level even the world’s elite keepers baffled. His expertise on and off the ball has served as the basis of a game that has produced titles on the highest levels including the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and World Cup.
The 36 year-old leaves Italy for the first time in his playing career, though the premier clubs of the world have tried to transfer him away on countless occasions. Now, Pirlo is ready to come stateside–a decision he told NYCFC.com he feels extremely comfortable with. He said, “I had several opportunities to play outside of Italy, but I never had a doubt in picking New York for the enthusiasm of the people that come watch the team.”
When discussing why he chose to play for the club, he credited head coach Jason Kreis. “I met with the coach, Jason Kreis, and he gave me a fantastic impression of the Club,” Pirlo noted. “He has well defined ideas in mind, and I am sure we will get on well and create a good relationship to train well and try to win together.”
The excitement for Pirlo’s start couples with the impending arrival of another midfield legend, Frank Lampard. Fans can’t wait to see what the two legends bring to our side that already boasts David Villa, Josh Saunders and Kwadwo Poku to name a few. The presence of Pirlo and Lampard is sure to bring additional poise to a New York City FC team that is starting to gel and climb up the MLS Eastern Conference Table.
Recently, the two were spotted watching over their new club during NYCFC’s latest match against the New York Red Bulls. If the excitement from the packed house at Yankee Stadium that day is any indication, we can’t wait to see both legends in sky blue.
