21McBride wrote:go Flyers and Sixers

Trent Steele wrote:Holy Crap. The Royals are 10-4? How did that happen?

Trent Steele wrote:Holy Crap. The Royals are 10-4? How did that happen?

Barry Jive wrote:I know it's not a given yet whether Oswalt will miss a start, but why not be cautious just in case? Skip Blanton this time through the rotation then have him and Oswalt swap spots in the rotation to give them both extra rest. Halladay, Lee and Hamels pitch in their usual 1-2-4 spots on regular rest. And if you need to skip Oswalt's start even after the extra rest, move Worley or Kendrick into the vacated 5 spot. Go Halladay-Lee-Blanton-Hamels-Oswalt after that unless Oswalt is really hurt. That gives him an extra couple days at least.

joe table wrote:No injury is ever good, especially at one point in this season, but if there's one pitcher who has consistently pitched really well through almost constant nagging injuries it's Roy. He has had back and groin (back related) flareups and short DL trips almost every year in the past 5 and still put up 30+ high-quality starts. The fact that this isn't the same low back/disc area is somewhat encouraging

As far as I can tell he had a cortisone shot in 2004 (no reason given). His next one was in 2007 for a chest/oblique strain, which allowed him to avoid a DL trip. He pitched well that season (33 starts of 3.59 FIP), but the Astros shut him down after 212 innings as a precautionary measure/wanting to avoid reaggravating chest injury after being eliminated by the playoffs

In the 2008 season his next injury issue was a hip strain in late June. This did result in a DL trip in July, after he attempted to pitch through it. He took another cortisone shot (#3) and stayed healthy through the rest of the season, ending up with his 5th straight 200 inning season, 32 starts, and a 3.80 FIP

2009 he started his season early in the WBC, making several starts. He made it to June healthy again, but missed three starts in July, this time with a lower back issue. He returned on July 28th though and pitched through until late September, when they again shut him down after falling out of contention. Final season line, 30 starts, 181 innings (not counting WBC), 3.76 FIP

After the season he went to go get an opinion on his back and a specialist diagnosed him with a dehydrated/bulging disc which had been the source of his hip discomfort in 2008 and back issues in 2009. He did not need surgery and instead they put him on a new offseason rehab plan with a lot of core strengthening, which apparently has provided relief

In spring training this season he pulled his hammy. This eventually necessitated the 4th cortisone shot, which allowed him to be ready for the start of 2010. His only injury so far this year has been an ankle contusion from a batted ball, which didn't cause him to miss a start. He's thrown 129 innings of 3.39 FIP ball

So I guess the conclusion would be, your concern depends on your perspective. He has had this nagging disc issue for 2008-2009 which has caused him to pitch through a lot of discomfort. It has not required surgery, which is good because it implies limited severity but possibly concerning because it hasn't been fixed

On the other hand, despite this nagging condition he has still made 30 starts every year since 2003 and consistently pitched at a very high quality. This season especially, he's been as good as he's been since 2006. And he's still 32 years old even though it seems like he's been around forever

David Murphy re Gonzo wrote:If this dude's radio show was half as bad as his column, I can understand why he was such a failure: http://bit.ly/gB7QGC

David Murphy wrote:I'd like to apologize for my earlier Tweet. It was immature of me to mock a guy who has made it clear that he does not expect, nor even desire, to be taken seriously. Rather than accept him for who he is -- an irrelevant voice whose column shares space with the daily sports cartoon -- I made the mistake of taking the easy way out and focusing on his various professional inadequacies. I should have just said this: We are in the business of fairness, and it doesn't get more unfair than publicly accusing a writer of having contempt for his readership. Unlike the Lorax, I do not believe a fan base to be a homogenous group of people whose thinking and behavior can be neatly generalized for the express purpose of writing a simpleton column. I believe the majority of fans are rational individuals with a beautifully irrational love for their teams, people who have the ability to process critical thoughts on their own, people who do not need to be told how to feel by a columnist who has a latent inferiority complex and an eighth-grader's grasp of the English language. The only people for whom I hold contempt are hack wannabe writers who invent stories for the express purpose of taking a pandering viewpoint. Please accept this apology.

And I'm sure there is at least one columnist in the metro-Philadelphia region who is preparing to put on his Lorax shoes and and shake his fist in indignation and speak for the fans, for the fans have no tongues.

jerseyhoya wrote:#teammurphy

JFLNYC wrote:Who cares? Get a room.