Orioles: Roberts healthy
I'll be posting my look back on FanFest in just a few minutes, but thought I would use this opportunity to give readers from outside the Web site a chance to click on my latest column right here.
I talked to Brian Roberts (along with a dozen other media members) and was happy to hear how great he has felt the past month or so. He was feeling the effects of that late-season concussion for a long time, but the fog finally has cleared and he's aching to get back out on the field.
That's great news for the Orioles, but -- to be fair and accurate -- his back situation will remain a question mark, just because it's a back injury. That doesn't mean it's inevitable he'll continue to have problems, however.
If you want my personal perspective, and what choice do you really have right now, I had a severe disk herniation during the mid-1980s that left me unable to even walk for several days. Though surgery was recommended, I chose to rehab it with an intense exercise and strengthening program. It took about a year to become completely pain-free, but I have never had a recurrence.
Of course, I'm not going to be playing second base for the Orioles every day for the next eight months, but I played full-court basketball two or three times a week for the next decade without incident and nobody was ever going to confuse me with a health and conditioning nut like Brian Roberts.
I'm going to go out on a limb and predict he plays at least 130 games, and I'm keeping the number low because the Orioles have guys who can spell him at second base and they'll be careful not to overwork him.
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Comments
Pete, My son and I got his autograph yesterday and he looked good and sounded confident that he is healthy. He knows his body better than anybody so I agree with your prediction.
Posted by: Gil | January 30, 2011 1:50 PM
I had a herniated disc in my back when I was in the Army in '04 during a 12-mile road march. I took my ruck sack off during the march to readjust it (I think it was only 35 lbs), and when I put it back on I turned the wrong way and out went my back.
It didn't require surgury because it wasn't too serious, and I was back on my feet doing normal activities within 1 month. I was fully healed in about 6 months. I still had to go through some physical therapy and was given some muscle relaxers, but that was it. No problems since. I guess everybody is different though
Posted by: dave in glen burnie | January 30, 2011 5:05 PM
I have been an Oriole fan since I was 5 years old, that is 42 years of watching the Os. I have to say this is the 1st year since 1997 that I have actually been this excited over the beginning of another baseball season. I think Mr. McPhail has done a great job this offseason. If they get Justin and Vlad I think 90 wins is a strong possibility this year. Wouldn't it be nice to see the following at the end of the year.
1.BOSTON
2.BALTIMORE
3 TAMPA BAY
4 NEW YORK
5.TORONTO
Yea, I know NEW YORK 4th ??? They have 2 good starting pitchers. Yes Soriano and Riviera are awesome but you have to get to the 8th inning to see them, plus I hate the Yankees ! :)
LINEUP
1.ROBERTS
2.JONES
3.MARKAKIS
4.VLAD
5.LEE
6.REYNOLDS
7.WIETERS
8HARDY
9.PIE
JUSTIN, JEREMY, BRIAN, BERGY,JAKE
Go get em Andy and maybe we can play the old " Why Not " song once again.
Posted by: Debbie | January 30, 2011 9:22 PM
When you consider the affect that a (seemingly) minor concussion had on Brian Roberts for months, it's easy to understand why so many football players suffer from premature dementia.
This is from an October, 2010 article in the NY Times:
"But in September 2009, a study commissioned by the N.F.L. reported that Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league's former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49."
I hope the message starts getting through to teams, schools, coaches, players, and parents.
Posted by: mdbdotcom | January 31, 2011 8:40 AM