Tigers age catching up with them?
Could age be a reason why the Detroit Tigers started the 2008 season in a
2-10 funk?
FoxS****ts.com's Ken Rosenthal thinks so, but he also says age alone cannot
explain
the Tigers start. He also points out how smart (or, perhaps, lucky) the
Tigers were
to hold on to Brandon Inge.
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Older teams may find problems with injuries
by Ken Rosenthal - 4/17/2008
http://msn.foxs****ts.com/mlb/story/8036612/Older-teams-may-find-problems-with-injuries-#
Shortstop Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada and first baseman Jason Giambi
already
have sat out with injuries, and the trend only figures to continue.
Ditto for the Tigers, another club stocked with older position players,
several of
whom have checkered medical histories.
Some injuries to older players have nothing to do with age — Red Sox
reliever Mike
Timlin, 42, suffered a contusion on his right index finger trying to field
a batted
ball. Younger players frequently get hurt, too.
Still, no one should be surprised when a thirty- or forty-something
veteran goes down
with a strain, pull or sprain. Older players are more susceptible to
injury, no
matter how hard they train.
In the mind's eye of many, Jeter will always be 25. In reality, he's 33.
Posada is
36, and just starting a four-year contract. Giambi is 37, and an admitted
user of
performance-enhancing drugs, which can lead to physical breakdowns.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are dealing with a staggering number of ailments
not only to
veterans such as designated hitter Gary Sheffield, 39; first baseman
Carlos Guillen,
32; and second baseman Placido Polanco, 32, but also to younger players
such as
center fielder Curtis Granderson, 27; left-hander Dontrelle Willis, 26;
and reliever
Joel Zumaya, 23.
Some teams are just luckier than others, the Red Sox, featuring numerous
veterans,
won the World Series last season in part because their pitching staff
remained mostly
healthy and backup catcher Doug Mirabelli was their only position player
to spend
time on the disabled list.
This season, the Sox are the oldest club in the majors, according to Major
League
Baseball, with an average age of 31.33. Right-hander Curt Schilling, 41,
could miss
the entire season with a biceps problem. Third baseman Mike Lowell, 34, is
out with a
sprained left thumb. Timlin and ace right-hander Josh Beckett, 27, already
have spent
time on the disabled list.
The threat of injury is yet another reason why prospects keep rising in
value; by
incor****ating young players, teams reduce the number of medical risks.
Consider the Diamondbacks: Their mostly 20-something lineup is a better
bet to stay
healthy than the Yankees' or Tigers', and nearly all of their top pitchers
are also
near their primes.
Not even a team like the D-backs can avoid unexpected physical concerns —
left-hander
Doug Davis, 32, recently underwent surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid.
But chances
are, the D-backs' best players will be active for most of the season.
That's a start.
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- Scott Smith: scott.smith@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/choppersmith
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