Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Network Bar & Login
Section Navigation
Main Blog Content
Secondary Sidebar: Links to Recent Stories, FanPosts and FanShots
Masthead

Around SBN: Champions League Preview with Jimmy Conrad

Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

by sfgreg on Oct 2, 2006 3:36 PM PDT

Both of these news items are from rotoworld.com

Merkin Valdez-R-Giants

Merkin Valdez underwent Tommy John surgery last week and won't pitch in 2007.
Valdez, formerly one of the Giants' top prospects, was likely pitching hurt while compiling a 5.80 ERA and a 48/39 K/BB ratio in 49 2/3 innings for Triple-A Fresno this season. He still might have a career as a reliever, but it's doubtful that he'll see the majors again prior to mid-2008.

Matt Morris also pitched injured the last month of the season...

Matt Morris-S-Giants

The Giants revealed today that Matt Morris pitched since August with a fractured rib on his right side and a stress reaction in two other ribs on either side.
Morris entered August with a 4.61 ERA, so it's not like the injury led to his down year. Still, it was impressive that managed to work pretty deep into games despite an injury that had to be causing pain with every throw. An offseason of rest should see that he enters 2007 at 100 percent.

How does this affect Merkin's options? Does he spend the year on the 60-day DL?
Maybe we should lighten up on Morris just a bit, not too much, just a little.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

Tweet Comment 49 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Here is the link to the espn.com story, mostly about Bonds.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2610876

by sfgreg on Oct 2, 2006 3:37 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I always thought Morris had the mental toughness. Gives hope to a much improved 2007 season. Wonder how he was injured.

by wilriv21 on Oct 2, 2006 3:39 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Huh, so who's gonna run the SF Giants Fan Board while he's recovering?

Oh, you mean the other Merkin...never mind.

"The first point is whether my brain is still operating...I'll figure that out after the season." - Felipe Alou

by EliminateMe on Oct 2, 2006 4:08 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I only type with one finger anyways.... =)

Tommy Lasorda HATES SF Giants Fans Board

by merkin on Oct 2, 2006 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Yes, it would be interesting to know what injured him.

Bad timing, I wonder if it might have actually been earlier, he was pitching very well from mid-May to mid-July and then the wheels fell off starting with his July 19th start, which he started with a 4.23 ERA, which was not that bad, which was pretty good given how bad he was in April and May, which Krukow attributed to pitching as if every game was a World Series game early in the season.

Tanks for the mammories.

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Oct 2, 2006 4:10 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I meant Morris when stating what injured him but it would be interesting to know what happened to both of them.

Foppert-ized? Don't know how many other teams encounter TJ injuries, but that's Foppert and Merkin now, how about Nathan, there must have been others. Brian Wilson had his before he was drafted, though, same with Ainsworth.

Tanks for the mammories.

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Oct 2, 2006 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Didn't Johnstone have multiple TJ's a few years back? Maybe I'm just mistaken.

by sfgfan on Oct 2, 2006 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Taschner is another TJ vet

Tommy Lasorda HATES SF Giants Fans Board

by merkin on Oct 2, 2006 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

that's a weird injury. I remember him getting hit in the wrist in Washington at the end of July, but nothing in or around the ribs, unless that one got him there and they only mentioned the wrist. Odd.

We'd be pretty good if we didn't suck so bad.

by nostocksjustbonds on Oct 2, 2006 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

probably injured his ribs in a clubhouse shoving match with Felipe

Tommy Lasorda HATES SF Giants Fans Board

by merkin on Oct 2, 2006 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Or just during one of his first half baby tantrums after giving up a few runs in the fifth.

Coming to you by proxy

by howtheyscored on Oct 2, 2006 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Whiplash. now that'd be an injury I could understand the guy having.

We'd be pretty good if we didn't suck so bad.

by nostocksjustbonds on Oct 2, 2006 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Finally the sun shines through the clouds upon the dark huddled mass of Giants fans and for a fleeting moment they remember what it is to feel hope.

by orangeandblackattack on Oct 2, 2006 4:10 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

My respect for Morris just grew immensley. I had a cracked rib once. It caused tremendous pain to laugh, sneeze, move, not move, breath, not breath, etc.

I can't imagine throwing a baseball hard with a cracked rib. Ouch!

Putting the "Goof" in "Goofus" every day since 1964.

by Goofus on Oct 2, 2006 4:39 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Hmmm... what do you do with a minor league pitcher who is out of options and won't be able to pitch until 2008, at which point there's no way of knowing how effective he'll be? Can he just sit on the 60-day disabled list until then? Of course, at that point he would have to prove whether or not he was ready for the big leagues during a limited rehab assignment. Ugh. I guess it would be better if we could sign him to a minor league contract for 2008, but we may have to expose him to waivers to do so. Just a bad situation all around.

Although I guess there's always hope after a TJ surgery, hope that it will correct something that has been hurting his performance recently and that he will come back and fulfill the promise of his early career.

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on Oct 2, 2006 4:51 PM PDT reply actions

As soon as I saw that Merkin had TJ..

I automatically said that's the end for him in the Giants system. Unless no one picks him up because he's still had no success at the higher levels of course.

I blame F.P. Santangelo, while F.P. somehow blames Kuiper.

by WalrusMan on Oct 2, 2006 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I know you can't judge an entire group by a small sample of people, but Matheny and Morris are both "sort-of" products of the LaRussa Cardinals. They were part of the team that had to deal with the sudden passing of one of their own (Morris' mentor as he is to Cain now, and Matheny's battery-mate), Darryl Kile.

I'm no psychologist, but I'd have to believe that dealing with Kile's death helped make them who they are today: tough as nails players who don't take the game for granted.

by sfgfan on Oct 2, 2006 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

Kile may have helped

but both come from strong work ethic families with a solid foundation. They both have a drive to succeed. Hopefully both can rebound and recover to assist the 2007 Giants.

by wilriv21 on Oct 2, 2006 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Can a player be kept on the 60 day DL indefinitely?

by orangeandblackattack on Oct 2, 2006 4:59 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Jesus, WTH. Why keep Morris pitching injured when he wasn't any good anyway? What kind of weird secret is that to keep until the last day of the season? Am I missing something strategic?

by tk on Oct 2, 2006 6:38 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

When the manager knows he isn't going to be there next year, do you think he is concerned about the future? Me, neither.

We'd be pretty good if we didn't suck so bad.

by nostocksjustbonds on Oct 2, 2006 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I believe you said, "Jesus, what the hell?"

How very interesting.

Coming to you by proxy

by howtheyscored on Oct 2, 2006 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Morris seems to be a

tape me up, let's go type of guy. IF he did notify Conte I'm sure he said "I can pitch through this".

by wilriv21 on Oct 2, 2006 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Well, here's my take on the strategic side: the Giants really had no starters they wanted to go with at that time and Morris felt that he could pitch with the ribs like that. So they rolled the dice and decided to go with him at less than 100% being better than any other starter (probably Hennessey) at 100%.

However, they couldn't announce this or the other teams will focus on taking more pitches and forcing Morris to throw more.

Tough call, some might have preferred Hennessey starting but he didn't do that well when he got in there late in the season. Correia, who knows.

Tanks for the mammories.

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Oct 2, 2006 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Well crap

I rescind my profanity-laced tirades against Morris.

Read SFDugout.com. It'll make you a better person.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Oct 2, 2006 7:07 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Well crap

I pick them up on waivers!

Coming to you by proxy

by howtheyscored on Oct 2, 2006 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Fear not

I'll have new ones as soon as pitchers and catchers report.

Read SFDugout.com. It'll make you a better person.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Oct 2, 2006 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting theory

Rescission COULD be premised on a material mistake of fact, as when someone sells her cow to someone else and then it becomes known that the cow was pregnant at the time of the sale.

What the Court of Tirades will have to wrestle with is whether the possibility of a rib problem is material to the notion of Morris's sucking like a collapsed star with Goldfinger shooting a hole in its fuselage.

As a longtime court watcher, I think they will not find in your favor; they'll find that Morris sucks for other reasons (glaring at his teammates when they don't make a defensive play he thought they should have; keeping a rib injury secret; inflicting emotional distress on the 1970's with that asshole beard), and thus no material mistake of fact was made. Tirades probably stand. Sorry.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends (where "breach" = another meaningless October.)

by Mayor of 311 on Oct 3, 2006 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Interesting theory

Rest assured if he's 100% healthy and still sucks in 2007 I'll make up for that which I rescinded and set him up with enough to burn his ears into 2008.

Read SFDugout.com. It'll make you a better person.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Oct 3, 2006 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Objection

Counselor assumes facts not in evidence. I move for an acquittal.

Waiting for Nate, Marcus, Nick, & Emmanuel

by Lyle @ McCovey Chronicles on Oct 4, 2006 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Case dismissed

Bring on the skating vicar! Everybody sing!

"The first point is whether my brain is still operating...I'll figure that out after the season." - Felipe Alou

by EliminateMe on Oct 4, 2006 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions

Moo.

Feh.

by Moggeee on Oct 4, 2006 11:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Geez, how does a pitcher break ribs? I too have to take back some things I said about Morris.

by BarryR on Oct 2, 2006 8:29 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

heimlich maneuver

"Baseball is life, the rest is just details."

by nick @ McCovey Chronicles on Oct 2, 2006 9:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

After another gag job?

by Moggeee on Oct 2, 2006 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Easier than I thought, that's for sure. I don't tolerate incompetence. You think Armando has weak knees by accident? I can still swing the bat, my friends.

Years later, a doctor will tell me that I have an I.Q. of 48 and am what some people call "mentally retarded."

by Felipe Alou on Oct 3, 2006 12:00 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I feel like I should take some things back as well... my only hope is that he heals in the off-season, and doesn't suck as badly at life next year.

Overall, I liked Morris for what he did with Cain, but hated him (with a passion) for what he did in the field... God, I hope he heals and earns some of the 9mil+ we'll be paying him next season.

Cerrano wants some extra power for tonight. He's looking to sacrifice a live chicken.

by SigChiJas on Oct 3, 2006 1:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Morris

(Choking on a line drive lodged in his throat.)

by Moggeee on Oct 2, 2006 10:53 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Interesting news we've been getting.

If Morris, Lowry and Winn's performances were influenced by injury and they came back better next year, I'll feel a lot better about the team's chances.

(Without Hope, you're left with just Crosby.)

Putting the "Goof" in "Goofus" every day since 1964.

by Goofus on Oct 3, 2006 3:34 PM PDT reply actions

Don't leave out Benitez' s injury

by wilriv21 on Oct 3, 2006 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Or Dorothy Lamour.

"The first point is whether my brain is still operating...I'll figure that out after the season." - Felipe Alou

by EliminateMe on Oct 3, 2006 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Top 10 Baseball Movie

See Benitez and his old pitching coach Dorothy Lamour reunite in the upcoming holiday special, "The Road to Del Webb's Sun City."

by Moggeee on Oct 3, 2006 8:56 PM PDT up reply actions

No way

I won't play Sun City....

Waiting for Nate, Marcus, Nick, & Emmanuel

by Lyle @ McCovey Chronicles on Oct 4, 2006 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow, the internets are amazing

I can actually see you grasping at straws.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends (where "breach" = another meaningless October.)

by Mayor of 311 on Oct 3, 2006 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Nobody has mentioned this but apparently Baseball America jumped the gun BY ONE YEAR or so: I recall a diary here last season where BA reportedly claimed that Valdez had TJ surgery but then ultimately had to retract that eventually, after our Steve S. asked them about that.

Too bad they didn't just go ahead and do it last season, then he'll be ready to go next season (for rehab at least).

Tanks for the mammories.

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Oct 3, 2006 5:32 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

I'm just glad it wasn't the other way around.

by tobias on Oct 3, 2006 11:39 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

Oh my....

by Grant Brisbee on Oct 4, 2006 6:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Merkin undergoes TJ surgery

You mean "Tommy John undergoes Merkin surgery?"

Putting the "Goof" in "Goofus" every day since 1964.

by Goofus on Oct 5, 2006 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Merkin surgery

A rare surgical procedure, performed in December, the object of which is to enhance the sexual confidence of retired pitchers by providing them with winter muffs.

by Moggeee on Oct 6, 2006 1:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Buster Posey, the 4 hole, and the bottom

by Mr. Feeny about 4 hours ago

1 comments

California-state-flag_small

Melky Cabrera Contract Offer?

by Regulus 1 day ago

59 comments

Alternate Post Game Thread - Matt Cain's Batting Average

by esteve_7 4 days ago

3 comments

Myspoonistoobig_small

Craig Robinson's The Rotation in D3

by MySpoonlsTooBig 5 days ago

6 comments

Squarelogo_small

minor lines, 5/11/12

by BruteSentiment 5 days ago

68 comments

Indieangel_small

Baseball Rock Poster Art and music: Free!

by ZenPop 5 days ago

6 comments

Christy_mathewson_baseball_small

Keystone Cops - With Poll

by shankbone 5 days ago

26 comments

Squarelogo_small

minor lines, 5/10/12

by BruteSentiment 6 days ago

25 comments

Seeking local advice

by royhobbs 6 days ago

21 comments

Jonny Moseley at Dodger Stadium

by puttinginjohnstone 6 days ago

3 comments

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Recent Posts

Yahoo_full_count