HawkDJ
03-02-2002, 10:33 AM
By Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald:
TUCSON, Ariz. - Heading into spring training, swatting the injury bug ranked extremely high on the White Sox' priority list.
With good reason.
Following a 10-year run of relatively good health, the Sox used the disabled list 14 times last season and their players missed a combined 1,197 games due to injury.
In 2001, the White Sox wound up losing five pitchers - Jim Parque, Antonio Osuna, Lorenzo Barcelo, Kelly Wunsch and Rocky Biddle - to major shoulder surgery. Also, David Wells had a back operation and Cal Eldred and Bill Simas blew out their elbows.
Oh yeah, designated hitter Frank Thomas missed most of the year with a torn right triceps.
"When we're in shape and put everybody out there at the same time, we put out a real good ballclub,'' said manager Jerry Manuel. "I want to make sure everybody's healthy. That's my main concern.''
There were two developments Friday that undoubtedly are a concern to Manuel.
First, Thomas said he is doubtful for Sunday's exhibition game against the Diamondbacks. Thomas exited Wednesday's intrasquad game after "tweaking'' his left hamstring. Two days later, he was disappointed with the healing process.
"I took batting practice and it didn't bother me,'' Thomas said. "But when I jogged on it, I still had a little pulling sensation. It's not urgent for me to play if I'm not 100 percent. The regular season is one thing, but in spring training I'm not going to play hurt.''
While Manuel still expects Thomas to DH Sunday, the feeling is hardly mutual.
"I could make it even worse if I go into a burst,'' Thomas said. "I don't want to do that. I'm not going to force it. I'll try to open it up (today) and see how it feels after that. But something is definitely not right.''
The second development concerned Ray Durham, who was scratched from Friday's starting lineup with a sore right hamstring.
"He ran pretty well this afternoon,'' said Steve Odgers, the White Sox' conditioning coach. "He's just a little sore.''
Durham developed soreness in his hamstrings last spring and the condition flared up throughout the regular season.
Wunsch, who is expected to pitch Sunday, has also been slowed by a hamstring injury this spring. And so has catcher Sandy Alomar Jr.
All of the current injuries pale in comparison to last year's laundry list, but hamstrings are nothing to mess with.
Infielder Jose Valentin was hobbled for most of the final four months of 2001 with a hamstring injury. The more he tried to play through the pain, the worse it got.
"It is a growing concern,'' Manuel said of the rash of hamstring problems. "As a matter of fact, I had a conversation with Odgers and I wondered if we're doing something (wrong).''
Rather than mess around with non-baseball drills like the shuttle run this spring, the White Sox have spent most of their time running bases.
"I think it's normal for them to be a little sore,'' Manuel said. "But just because of the problems we've had in the past, we're hesitant to put anybody out there until they're 100 percent.''
So far, not so good.
TUCSON, Ariz. - Heading into spring training, swatting the injury bug ranked extremely high on the White Sox' priority list.
With good reason.
Following a 10-year run of relatively good health, the Sox used the disabled list 14 times last season and their players missed a combined 1,197 games due to injury.
In 2001, the White Sox wound up losing five pitchers - Jim Parque, Antonio Osuna, Lorenzo Barcelo, Kelly Wunsch and Rocky Biddle - to major shoulder surgery. Also, David Wells had a back operation and Cal Eldred and Bill Simas blew out their elbows.
Oh yeah, designated hitter Frank Thomas missed most of the year with a torn right triceps.
"When we're in shape and put everybody out there at the same time, we put out a real good ballclub,'' said manager Jerry Manuel. "I want to make sure everybody's healthy. That's my main concern.''
There were two developments Friday that undoubtedly are a concern to Manuel.
First, Thomas said he is doubtful for Sunday's exhibition game against the Diamondbacks. Thomas exited Wednesday's intrasquad game after "tweaking'' his left hamstring. Two days later, he was disappointed with the healing process.
"I took batting practice and it didn't bother me,'' Thomas said. "But when I jogged on it, I still had a little pulling sensation. It's not urgent for me to play if I'm not 100 percent. The regular season is one thing, but in spring training I'm not going to play hurt.''
While Manuel still expects Thomas to DH Sunday, the feeling is hardly mutual.
"I could make it even worse if I go into a burst,'' Thomas said. "I don't want to do that. I'm not going to force it. I'll try to open it up (today) and see how it feels after that. But something is definitely not right.''
The second development concerned Ray Durham, who was scratched from Friday's starting lineup with a sore right hamstring.
"He ran pretty well this afternoon,'' said Steve Odgers, the White Sox' conditioning coach. "He's just a little sore.''
Durham developed soreness in his hamstrings last spring and the condition flared up throughout the regular season.
Wunsch, who is expected to pitch Sunday, has also been slowed by a hamstring injury this spring. And so has catcher Sandy Alomar Jr.
All of the current injuries pale in comparison to last year's laundry list, but hamstrings are nothing to mess with.
Infielder Jose Valentin was hobbled for most of the final four months of 2001 with a hamstring injury. The more he tried to play through the pain, the worse it got.
"It is a growing concern,'' Manuel said of the rash of hamstring problems. "As a matter of fact, I had a conversation with Odgers and I wondered if we're doing something (wrong).''
Rather than mess around with non-baseball drills like the shuttle run this spring, the White Sox have spent most of their time running bases.
"I think it's normal for them to be a little sore,'' Manuel said. "But just because of the problems we've had in the past, we're hesitant to put anybody out there until they're 100 percent.''
So far, not so good.