Tommy John Surgery

With the news of Chris Carpenter undergoing Tommy John surgery - technically, elbow ligament reconstructive surgery - the question has to be asked whether John, a fantastic pitcher with a great career, really deserves to be remembered almost solely due to an operation he had.

That being said, this article in the NY Times today is positively chilling. It details the fact that teenagers are ASKING to have this procedure done, not because of damage or degenerative injury, but because they think it will add some speed to their fastball.

That is a myth, though not entirely without substance, as some pitchers have certainly rebounded from this surgery with a new delivery that does seem to be a benefit. However, there's no reason to undergo an operation like this voluntarily.

Although it is highly successful, the surgery may require two years for recovery. Infection, fractures, nerve irritation and numbness are possible. About 20 percent of pitchers do not return.

Doctors said they spent considerable time trying to talk parents and young pitchers out of the surgery, suggesting rest; exercises to strengthen the arm and shoulder muscles; restricting pitch counts; avoiding throwing curveballs until old enough to shave; and switching to another position.

John, who has coached high school pitchers and now manages in the independent Atlantic League, said that a kind of benevolent “child abuse” seemed to exist in baseball as pitchers are pushed too hard by parents and coaches who are uninformed about the risks of overuse.

Even when the risks are explained, and parents are told that many young pitchers eventually lose interest in the sport, Dr. Andrews said, “It doesn’t seem to faze them.”

The other interesting thing is the article says that 1 out of 7 pitchers in the majors right now have undergone this procedure. That's WAY higher than I would have guessed.

Also, how is this any different than doing steroids? What if I put a titanium arm in my son, so it would never break? How is that different than the supposed benefit of steroids - resistance to pain, recovery from injury, added strength, etc.?

The answer - it's not.