stick a fork in Baker

[pinkfloyd4ever]

from the Pioneer Press

The Minnesota Twins' best pitcher in 2011 will miss all of 2012. Scott Baker, who went 8-6 with a 3.14 earned-run average last season, will have season-ending surgery to repair a tendon in his right elbow.

The news was announced Wednesday afternoon, April 11, by Baker and general manager Terry Ryan.

"This isn't good by any stretch because we've got a guy in the prime of his career and his raw numbers are about as good as we have," Ryan said. "And now he's not available, so we've got to move on. And unfortunately, this will be a challenge, but we'll get through it.

"I feel bad for Scott. I've always said he's one of the hardest workers we've had. It just wasn't happening. So now there's some finality and a little peace of

Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Baker in a spring training baseball game in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, March 26, 2012. mind for him. 'OK, I know what's wrong, I'll get it fixed,' and then he'll get ready for spring training."

Baker made the decision after getting a second opinion on an MRI taken by the club Friday in Fort Myers, Fla. The consulting physician, orthopedic surgeon David Altcheck of New York City, will perform the surgery to repair the flexor pronator tendon.

Baker was placed on the disabled list twice last season because of pain in the same tendon.

All I want to know is how do Twins Physician's not see the tear?

[ted4887]

Sure makes a guy wonder doesn't it?

After last season and all the injuries we had on the team, did we do any replacing on the training staff? I think maybe we need to start trimming the fat and replacing it with some muscle. This is just getting ridiculous. I understand that injuries are inevitably a part of this game, but there has to be a way to prevent some of these things. Guess I'm just another frustrated fan.

[B. Amish]

i don't think there is a tear. i believe they are removing scar tissue.

[DonBo]

He couldn't pitch through it last year, why would anyone expect he could this year? WHY the hell didn't he have the surgery last September?

[B. Amish]

is surgery a gm's decision? bill smith opted no?

[mrklean]

no i heard it was all Bakers decision

[mainbutter]

there has to be a way to prevent some of these things.

Prevent: Don't work as hard

Repair faster: Human growth hormone + stem cell therapy

Too bad HGH isn't allowed by baseball, biggest crock when it comes to sports trying to regulate medicine.

[PierBridge]

That's tough losing our best pitcher for sure. I blame nobody, you always try to recover with-out surgery as it is a last resort.

[LABS4ME]

Is it me, or do the Twins have a higher preponderence of players who tear their elbows up pitching... Do other teams have as many 'Tommy John' pitchers as the Twins? Now Baker has elbow issues even though it's not Tommy John surgery, sounds like it was continually damaged with his throwing motion....

Is this a training staff issue? A pitching coach having them change their throwing motion causing injury? A coach not noticing a problem with the motion and allowing them to throw in a style that will cause problems? or just plain old fashioned bad Minnesota pro sports mojo?

Good Luck!

Ken

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I don't know if its pitching staff, this generation of players, or the attitude of the entire organization. Any scratch, ache, sniffle they are needing time off, get a MRI and relax in the hottub for 10 days. Just once I'd like to see a player be like Black Jack Morris who essentially told TK he was going to keep on pitching until his arm fell off in the world series. Could you imagine Puck telling TK his legs were sore?

[Bryce]

Tommy John surgery performed. Twins training staff had that one nailed right on the head. Maybe end of next season before Moonshot Scott disproves how homers can't be hit in Target Field again.

[mrklean]

wonder if he is done with the twins, how big is the option on him for next year, i thought it was pretty steep especially now after tommy john

[B. Amish]

9+ million option for 2013.

you can't pin this on the twins staff. they got a second opinion on the mri from outside the org and they had the same conclusion.

the tommy john wasn't decided until they opened up the elbow and took a look. probably says more about mri's than anything. i always thought mri's told you everything.

[LABS4ME]

I believe the option is 7 mil... good by Baker! We don't need another Tommy John pitcher on this staff.

Good Luck!

Ken

[mrklean]

I see almost a whole new staff next year, Baker gone, Frank gone, i dont see Jason Marquis lasting, is this Pavanos last year on his contract or one more?

[LABS4ME]

I believe it is Pavano's contract season. I wouldn't mind seeing him stay. Though not at the top of his game, he still can give you plenty of innings and generally go deep into his game. Something most of the Twins pitching staff lacks.

I agree, Liriano needs to go. Problem is we'll get nothing for him... they had some trade talk last year, said it wasn't enough for trading him... not much there to trade either!

Good Luck!

Ken

[B. Amish]

best case scenario is liriano turns it around before the trade deadline and the twins trade him for a haul to a contender starving for starting pitching.

another option is when does the liriano out of the bullpen experiment start? problem with that is who the heck takes his place in the rotation?

[LABS4ME]

didn't they try that experiment and Liriano swears we can get ready out of the bull pen to come in and pitch? I for some reason think I remember something to that extent and they then moved him back to a starter...

Good Luck!

Ken

[B. Amish]

that was slowey i believe.

[Big Tom]

Pavano is a free agent next year

Baker is a team option for $9.25M for next year, forget about that.

Liriano is not a good idea for the bullpen when he has had control problems off and on his whole career. This season he has 13 BB in 13 innings pitched.

The front office failures in drafting/trading/securing quality free agents for pitching are really coming home to roost.

[nofishfisherman]

I doubt Baker will ever pitch for the Twins again. Really this came at a horrible time for him. What's the market for a middle of the road pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery? He'll likely get a low money deal with a team and then spend next season in the minors trying to get his arm back in shape. Thats assuming he comes back in the typical 1 year.

I'm not putting this one on the Twins. It sounds like Terry Ryan wasn't 100% sold on the fact that Baker didn't need Tommy John. From the article I read this morning they chose to do full surgey instead of arthriscopic in order to confirm for sure that Tommy John wasn't needed, Terry Ryan said he was somewhat guarded about the possibility of it needing to be done.

And for those who want pitchers to go out and try pitching through this stuff. Isn't that what Baker tried to do the past 2 years. He's had elbow trouble for 2 years now and he kept trying to pitch through it but finally ending up on the DL by the end of the year. Maybe if he didn't try pitching through it for 2 years he'd already be back on the mound by now.

I get the idea of playing through fatigue and soreness but when you are having elbow or shoulder issues as a pitcher how can you expect them to pitch through it? Thats when you really start tearing your arm apart, then what good are you to the team or your family. I have a tendon issue in my shoulder and I can barely lift my arm some days, i can't imagine trying to go out and throw 80-100 fastballs every couple days when its bothering me.

[Musky Buck]

Consider him forked and smiling all season long !

[Scott M]

What was your favorite Moonshot Scott moment? He's a cubbie for 2013.

[toughguy]

Bye!~

[B. Amish]

1 good year in the NL and he'll be ripe for a 5 year deal for pretty decent cha ching.

[eyebenband]

At the rate he gave up dingers here, how many will he

give up in Wrigley Field???

[DonBo]

Are you guys serious? Have you not seen pitcher after pitcher after pitcher go to other clubs and excell way beyond anything they've ever done here? Geez, he'll probably win 30 games and bring the Cubs their first WS win in a thousand years. Cy Young, MVP, I can see it now.