Pitching through pain. *All kinds*.
May 26, 2012 1:55 PM Subscribe
NYTimes: The Glory and Pain of Pitching. Bobby Ojeda, starting pitcher for one of the greatest games in the history of Major League Baseball, takes us into the mind of the career athlete and his relationship with a constant companion -- pain.
Sad story. My college girlfriend, who hailed from Flushing, then home of Shea Stadium, had Ojeda's autograph on her bedroom wall.
posted by jonmc at 2:14 PM on May 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jonmc at 2:14 PM on May 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sad story. My college girlfriend, who hailed from Flushing, then home of Shea Stadium, had Ojeda's autograph on her bedroom wall.
That story has so many levels of sad all in one sentence it's like a twitter novel!
posted by srboisvert at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
That story has so many levels of sad all in one sentence it's like a twitter novel!
posted by srboisvert at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
Gee, and he only made 1.5 million a year.
Meanwhile, 10 million office workers' carpal tunnel syndrome gets them nothing more than a "preexisting condition" flag every time they change jobs.
Can you hear the violins?
posted by pla at 5:17 PM on May 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile, 10 million office workers' carpal tunnel syndrome gets them nothing more than a "preexisting condition" flag every time they change jobs.
Can you hear the violins?
posted by pla at 5:17 PM on May 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Pla, in both cases workers' bodies are being destroyed for the sake of management. His exploitation is better compensated, sure, but that doesn't make it not count. Solidarity!
posted by jsturgill at 5:53 PM on May 26, 2012
posted by jsturgill at 5:53 PM on May 26, 2012
MoonOrb: I was also surprised by how, in a story about pain, so little mention was given to the boating tragedy.
Maybe because it's an article about the glory and pain...of pitching?
pla: Gee, and he only made 1.5 million a year.
Meanwhile, 10 million office workers' carpal tunnel syndrome gets them nothing more than a "preexisting condition" flag every time they change jobs.
Can you hear the violins?
You're using the plight of white collar workers to make professional athletes look bad? Why not go all the way and start posting pictures of the slums in Rio?
posted by triceryclops at 5:59 PM on May 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
Maybe because it's an article about the glory and pain...of pitching?
pla: Gee, and he only made 1.5 million a year.
Meanwhile, 10 million office workers' carpal tunnel syndrome gets them nothing more than a "preexisting condition" flag every time they change jobs.
Can you hear the violins?
You're using the plight of white collar workers to make professional athletes look bad? Why not go all the way and start posting pictures of the slums in Rio?
posted by triceryclops at 5:59 PM on May 26, 2012 [3 favorites]
In other words, exploitation is happening here, and for every Bob Ojeda, there are dozens upon dozens of other athletes who are destroying their bodies for much less compensation.
posted by triceryclops at 6:01 PM on May 26, 2012
posted by triceryclops at 6:01 PM on May 26, 2012
Can you hear the violins?
Suffering is suffering. One person's suffering isn't invalidated by another's.
I think it can be noble to comfort one's self in the knowledge that other people have it worse, but to use that argument to negate someone else's pain is less so.
posted by Mooski at 6:14 PM on May 26, 2012 [4 favorites]
Suffering is suffering. One person's suffering isn't invalidated by another's.
I think it can be noble to comfort one's self in the knowledge that other people have it worse, but to use that argument to negate someone else's pain is less so.
posted by Mooski at 6:14 PM on May 26, 2012 [4 favorites]
Meanwhile, 10 million office workers' carpal tunnel syndrome gets them nothing more than a "preexisting condition" flag every time they change jobs.
That's a lot like all the working class people who are killed or maimed working construction or in factories. Tell you what, we'll ask some of the migrant farm workers who have to bend down for 14 hours a day to pick grapes or strawberry to say a little prayer for all the poor office workers.
posted by atrazine at 6:22 PM on May 26, 2012
That's a lot like all the working class people who are killed or maimed working construction or in factories. Tell you what, we'll ask some of the migrant farm workers who have to bend down for 14 hours a day to pick grapes or strawberry to say a little prayer for all the poor office workers.
posted by atrazine at 6:22 PM on May 26, 2012
I don't understand the point of the derail. Nowhere in the article does Ojeda ask anyone to feel sorry for him, in fact he says he has no regrets and would gladly do it all over again. If anything the article is a cautionary tale for parents, much like the football/concussion stories that have been slowly entering the public consciousness.
posted by The Hamms Bear at 7:23 PM on May 26, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by The Hamms Bear at 7:23 PM on May 26, 2012 [4 favorites]
I don't understand the point of the derail. Nowhere in the article does Ojeda ask anyone to feel sorry for him, in fact he says he has no regrets and would gladly do it all over again.
There is no point to the derail. The guy hurt himself for a (very handsome) living, has no regrets and would do it again. That was an unvarnished statement of the life of a MLB pitcher in the 80's - he values the pain, it tells him he still gets to play games for a living. No violins yo hear.
posted by N-stoff at 9:38 PM on May 26, 2012
There is no point to the derail. The guy hurt himself for a (very handsome) living, has no regrets and would do it again. That was an unvarnished statement of the life of a MLB pitcher in the 80's - he values the pain, it tells him he still gets to play games for a living. No violins yo hear.
posted by N-stoff at 9:38 PM on May 26, 2012
Ojeda was also the lone survivor of the boating accident that killed fellow Cleveland Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews.
But I guess that's another kinda pain.
posted by three blind mice at 5:50 AM on May 27, 2012
But I guess that's another kinda pain.
posted by three blind mice at 5:50 AM on May 27, 2012
The article seems to speak to an outdated conception of injury. Sports teams spend much more these days on proper diagnosis and treatment, seeing their athletes as investments rather than employees.
posted by teekat at 6:09 AM on May 27, 2012
posted by teekat at 6:09 AM on May 27, 2012
Great story, arousing all sorts of complicated responses (though "boo hoo, rich athlete" is just stupid kneejerk bullshit). It's amazing what lengths athletes will go to to keep playing. Thanks for the post.
posted by languagehat at 9:10 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by languagehat at 9:10 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]
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Ojeda was devastated by his share of survivors guilt from this, but this article focuses more on the physical pain of being an athlete. The SI article on what happened out on Lake Nellie is worth its own read.
posted by workingdankoch at 2:02 PM on May 26, 2012