As I look back on the week, a month or so ago I doubted this would happen. During my first Birmingham training session with Jarrod Patterson on January 4, I couldn’t throw the ball. Literally. I couldn’t throw and whenever I tried I was in pain. Strangely I could swing the bat pain free but couldn’t throw and was questioning whether I could make it here or not.
Found out it was a tricep bruise much like the one Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had the same weekend and had to sit out their playoff game with the Packers.So I did what all world class athletes do. I contacted Dr. Andrews. I’m lucky as the foremost sports orthopedic doctor in the world, Dr. James Andrews, is a Birmingham resident and a member of our Medjet Advisory Board.
Except Doc Andrews wasn’t having a great weekend himself. His patient Robert Griffin III went down with a severe knee injury and Doc got caught in a round of ‘he said/she said’ with the Washington Redskins coaching staff that played itself out on national television.
Dr. Andrews is no doubt the sports orthopedic to the stars. Among the thousands and thousands of athletes from high school to the professional ranks that he has helped during their careers are names like Brett Farve, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Albert Pujols, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Roy Berger, Roger Clemens, Troy Aikman, Bo Jackson, CC Sabathea, and Peyton Manning. Shall I go on? His prize pupil this season was Adrian Peterson, his new knee and dead aim on the record book.
Timing may have never been my strong suit but I contacted Dr. Andrews the day after RG3 went down and told him my story. He prefaced his advice with words you really don’t want to hear. “At your age,” Doc said. At my age? Anyway he said to ice the triceps daily, don’t throw for a few days, take Aleve and use IcyHot to relieve any discomfort. I was throwing again by the following Friday and while I won’t gun a runner down going from second to third it’s sure nice knowing at least I got the ball back to the pitcher!
In thanking Doc I asked him if he wanted a signed picture of #60 of the Pittsburgh Pirates fantasy camp for his photo wall of accomplished patients. He told me he’d get back to me .
Certainly a nice professional fringe benefit being able to contact the best of the best for a quick analysis. Also on our Medjet Advisory Board is NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr and 16 time PGA Tour winner Jim Furyk.
Gotta figure, based upon the results of the Dr. Andrews consult, if I’m ever looking to throw a better spiral or need help with the seven iron I’m one phone call away.
Keep reading, with Part 1 on Berger’s Return to the Pittsburgh Pirates Camp and Part II Return to the Pittsburgh Pirate Camp and Part III: Let the Games Begin and Part IV: Learning from Legends.
By Roy Berger for PeterGreenberg.com
