One of the most unpleasant parts of baseball is when great players get seriously injured. Injuries can and have hindered or flat out destroyed a career. Think where the great Ken Griffey Jr. could have landed on the all-time list if not for years of injury. Then there is Mark Prior, who was a rising pitching star for the Chicago Cubs before injury essentially ended his career prematurely. His teammate, Kerry Wood also had several injuries, but managed to knock out a solid career before retiring at the end of the 2012 season.
There is a positive aspect to injuries, Sometimes you get to see something inspirational happen. You get to see a player who had lost so much, be able to rise up and earn another chance in the spotlight. Here are two players which are currently rebounding in a big way for new clubs in 2014.
Grady Sizemore at his prime was a three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2008 while playing outfield for the Cleveland Indians. However, starting in 2009 he became plagued with injuries which often took major chunks of his season.
In 2011, Sizemore only played in 71 games, but managed 10 home runs with 34 RBI’s. The ability to produce was apparent, but he couldn’t stay healthy long enough to use it.
The last two seasons have been filled with setbacks and new injuries. People were starting to wonder if Sizemore could ever play professional baseball again. After signing a deal this off-season with the Boston Red Sox organization, Grady Sizemore is breathing new life into his career. He played exceptionally well defensively and offensively during spring training; and was able to land an opening day start in centerfield. Sizemore has already hit a home run and batting well over .300 to start the season.
In the National League, we have another great story in Tim Hudson. Hudson was a two-time All Star for the Athletics (2000, 2004), and again for the Atlanta Braves (2010). He was among the most consistent and talented pitchers of the past decade.
Things changed in 2013, Hudson went 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA. While still effective, he was not the top notch quality we expected him year in and year out. In mid-season, Hudson suffered a brutal broken ankle injury that ended his season.
This off-season, Hudson signed with the San Francisco Giants looking to prove he could be a quality starter in the majors. In two starts this season, Hudson has been on fire with a mere 1.15 ERA, two wins with 11 strikeouts with no walks. He joins a rotation featuring Ryan Vogelsong, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum; all whom are in need of a rebound in 2014.
The Giants have gotten off to a hot start and their rotation has been much improved over last year.
The future is never certain, but these two players have shown us that with perseverance, talent, and some luck that a player can recover from anything and get new life in baseball. Best wishes to Grady Sizemore, Tim Hudson, and any player returning from major injury this season.
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