I've never been much of an A-rod fan. It's not because of his controversial personality, or his admission of pervasive steroid use (thankfully sparing us of an Oprah interview). As a result, I'm not a great follower of his exploits with the exception of when he's glaringly bad in the playoffs.
2012 was a prime example as his performance at the plate was far below average, and he was subsequently benched or removed from the line-up completely.
When the Yankees finally revealed the culprit and pivotal cause of his failures, my ears perked up. I suddenly became very interested in the player I once regarded with as much enthusiasm as doing my taxes.
A-Rod needed left hip surgery. And better still, his surgeon was the same one I had used for the same ailment - - a torn labrum coupled with hip impingement.
For both A-Rod and I, the surgeon was Bryan Kelly, who practices at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The procedure is pretty straight forward. The first step is to either repair or remove the labrum. The labrum serves as a shock absorber around the femoral head otherwise known as the ball. The next step, if needed, is to shave or reshape the bone itself making for more fluid movement though the hip socket. This arthroscopic procedure has been perfected over the last decade making outcomes much more predictable.
Or does it?
After many years of ice and roller hockey, I was told by Dr. Kelly that I had a torn labrum and most likely a genetic disposition to a misshapen hip joint. I was also told that it could be fixed and that I should be able to return to most of my previous athletic activities.
When I woke up in recovery, Dr Kelly walked in with a blown up photo. It was a large circle which consisted of a few different colors. I asked how things went and he said very well. However, he wanted me to focus on the large yellow circle whose bandwidth encompassed about 85-90 percent of the circle. Dr. Kelly said that the yellow portion is arthritis and from a visual standpoint, the hip was basically shot.
What?!! Shot??!! I thought that's what the surgery was meant to avoid. He said that he had no way of knowing until "he was in there." However, he said that "you never know" and that I should follow through on about 6 months of difficult rehab. So, I did. During that time I was on pain killers, on crutches, and in tear inducing pain from tendinitis. At the end of my rehab stint, the hip was even worse than before. Eventually, I had the entire hip replaced.
Today, Yankees GM, Brian Cashman announced that there was a possibility that A-Rod may not be back in July. In fact, he may miss the entire season. Sound familiar?
Is it possible that A-Rod woke up as I did to a picture of the yellow circle? Did Dr. Kelly once again say that he can't truly predict the outcome of his procedure until he's "in there?" Was A-Rod told to do the rehab and hope for the best?
Brian Cashman's statement had a certain familiar ring to it. The ring of a man who was trying to hide the bad news he and his third baseman had just received. The sound of a career coming to an end.
I don't gamble on sports, but if I did, A-Rod would not be my horse. His prospects are dim. However, the fans won't find out until next year that A-Rod is not only sitting out 2013, but he'll be doing the same in 2014 and beyond.
The truth lies in the shadows. The same yellow shadow that most likely showed up on A-Rod's surgical picture. The Yankees can't admit they made a mistake, and neither can Dr. Kelly. It would kill too sterling reputations.
The next time you hear the name A-Rod, it will be about his retirement conference and the announcement that he needs a full hip replacement.
I wonder if he'll use my surgeon.
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