He should be smart. He is being paid by an organization a good dollar much more than where you could end up if he has further problems.

Lay off for a while to see what happens.

If he is gripping the ball as hard as he says when pitching, when will that also come into play causing more of an injury.

I wish him luck, but if there is any question in Detroit’s mind they should have him back off and see.

They cannot play in any pick up games for charity in the off season without permission due to being afraid of an injury.
Detroit apparantly is willing to take the risk.

As for the starter/reliever debate, I can’t see the Tigers wanting to start all over, so to speak, with him. He’s admitted in the past that the velocity he’s capable of isn’t something he can sustain for more than a couple of innings. That said, he’d have to learn a whole new style of pitching (not to mention a few new pitches). With the incredible success he had last year, I wouldn’t want to risk the confidence he’s gained by trying to switch him over. He has the potential to be the most dominant reliever in the game. I’ll take that over the risk of messing him up with a major change in style.

OK, so he is going to have to produce 3 more solid years until he gets the multimillion dollar contract (if he is worth a long term deal at that point - ala Bonderman). It will be at least 5 more years until free agency.

If there is a remote chance that this air guitar game is going to jeopardize his value, why would he do it?? He just got engaged; he will be just a blip on the screen of baseball history and will not set himself for life if he continues to have arm problems.

For his sake, he should quit the game for the next 3 years!

-Sam

What we know is the injury isn’t typical of pitchers, but it is of guitar players. I don’t know that the game causes the injury, but what if it does?

I don’t care how fun the game is, and I’ve never chastised the game. What I don’t get is why a player would bring unnecessary risk on themselves.

Going back to the Guitar Hero thing, Zoom said it was because he was gripping the ball to hard. Tigers couldn’t find a definate reason so it’s better to tell the world that it was because of the game than saying “we don’t know” why (I read that in the paper I think). I can totally believe the gripping the ball too hard, just clench your fist over and over again, your forearm will get sore.

He is best used, for now at least, as either a set up man or a closer. He has great speeds on his fastball and slider. One inning and the other team doesn’t know what him.

But starter no way. Verlander is different because he knows how to pitch long innnings as he has developed three or four pitches. But Zoom Zoom is a straight up hard thrower.

As for the video game, can we all pitch in and get this kid a Nintendo and RBI baseball. He’ll be totally addicted, just as we were when we were kids. I got $5 on it.

As for the GH playing issue, I’m with jvwalt and wyrmer. I’m sure the trainers have this all figured out.

I go back and forth on how Zoom should be used. The way the Tigers are set up, it makes sense to groom him for the closer’s role. He is a young Goose Gossage if ever there was one.
The other part of me says that his arm will get used up quick as a short reliever. Most closers don’t have long careers. In general, I think the position is over-valued anyway. A top-flight starter, I think, has much more value over the long haul. Now, there is no guarantee that he wont blow out his arm as a starter. But how about a staff of Verlander, Bondo, Miller and Zoom? If they all stayed healthy and perform likes everyone thinks they will, it would make the Tigers a championship threat every year for a decade.