What ever happend to Nick Neugebauer?

[adambr2]

Anyone know what ever became of this kid?

 

Had star potential, probably the biggest pitching prospect since Sheets when he started his MLB career in 2001 and 2002. Was hampered by injuries, missed the entire 2003 season, and in 2004, the Brewers finally lost patience with him and let him go.

 

At the time, they told him that they thought he could still make a recovery and pitch again, but they couldn't wait it out any more.

 

Did this guy ever make it back with anybody, or did he just sort of fade away?

[1992casey]

According to Nick's Baseball Cube page, his one inning in 2004 at High Desert was the end of his organized baseball career. I don't know the 'rest of the story', though.

[T B0NE 10]

i got his autograph!!!! right after that he got injured.... the scary thing is the only other autograph i got was from rickie weeks, which i got after his rookie season! Maybe i shouldnt get autographs anymore!! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

[JoeHova]

Hmm, he's still only 27. Maybe we'll some day see a Jim Morris or Joe Winkelsas or Salomon Torres type story from him. We can only hope. I have no idea if he is even still interested in baseball or anything though.

[DHonks]

I spoke with the BA photographer in the AFL (Bill Mitchell, I think is his name). He used to keep in contact with Neugy's family, and also kept in contact with an M's farmhand that knew Neugy. apparently Neugy kind of disappeared. The M's farmhand hadn't heard from him in a long time. So really it sounds like he gave up on the dream.

 

The idea I used to have is that the Crew should wait till guys like Neugy, Gold, or Ryan Anderson are about 27, then invite them in for a tryout camp. I'm no trainer, but with all that goes on in the shoulder, it'd make sense to me that the guys should just go about daily life for a while to in effect re-calibrate the shoulder, as it works with the arm and torso in daily life. Given a couple years of normal life, the shoulder might better be prepared to give baseball a comeback. AFL trainers told me that the flaw with the idea is twofold...1) the longer they go without pitching, the more flexibility (and therefore velocity) they'll lose. 2) once the shoulder is fully recovered medically, there's no reason for it to break down again except poor mechanics or bad luck.

[dadofandrew]

I seem to recall an article being posted saying he was studying to become a chef.

[DHonks]

Al, that was Ryan Anderson, I think

[dadofandrew]

DH, I think you are correct.

[DuWayne Steurer]

2) once the shoulder is fully recovered medically, there's no reason for it to break down again except poor mechanics or bad luck.

 

 

One thing about these types of injuries, is that quite often, they don't ever *fully recover*. Especially as you age a little bit and get closer to 30 rather than 20.

 

I know that we see major league ballplayers (and athletes in all sports) get surgeries for this type of stuff, and then come back, and since we see it so much, it seems commonplace, but shoulder and elbow injuries really are not easy to come back from, especially guys like Neugy, Mike Jones, J.M Gold and the like who haven't just had one injury, but an entire series of them.

 

I'm not saying that what you're suggesting is impossible, probably just very improbable.