Gamel's Injury (Torn ACL, needs surgery, likely done for year)

[GormanHarvey]

Well ain't that just a kick in the teeth

[tstads20]

This really stinks. Now what? I do not want to see a season of Ishikawa.

[MJLiverock]

The image I can't shake from last night's game is of Gamel jogging to the dugout after the end of the 1st inning on a severely injured knee (or an injured knee that jogging to the dugout turned into a severely injured knee). With just one more day to review his situation, Gamel's knee has been put in an immobilizing brace -- and the team didn't exercise enough caution last night to just help him off the field immediately after the injury?

 

But if you are going to be that conservative then people shouldn't complain about Gamel sitting a game after admitting his shoulder was bothering him or RR getting him an extra day off knowing he wasn't 100%.

 

At some level you have to trust the player a little bit to know if he is seriously injured. Walking off the field or moving around a bit wasn't going to take it from being minor to catastrophic. It isn't football or basketball where they can have him sit out play or two and see how it feels before putting him back in or not. He felt well enough to finish the inning then realized it wasn't feeling better.

 

I've had many an injury to knees, ankles, and feet that felt very serious but when checked out later or walked off turned out fine. Gamel probably thought he just hyperextended it or something. I'd put zero blame on the staff or manager.

[Baldkin]

Derrek Lee?

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AIpZDlxgE_Q/TUM2qMfG4kI/AAAAAAAAAdc/sfSukuzjq9M/s1600/cy.jpg

[Hitman_Hart]

^ Well, that is just not at all proper form to take a punch.

[PrinceEatMeat]

NOOO! This really sucks.

[Funketown]

Wow. Two season ending injuries to full time starters within the first month of the season.

 

If Lee hasn't retired (I don't think he has), they should seriously consider signing him. He has put up slightly better than league average batting lines over the past two seasons and he plays plus defense. He also seems to be a generally good baseball guy who might like the chance to join a contender at the end of his career.

[reillymcshane]

Feel really bad for Mat.

 

He finally gets his chance and this happens. Was he playing great? No. But I thought he'd be solid, cheap option.

 

I hope they crash course Green at 1B. Or A-Ram, and let Green play 3B. I don't think Hart wants to play there - otherwise I'd move him there an let Aoki play RF.

[kalle8]

it's not unfamiliar that an athlete with torn acl can play through the injury, it happened to Yo too, hot muscles can hide the injury. after sitting a while in the dugout mat fell the injury preparing to get the AB. there s none to blame but the destiny. i wanted so bad a good season for Gamel.....get well soon!

[pretendastronaut]

Not shocked by the news, but still really disappointed.

[TooLiveBrew]

But if you are going to be that conservative then people shouldn't complain about Gamel sitting a game after admitting his shoulder was bothering him or RR getting him an extra day off knowing he wasn't 100%.

I don't agree with this at all, but I'm also not one who had a huge problem about Gamel getting benched/rested (I didn't like it, but imo it's not a huge deal given the circumstances).

 

Resting a sore shoulder =// taking extreme precaution with a knee injury

[Madtown343]

I may be in the minority here, but I like gindl in RF, and Hart at 1B. Conrad could still be called up because ish is not a major league player offensively.

 

I'll take a three way platoon in RF and 1B of Gindl, Hart, and Conrad. I think you easilly get the most offense daily, still serviceable defensively, and keep your of depth with aoki off the bench.

[TURBO]

Frankly, I am pretty pissed off that RR hasn't already put Weeks in the 2 hole by now. What is he waiting for?

 

Weeks hits leadoff.

[ninja33]

the damage was done when Gamel awkwardly planted his foot before running into the wall. jogging back into the dugout likely had zero effect on his knee. The ACL was already torn...no reason to blame the brewers trainers.

[Team Canada]

Agree with ninja, being mad at the trainers is wasted energy.

 

Bring on Kottarikikawa... :/

[dlk9s]

The image I can't shake from last night's game is of Gamel jogging to the dugout after the end of the 1st inning on a severely injured knee (or an injured knee that jogging to the dugout turned into a severely injured knee). With just one more day to review his situation, Gamel's knee has been put in an immobilizing brace -- and the team didn't exercise enough caution last night to just help him off the field immediately after the injury?

 

Come on. I'm no trainer, but jogging back to the dugout didn't escalate his injury from "bad" to "season ending." In fact, it likely had no effect at all.

 

I'm sure the trainers checked his knee, didn't detect anything right then and there, so they gave him a chance to test it out, probably even saying, "Look, if it hurts at all, don't be a hero." He tested it, it hurt, and he sat down.

[pebadger]

the damage was done when Gamel awkwardly planted his foot before running into the wall. jogging back into the dugout likely had zero effect on his knee. The ACL was already torn...no reason to blame the brewers trainers.

 

Yup. Watching last night I was pretty sure he tore something (likely the ACL) just from watching it. Terrible break for Mat.

[Thurston Fluff]

We really were not lucky last year, people keep saying this but it really wasn't true.

 

It really depends on how you define luck I guess. To my way of thinking there are two types of injuries. One is predictable (to an extent) and the other not. A strained groin due to conditioning or torn cartilage due to wear and tear are something that will come in greater frequency in some players. A torn ACL on a random play where the player just twists wrong or runs into someone is just unlucky. Last season we didn't have a single pure luck injury that took out a regular player for the year. That was not due to some measurable metric based on players age or history. It was pure luck.

[JohnBriggs12]

This injury was the result of Gamel running hard but not in control. Thats sort of instinctive in some guys but not in others. He was also new to the position, and the angles are similar but not the same and its opposite to what the 3rd baseman would do. So while it was unlucky that the ACL snapped, if he doesn't take a bad step, it doesn't happen.

 

In Ishikawa's defense, he did play in the NL West, and he actually hit pretty well in A T & T park (.801 OPS). He's also had a couple years of more than 20 HR in the minors. If he can hit .260 and hit 18 to 20 HR and play his very good defense, they'll be okay.

 

If not, they can deal or move guys around. This is tough for Gamel. I don't think he's going to get handed the job next year. My guess is they'll look elsewhere or have Hart moved permanently.

[Invader3K]

Sounds like Green may get a shot at replacing Gamel, according to Buster Olney.

 

https://twitter.com/#!/Buster_ESPN/status/197834370814455810

[igor67]

It's a bit tough because any of your best bat options involves shifting a guy to a newer position, whether that is Hart, Ramirez or Green. Given that it is season ending you have to make the effort to get your best guys out there and ride out the consequences. There might be something to be said for Calling up Conrad short term, let Green work on defense in AAA for a bit, and then you can try Hart and Aramis out in practice perhaps and maybe a game or two and then evaluate which configuration you like the best. One issue with moving Hart is that since he has been so hot, it's almost a given that he'd cool off after a position switch leading to an easy silly story line...

[pitchleague]

trade for Pujols, he's not doing anything of note.

 

Seriously, I wouldn't be against a Derrick Lee signing. Cantu doesn't thrill me, either, though.

 

I'm really sad that Gamel couldn't finish out the year. I thought this would be the year that he "made it" in the big leagues. He was decent to average in his month of play which is all that you could ask for.

[young guns]

Sounds like Green may get a shot at replacing Gamel, according to Buster Olney.

 

https://twitter.com/#!/Buster_ESPN/status/197834370814455810

 

Sounds like what he is saying is that conrad will probably get moved up and then green will shift over to first in AAA to see if he can handle it and then be the long term replacement. Like what igor said.

[brettac1]

This is just such a colossal bummer.

[endaround]

Sounds like Green may get a shot at replacing Gamel, according to Buster Olney.

 

https://twitter.com/#!/Buster_ESPN/status/197834370814455810

 

Sounds like what he is saying is that conrad will probably get moved up and then green will shift over to first in AAA to see if he can handle it and then be the long term replacement. Like what igor said.

Which makes no sense. Move Ramirez already. He isn't long for 3B.