Weaver looking to rekindle his pitching career
Pitcher reunited with Radinsky
By David Briggs
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER - Updated: 07/07/08 9:34 AM
Jeff Weaver was a junior and the third starter for Simi Valley High in Southern California. Scott Radinsky was the team's iconic pitching coach, returning to his alma mater as he battled Hodgkin's Disease.
Working together every day, the 17-year-old and the Chicago White Sox reliever formed an unlikely friendship in 1994.
"I kind of got more personally attached to him than I did the other two guys [ahead of him] because they were always pitching," Radinsky said. "He was more like a project, and the coaches just said, 'Do whatever you want with him.'"
( yeah, I was shocked Jeff Weaver had friends too. Don't worry. )Anyone willing to drive to Scranton with me in August?
Bueller, Bueller...?
Less humorously, Ryan Church is still suffering .... something with his head.
Worried Ryan Church is headed for more tests
BY ANDY MARTINO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, July 6th 2008, 10:20 PM
PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Church slumped on a stool in the Mets' clubhouse Sunday morning, his shoulders hunched and his eyes glassy. The tangle of emotions - anger, fear, relief - combined to make him feel exhausted.
Concussions have been the unwelcome theme of his season, and after Saturday's migraine, the subject isn't going away.
In fact, it will now intensify: the Daily News has learned that Church was likely headed to New York after Sunday's game to be examined. Church did not play in the 4-2 win over Philadelphia, and now he's poised to miss even more time - after spending much of June on the disabled list with post-concussion symptoms. His season seems in question.
This latest round of concern began when Church left Saturday night's game in the eighth inning with dizziness. He phoned Anita Wu, the neurologist at New York Hospital for Special Surgery who has been treating him. Wu told Church his symptoms were consistent with the migraines he has experienced since the ninth grade, and Church was relieved. "I called my wife (Saturday) night and told her I was glad it was only a migraine," he said early yesterday. "She started laughing, like, 'You used to hate migraines.'"
But relief had turned back to fear and frustration after Sunday's win, as Church, appearing distraught, quickly left Citizens Bank Park without speaking to the media.
Church has suffered two concussions on the field this year, the first on March 1 during spring training and the second on May 20 against Atlanta. After continuing to experience effects of the second injury, he went on the DL June 10. He returned last Sunday and started every game until Friday, when he complained of fatigue. Church also felt tired in San Francisco in early June, the week before the Mets shut him down.
At that time, the Mets were criticized for relying on Church to decide whether he could play after the second concussion. Jerry Manuel said yesterday that the team would no longer allow the patient to dictate treatment. "I'm just going to take it out of his hands," Manuel said.
"It's so frustrating," Church said, shaking his head while pointing to it. "I'm fine, except for this."
With Adam Rubin
Simi Valley's Jeff Weaver is hoping to get back to the majors
By Rhiannon Potkey
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/08/minor-setback/Jeff Weaver's baseball future was teetering on the edge.
As a senior at Simi Valley High in 1994, Weaver decided to try out for the baseball team and was in danger of being the last player cut.
But pitching coach Scott Radinsky saw something in Weaver during their bullpen sessions, and convinced head coach Mike Scyphers to give Weaver a spot on the roster.
( Damn him )