Thanks A Lot, Chien-Ming

Prior to my senior year of high school, I played outfield and pitched. When I was 15 years old I also played some third base and even a little shortstop, depending on who was pitching on a given night. I was never a great hitter, but I was pretty good. I had what they call "warning track power." I was good for a nice double in the gap to the wall, but I have exactly one career home run. It was a game-winner in a JV game my junior year of high school. I was more of a line drive guy... That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I also played some basketball in high school until the coach decided he didn't like baseball players. Truly, he didn't like that baseball players spent their summers playing in tournaments all over the country instead at his little basketball summer camps, but I digress.

My senior year in high school was the year that I became primarily a pitcher. And, no matter what I had done or been in the past, it was also the year I became a non-athlete. Because, as everyone knows, pitchers aren't athletes. Except for, well, I didn't believe it, and I spent the rest of my time in the game trying to prove that I was an athlete, I just happened to pitch better than I hit.

One of the greatest compliments I ever received was kind of an insult. I was playing a little pick-up basketball with some other missionaries one day. After a few games, one said to me, "Geez, Reynolds. You're pretty good. I wouldn't have thought you were athletic at all." By that time in my life, I had put on a few pounds and added a chin. I also had my glasses on, which didn't help matters any, so I couldn't blame him.

Anyway, back to the point. Pitchers get a bad wrap for being non-athletes. Sure, sometimes they look a little goofy covering first base and handling the toss from the first baseman. Occasionally they launch a perfect double-play ball over the shortstop's head and into center field. But overall, pitchers are every bit the athletes as the position players. They just specialize in different things.

But just when you think you might have people convinced, Chien-Ming Wang pulls up lame while running the bases. No, he didn't twist his ankle sliding safely into third base on a close play. It happened when he scored from second base on a base hit to right field. There wasn't even a throw to the plate when he scored. According to the Yankees' web site, he was diagnosed with a "mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament of the right foot and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon of the right foot."

I know what you're thinking, and yes, I'm serious. He did all of that rounding third base and scoring. And, making the situation even more ridiculous, the new Steinbrenner in charge of the Yankees got his panties in a bunch because the National League doesn't use the DH (Designated Hitter). And, since his team was playing an Interleague match-up on the road, his front-line starter had to --gasp-- run the bases.

Hank Steinbrenner might think it was the National League's fault, but maybe this whole thing could have been avoided if only Wang would have had some better arch-supports in his cleats. That, or maybe one of the athletes on the team should have given him some baserunning pointers. Then again, did anyone really expect him to even get on base in the first place? After all, he is just a pitcher, right?