GoGetEmTigers DTF1 ADMINISTRATOR Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 57424 Age : 64 Location : Eastern Ohio, near Wheeling WV Favorite Current Tiger(s) : JV, Hunter, Jackson, Porcello, Avila (really ALL of em!) Reputation : 20 Registration date : 2007-10-05
| Subject: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:07 am | |
| Dealing with father's death and his injuries, Yorman Bazardo has a painful spring
By JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 19, 2008
LAKELAND, Fla. -- All winter, father and son talked about a shared dream.
Yorman Bazardo had never made a major league Opening Day roster, and the 2008 Tigers represented his strongest chance. He pitched well in Detroit last year -- 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 games -- and was out of minor league options, which made him an especially strong candidate.
He and his father, Florencio, lived close together in Maracay, Venezuela, which allowed them to spend time together during the off-season. Both hoped to be at Comerica Park on March 31 -- Yorman on the third-base line for pregame introductions; Florencio in the stands.
"I wanted him to see me make the team," Bazardo said Tuesday. "He was very proud of me. He was hoping to see me this year."
Tragically, he won't have that chance.
Florencio, 70, became ill not long before spring training. He underwent surgery in his abdominal region, but the condition worsened.
In late February, around the time he was to start winning that roster spot in exhibition games, Yorman Bazardo received the awful news: His father had died.
Three weeks later, he is still grieving. "I miss him," he said.
For Bazardo, sadly, the emotional trauma of losing his father has been followed by physical discomfort. And it's not clear whether he will be completely healthy when the regular season begins.
The 23-year-old right-hander said he felt some tightness in his throwing arm during his first bullpen sessions, but it went away quickly. Then came the news from home.
Bazardo spent several days in Venezuela to attend the funeral. He believes the disruption to his throwing program "got me out of rhythm."
Soon after returning to Lakeland, Bazardo developed muscle tightness on the right side of his neck. The discomfort went on for a couple weeks and intensified during his most recent appearance Sunday against the New York Mets.
"It started feeling worse and worse," he said.
Bazardo finally told the trainers, and he was diagnosed with a muscle strain.
Meanwhile, a tooth on the right side of his mouth had become painful, and he later learned it was infected. He had it removed Tuesday morning.
Bazardo had been told that the pain in his tooth could be linked to the tightness in his neck. He hopes that is the case. Once the tooth is gone, maybe his neck will feel better, too.
Bazardo wants to pitch in the Tigers' next game, Thursday night against Atlanta. But team officials are sure to be as cautious with him as they have been with Fernando Rodney, the reliever who will begin the regular season on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis.
"I hate being on the DL," Bazardo said. "That's why I didn't tell anybody about it (the muscle tightness). I was trying to get ready on my own.
"I'm still on schedule. My arm's feeling good. I'm fine."
Tigers officials must hope Bazardo's neck strain is just a temporary setback, because there has been little encouraging news about the bullpen in recent weeks: Rodney and Joel Zumaya are injured; Francisco Cruceta has remained in the Dominican Republic because of visa complications; Tim Byrdak allowed six earned runs Tuesday and has a spring ERA of 10.00.
Baseball aside, no one in the clubhouse has had a more trying spring than Bazardo. He thinks about his father often -- "All the time," he said -- and still wants nothing more than to be in Detroit when this wildly anticipated season begins, even though Opening Day can't possibly be as perfect as he had hoped.
Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports. | |
|
laprimamirala Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 14194 Age : 62 Location : SE Michigan Favorite Current Tiger(s) : Magglio........:) Reputation : 11 Registration date : 2007-10-29
| Subject: Re: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:52 pm | |
| It's tough when you're close. | |
|
tigersaint Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 8973 Age : 62 Location : Other, but I LIKE it here!! Favorite Current Tiger(s) : All of 'em, except the BAD ones!! Reputation : 25 Registration date : 2007-10-06
| Subject: Re: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:12 pm | |
| Death is the toughest thing to deal with, no matter who you are.
I feel for this guy. | |
|
laprimamirala Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 14194 Age : 62 Location : SE Michigan Favorite Current Tiger(s) : Magglio........:) Reputation : 11 Registration date : 2007-10-29
| Subject: Re: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:19 pm | |
| hopefully he will be kickin' things up again soon! | |
|
bobrob2004 DTF1 MODERATOR Detroit Tiger
Number of posts : 10646 Age : 38 Location : Warren, MI Reputation : 12 Registration date : 2007-10-05
| Subject: Re: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:07 am | |
| | |
|
Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: Yorman Bazardo Career Tracker | |
| |
|