Zumaya's prognosis good

Zumaya's prognosis good; Tigers' reliever says, 'I believe a miracle happened'


Hurler wants to stop rumors, 'I want people to know the truth: A box fell on me while I was evacuating my home in Chula Vista'

November 6, 2007
BY JON PAUL MOROSI
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


ORLANDO -- Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya returned Monday to the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, where he underwent major shoulder surgery last week.

This time, the news was relatively good.

Dr. Heinz Hoenecke reviewed images of the shoulder with Zumaya and his father. At one point, Joel Zumaya said, Hoenecke turned to Joel Sr., and said, "Your son is going to come back throwing the ball like he was."

The time line for Zumaya's return has not changed -- the team hopes for a midseason comeback -- but Zumaya sounded confident in his ability to make a full recovery during a Monday telephone interview.

"I believe a miracle happened," Zumaya said. "I have no doubt that we're going to be fine."

Zumaya also addressed the criticism he has heard since Thursday, when the club announced that he underwent an AC joint reconstruction. Zumaya said he was injured while moving boxes in the attic of his family's home in Chula Vista, Calif., during the California wildfires, and he is disappointed that some have doubted his account.

"It's tough to have people criticizing me, saying I'm a liar," he said. "I've never done anything to anybody to deserve this. It's sad. It's nothing I'm worried about. I just want people to know that, when I come out of this surgery, I'm going to be 110%."

Zumaya defended his initial statements about the injury, saying, "I want people to know the truth: A box fell on me while I was evacuating my home in Chula Vista."

President/general manager Dave Dombrowski acknowledged last week that he could not count on Zumaya's return as he plans for next season. The Tigers apparently need two relief pitchers, a closer and a setup man.

Todd Jones, a free agent, could return as the closer, but Dombrowski said Monday he does not expect a decision from him until late next week at the earliest. Jones, 39, can begin discussing financial terms with other clubs one week from today, and Dombrowski expects him to take advantage of that opportunity.

If Jones does not re-sign, the Tigers likely will pursue a free-agent closer, with Francisco Cordero and Eric Gagne among the most likely candidates.


PRIORITIZING: Dombrowski said Monday -- the first day of the annual general managers' meetings -- that pitching is the Tigers' top off-season priority. The everyday lineup appears set, with the exception of leftfield.


The Tigers would have a low-cost platoon of Timo Perez and Marcus Thames in leftfield if the season began today, but that could change if an affordable option presents itself. A former Tiger is one possibility, as Terry Bross, the agent for Luis Gonzalez, said Monday that Gonzalez would have interest in returning to the Tigers.

Gonzalez, 40, batted .278 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season. The Tigers have budgeted considerably less for leftfield than the $7.35 million Gonzalez earned in 2007.

"He liked it there," Bross said, in a telephone interview. "He has good memories in Detroit, with his kids being born there. Detroit could be a very good fit."

The Tigers also have expressed interest in free agents Cliff Floyd and Shannon Stewart, two veteran outfielders who have battled injuries in recent years.

Stewart, a right-handed batter, reestablished himself with a solid 2007 season in Oakland. Floyd would like to be an everyday player in 2008, but it's unclear if the Tigers would offer him that opportunity.

Floyd played for the Dombrowski-led 1997 Florida Marlins -- along with current Tigers Edgar Renteria and Gary Sheffield -- and was drafted by the Montreal Expos when Dombrowski was the GM there.

The Tigers previously have shown interest in Seattle first baseman/outfielder Ben Broussard, but the Tigers would be reluctant to trade for a leftfielder after sending prospects Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez to Atlanta in the Renteria deal.

NOTE:
Matt Walbeck, the former Tiger catcher and manager of Detroit's Double-A Erie affiliate, is among the candidates to be named third base coach of the Texas Rangers, according to the Dallas Morning News.

I am kind of hoping he just sits out the year. That will force the Tigers to address much-desired bullpen needs.

No sittin' on the fence! no more waitin'!

hey--that could be a song lyric in there somewhere!

I just would like to see some decent middle relief. I am so tired of Grilli and Company giving away leads like they were Halloween candy!!

"A miracle happened?"

Huh? Based on the story, a box fell on his shoulder. I've moved things and boxes a billion times and never had an injury. Miracle generally doesn't mean a bad thing. The odds of what he says happened happening are like a million to one.

Anyways, shoulder is all screwed up so he has surgery. Shoulder injuries aren't generally life-threatening and his type of injury is generally fixable in this day and age. No miracle here.

Normally, the prognosis is like 8 months or so until the injury is healed. Zumaya is supposed to take just as long.

Where's the miracle?

The miracle is that he hasn't been BUSTED yet for "embellishing the truth".

tigersaint wrote:

The miracle is that he hasn't been BUSTED yet for "embellishing the truth".

Yeah really!

When I saw that headline I thought the prognosis was suddenly he'd be ready by opening day.

I broke my arm on my sixth birthday. 6 weeks later I got my cast off. Never did anyone say a miracle had occurred.

Of course, you didn't throw 102 MPH!!

.....at least, not THEN.

tigersaint wrote:

.....at least, not THEN.

LOL!

#26 Luis Gonzalez | LF


Proper Name: Luis Emilio Gonzalez
Born: September 3, 1967 Tampa, FL

Height: 6-2
Weight: 210 lbs.
Age: 40
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Pos: LF
Experience: 17 years
2007 Salary: $7,156,599
College: South Alabama
AVG .278 | HR 15 | RBI 68 | OBP .359 | SLG .433

He shows interest in comng back to Detroit to play LF. If he would take less salary, he may be interesting. He has been known to take less in the past:

1998 Detroit Tigers #28 ................$2,000,000.00
1999 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ...$2,050,000.00
2000 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ...$3,333,333.00
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ....$4,833,333.00
2002 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ....$4,333,333.00
2003 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ....$4,000,000.00
2004 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 .....$8,250,000.00
2005 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 ....$10,083,333.00
2006 Arizona Diamondbacks #20 .....$10,673,328.00
2007 Los Angeles Dodgers 26, 42, 26 $7,156,599.00

As stated in the above article:

"A former Tiger is one possibility, as Terry Bross, the agent for Luis Gonzalez, said Monday that Gonzalez would have interest in returning to the Tigers."

40 years old, but a solid LH bat. At 3 or possibly even 4 Mill (not MY money) I might be inclined.

A definite upgrade over Thames and T-Mo!!

I was upset when they traded him for Karim Garcia in the first place!!

Karim Who? LOL! THAT TRADE SUCKED!

YUP!!