Gregory Pratt

I've got a date Saturday that's moved from the Calypso Cafe to movie-watching in my bedroom because of my knee-brace. Further, I picked up bonus points because my girl is happy that, even hurt, I'd like to see her, and I played that perfectly: "Of course I'd still like to spend time with you, hurt. I'm sure it'd make me feel better!" That is, honestly, how I feel, but the perfectness of it all isn't beyond me. Should be nice to curl up and cuddle for awhile, and get my mind off the pain. Speaking of which: I'm starting to wonder if I've torn my ACL. We'll know tomorrow, I suppose. Today, really.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 10:18 PM) Simple: passion. I could have easily quit basketball, soccer, and baseball because of injury, but there is no chance in hell that I would ever quit. And knowing Greg, he wouldn't quit soccer either. Right on! I only quit baseball because I couldn't deal with my schools management, but since I play it all the time in my free time now, I never really quit it. I'm glad you two settled your spat. I feel your grumpiness, DB. I'm touchy about somethings, too. Glad we're all on the same page.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) Maybe you received faulty Vicodin, why don't you send them to me and I'll check them out for you. You want to get high, come get high over here with me.

PS: I got my Vicodin tonight. It hasn't done s-it for me, and I took it about an hour ago. That's all right, though. That's why I have a set of testicles and vocal cords: to take the pain with a "fu-k!" Even though that, ah, doesn't sound right.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 06:05 PM) Damn Greg, sorry to hear that. I can feel your pain. 3 dislocated knees and hyperextended tendons on my side. Sucks that your season is over to, I know how competetive of a guy you are. Don't rush your comeback. It won't help you no matter what you think. Let it heal completely and get back to 100% before you start rehab. I hope you don't have long-term knee troubled like I have/will. Get back soon buddy. I can feel your pain, too. I wish you could come over and take some, and we could split it. Like good friends, my friend. I won't rush. I'm going to take it easy. My soccer season is over, for sure, and so I have nothing to rush for. Oh baby baby baby, I'll no longer be able to compete in the Cow Olympics, or ride the cows, or wrangle them up. QUOTE(BHAMBARONS @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 06:07 PM) Greg Sorry to hear this. I had an experence like this back when I was a Junior in 2000 we were playing a baseball game I was the first baseman and throw was high and towards the dugout and I leap to get throw and I made the catch the next thing I know is I am being plowed over he got me right in the chest and I fell to the ground my knee snapped and my head slammed the ground. Next thing I know I am at St. Clair Hospital I had a concussion, a damaged eye cord, my eye was swollen shut, had a broken rib and damaged some ligaments in my knee which needed surgery and it was grueling time recovering. So best of luck and hope for a speedy full recovery Tom I feel your pain too, Tom. Thank you. I'm headed down your same road, so I appreciate the support, man. QUOTE(shoota @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 08:32 PM) Cortisone? I really don't think that fits or is funny. Maybe if my back were hurting me... Don't you worry -- I've got it all in perspective. I'm not the emo or overreacting type. But, thank you for the kind words and gruesome video, Boz.

Pretty soon, I hope, I'll be able to take this damn Tigers line from my signature. I stil believe in the Sox.

If I could be guaranteed that Garcia's fastball will be back after resting in the offseason, I'd have no problem bringing him back. As it stands, he'll probably be gone, and we'll have to deal with it. I'll miss him, because even though he's let me down real bad this year, he's still Freddy Garcia, and Freddy Garcia is a good pitcher who can be great.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) Yeah, I had a feeling that was going to be the end result of him pitching today/down the stretch. It'll be more interesting to see if, given an offeseason, he can get past this injury, or whether it'll wind up becoming a chronic, Mark Prior/Kerry Wood type set of problems for him, where changing something to avoid hurting his elbow winds up hurting another part of him, etc. I think Prior's problem is between his legs, between his ribcage and between his hear. It's about ganas in his case, IMO. Liriano is going to have chronic elbow problems if he doesn't take better care of his mechanics, IMO. That's always been the knock against him. I wish he wouldn't, though, because I love to see the best players on the field at any given moment. I hate to see someone get hurt. Especially since I destroyed my knee yesterday.

I knew it. I told my cat, "He's throwing too many sliders." He was probably rushed back (by himself), too. Get better soon, Francisco.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 10:47 AM) Luckily you are young enough that you can bounce back in your HS career. I too have had not only the bad lucky of knee injury, but horrible ankle, and shoulder ones as well. The key is to take it easy when they tell you, and when you are ready, rehab like its the only thing you care about in the world. Oh and 10 years from now, good luck on airplanes. Thanks, mate. --- I'm watching God pitch against Oakland. Let's go A's. Oh my God, no. Liriano just got pulled from the game as soon as I called him God, which makes me feel bad. I don't wish him any harm at all. I love watching Liriano. I love watching great baseball players, period. I knew it, though. I told my cat, "He's throwing too many sliders for the shape he's in right now."

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 09:31 AM) Post here? GP, best of luck... it's not going to be a fun couple of months, but as many have alluded to... take care of yourself for the long haul, and try to not come back too soon, even when you're feeling better. Thank you, Kap. QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 09:33 AM) Damn, GP. My heart goes out to you. I'm a fellow lifetime sports-related bad knee person. But nothing even close to what you described. Here's hoping the nurses were hot at least. Actually, I spent my time in the Emergency Room/Waiting Room/Patient's Room wheeling around the hallways while I waited for my results. It was much better than sitting around in that awful room. There weren't any nurses! But some lovely Janitors. I want to be like Carson Palmer, not Tom Brady!

Doctor's not in today. I've got to wait until tomorrow. What the F-CK am I going to do? I'm going to be stuck here, feeling as if I'm asphixiating, all day, with nothing to do.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 07:58 AM) Crap. That really sucks, and nothing makes up for losing a season. I f***ed up my Junior outdoor track season doing something stupid and it haunts me to this day. I carried a 12-3 record in the half mile into the conference championship. Screwing around on the triple jump (I have zero jumping ability, there was a girl involved) I fell backwards and hit my coccyx on the take off board and bruised it. I could barely walk the next day. I wound up scratched from the two mile relay team I anchored all season, scratched from the mile relay, and finished so far back in the half mile I should have brought a broom and cleaned up. The following year JC Lang of Grant High School beat me by about a half second and I took second. That should not make you feel any better. Philosophy time. When you read that you probably were thinking, big f***ing deal, it was a long time ago. Put your injury in the same time frame. Resist the urge to be a super hero. Heal 100% before playing again. Take care of your knee for a lifetime, not just for this season, or just for soccer. Also, use the injury to get girls. A bruised coccyx adds nothing in that department, but blowing out a knee has got to get you a couple dates and an excuse to not dance. Ha! (I don't need no stinkin' help getting girls!) (But it won't hurt to have a new tool!) Thank you. The thing that rips me, aside from friction and whatever the hell physical force tore my knee apart, is that we were undefeated going into today's game, and now I can't be there for my team. But thank you. I'll hang in there, for sure.

Bending my knee into all sorts of positions to fit the X-Ray -- that nearly killed me, man, but when I did it, I told the man, "These vicodin don't do shi-!" because that's what they'd given me. (I only took the lone one that they gave me.) (I won't take another.) QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Sep 13, 2006 -> 02:29 AM) I can say I feel you man. I blew out my ACL, and severly stretched my PCL in my right knee and have had 2 major knee surgeries on it. If you are vigilant with your rehab you will be fine...of course depending on the extent of the damage and the ortho doc you get. I wish you the best of luck!! Thanks, man.

(I posted this story in the soccer thread, but wanted to share it with everyone else who might not see it. I'm sorry for doubling up, but I think in this case it's understandable and warranted. Please excuse me.) I took to the soccer field after school, and everything was fine, although it was awfully rainy and muddy. I made some spectacular plays, and everyone was feeling good. I was feeling great, man. And then we entered the school, post-practice, to change and get ready to go. Walking into the building, I slipped in a puddle of my own mud and water, and I flew backward. My knee cracked in mid-air, and it snapped again when I dropped. I howled, and rolled over, but no tears came, and no voice, either. After a moment or two, my two best friends -- my only company at the time -- came over, and watched me get up. (I told them, "I can do it -- it's important to me to stand on my own.") It became apparent that I couldn't walk on my own, however, and David became my crutch. The short story is this: David's mom gave me a ride home and to the hospital with my mom. When we got there, I took X-Rays. My knee is not broken or dislocated, but they all suspect that I tore my tendons, ripped my knee cartilage and ripped muscles. Given that my knee has been dislodged at the front, that I've experienced the crippling rip of tendons before, and that my knee is swollen to three times its size, I'm sure there's something seriously wrong. I have an appointment with the Specialists tomorrow, but right now, I can't bend my left leg, it aches, I'm in a brace, crutches, and I'm in pain. Seriously, crippling pain. My soccer season is probably over, and I'm not all right, physically. Mentally, I'm kind of hurt, kind of bruised. I want to compete. I don't want to have this end to my first ever full sports season in HS. It's going to be a nice sleep. The type that only pain can provide.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Sep 12, 2006 -> 05:09 PM) You're a f***ing liar. LMAO, we started losing after the coach took out our main striker (you know, the one who scored a hat trick on you) and then after you scored the 1st goal, our midfield quit. They got cocky at half time, and the final score was 7-4, even though we were winning 4-0 at halftime. Anyways, I talked to the coach today and I heard you were looking for me. I couldn't make it because my ride came early + I didn't want to get my new shoes dirty + I didn't have a coat. I was just pissed because I should have been between the posts for my team. I also heard that like all of your goals were on deflections. Your main striker was taken out with two minutes to go, down eight to four -- and yes, it was eight. They undoubtedly got cocky, but that wasn't their undoing. We rallied, plain and simple. Our goals were not all on deflections. They were beautiful crosses. You were winning 4-1 at half-time. You can't call me a liar, Slavko, if you weren't there to witness any of it. But, whatever. At least, you don't dispute the fact that my team won. (It was a good game, though.) I don't want to talk about it, though. Not now. Not after today. You're released from your agreement in the bet. I really don't care about it right now, my friend, because I had a miserable day. I felt, and feel, as if I'd been tortured today. I was shaking at the knees, my lips quivered compulsively, and my heart never stopped beating rapidly. They still haven't stopped these things. I took to the soccer field after school, for practice, and everything was fine, although it was awfully rainy and muddy. I made some spectacular plays, and everyone was feeling good. I was feeling great, man. And then we entered the school, post-practice, to change and get ready to go. Walking into the building, I slipped in a puddle of my own mud and water, and I flew backward. My knee cracked in mid-air, and it snapped again when I dropped. I howled, and rolled over, but no tears came, and no voice, either. After a moment or two, my two best friends -- my only company at the time -- came over, and watched me get up. (I told them, "I can do it -- it's important to me to stand on my own.") It became apparent that I couldn't walk on my own, however, and David became my crutch. The short story is this: David's mom gave me a ride home and to the hospital with my mom. When we got there, I took X-Rays. My knee is not broken or dislocated, but they all suspect that I tore my tendons, ripped my knee cartilage and ripped muscles. Given that my knee has been dislodged at the front, that I've experienced the crippling rip of tendons before, and that my knee is swollen to three times its size, I'm sure there's something seriously wrong. I have an appointment with the Specialists tomorrow, but right now, I can't bend my left leg, it aches, I'm in a brace, crutches, and I'm in pain. Seriously, crippling pain. My soccer season is probably over, and I'm not all right, physically. (Mentally I'm not particularly shaken.) "Hug me till you drug me, honey; Kiss me till I'm in a coma; Hug me, honey, snuggly bunny; Love's as good as worst spammer ever." This is awful.

QUOTE(T R U @ Sep 11, 2006 -> 12:16 AM) Because hes badass and one of my favorite players.. I like the guy Chicks dig the longball.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 12, 2006 -> 12:50 PM) Keep what up? The guy had 2 horrendous months, he's actually been very good more often than he's been very bad. The same can not be said for Buehrle and Garcia. When going into the playoffs you want your hottest pitchers taking the bump for you like the Sox did with Contreras last year. Vazquez is white hot right now. I disagree, and a month ago, you did, too. "Mental midget!" We'll see how it goes. It'll all be Ozzie's choices, anyway.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Sep 12, 2006 -> 10:28 AM) Javier has been on f***ing fire late this year....why would you put him in the pen? I don't ultimately trust that he'll keep it up this year, I'd rather have a good option in case of a game where we need to replace our starter, and, yeah.

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Sep 12, 2006 -> 02:16 AM) You can pick up a deflection as long as it isn't an obvious and deliberate pass. Also, I think it's an indirect free kick if you pick it up, not a penalty. I know that now! Our Coach apologized to me as soon as I stepped off the field for that. Said he should've told me that before the game, which I agree with, but I don't blame him or anything. It is an indirect freekick. I know that now, too!

Umm, everyone's giving up on the thought of pitching Buehrle in the playoffs? My, I don't like that. I'd trust Mark -- I mean, I trust Mark, actively. He's been pitching much better of late, and he's Mark Buehrle, not some mediocrity. I'd take Javier as a Scot Shields-type reliever in the playoffs, Freddy would start, too, and that'd be that. I'm sure they could get it done. (Although it IS hard for me to pick between Freddy and Javier, but the way I see it, Freddy would be terrible out of the pen. Just terrible.)

I don't like the thought of moving Crede unless it's for a great package, and Figgins just doesn't seem a right price for Joe.

Let's keep it up. I'm on a three thread winning streak, and am feeling superstitutious. Let's rip the Angels to shreds.

No more Jenks in the ninth. He needs rest, man.

A little off-topic: a friend of mine who is close to a police officer told me that, last year, his friend pulled Jenks and Rowand over and Jenks was stoned out of his mind. He said to Rowand, "Hiya Aaron, what're you guys up to?" and Jenks went, "Do you know who I am? Do you f***in' know who I am?!" and when my friend's friend said, "No," he went nuts and said, "THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM, MAN, HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM!" and that he let them off with a warning for speeding. I thought it was an interesting story.