I do hope this is true because that would be great news for Baldelli but when I read things in all CAPS I think the writer is crazy and not to be trusted.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT TOLAXOR WORKED FOR ABC 6.

Season One House would have solved this long ago. And this is awesome news!

IT LOOKS AS IF SOMEONE COPIED A SCRIPT AND PASTED IT ON THE STATION'S WEBSITE. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE HYPHENATION IN CHANNEL-OPATHY AND THE NEWLY-INVENTED WORD "CHLORIDA".

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF CHLORIDA RHYMES WITH FLORIDA OR THE NAME OF THE RAPPER 'FLO RIDA'. I'M THINKING THE FORMER RATHER THAN THE LATTER.

I once thought I had mono for an entire year. Turns out I was just really bored.

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for Baldelli to sign a cheap, one year contract with the Indians, so he has some money coming in but is also next door to Cleveland Clinic.....

Stop it, JRVJ. You're making too much sense.

The only good thing about House is how flummoxed they often are when it comes to what the hell someone's got, and how often they're sure it's one thing when it turns out to be something else. And he's the expert. :)

This is, unfortunately, television modeling real life quite well. My mom's Multiple Sclerosis eventually became Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease at the time had a disturbingly high false negative rate (it might still for all I know). When she tested negative, they figured she didn't have it. Oops.

Its in all caps because that is how it was written in the article. I would convert it, but I would be too lazy for that.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOME EXTREME FATIGUE. HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDER?

I really hope this is true. There is a little voice in my mind, or maybe it's the pitchfork-totin' little guy on my shoulder, saying that this is convenient news for someone not getting a lot of play in the FA market.

I really hope this is true. There is a little voice in my mind, or maybe it's the pitchfork-totin' little guy on my shoulder, saying that this is convenient news for someone not getting a lot of play in the FA market.

Me, too Edmundo. The cynic in me recognizes that Baldelli has a few million reasons to find a doctor with a different opinion. I love Baldelli's game and hope he's really healthy and can finally ####### play some ball, but if I were a gm I'd be concerned.

I once thought I had mono for an entire year. Turns out I was just really bored.

lol, beat me to it

I hate to add this. It is common for people who are diagnosed with rare terminal diseases to eventually have a further diagnosis of another condition that is not as serious. Unfortunately, the friendlier diagnosis is often incorrect, and the false hopes it generates are devastating. We have two opinions here, and it's not known if one is better than the other. I hope it is good news, but we probably ought to wait and see. In these cases, the doctors involved, even though they are the best in the world at what they do, have very little understanding of ultra-rare conditions like Baldelli's

It is common for people who are diagnosed with rare terminal diseases to eventually have a further diagnosis of another condition that is not as serious.

Which, incidentally, is exactly what happened on House to 13's one-night-stand-girlfriend.

Extreme fatigue is also associated with Lyme Disease. I hope he was checked for that as well. Doctors often overlook Lyme. It's pretty common in South County RI and E Connecticut, and Rocco is from here (RI). Untreated Lyme can lead to palsies and can be irreversible.

GREAT NEWS though for local hero Rocco!

There's a character named 13 on House? Should s/he be on 24 or Numb3rs (or however they spell that)?

IT LOOKS AS IF SOMEONE COPIED A SCRIPT AND PASTED IT ON THE STATION'S WEBSITE.

I'M RON BURGUNDY?

There's a character named 13 on House? Should s/he be on 24 or Numb3rs (or however they spell that)?

Get Smart

There's a character named 13 on House?

Not quite as good a name as "7"

It is common for people who are diagnosed with rare terminal diseases to eventually have a further diagnosis of another condition that is not as serious.

And it's not unheard of for an athlete to shop around among doctors until he hears what he wants to hear. Someone cleared Reggie Lewis to play, after all.

There's a character named 13 on House? Should s/he be on 24 or Numb3rs (or however they spell that)?

She. It's Olivia Wilde, and she's incredibly hot.

The only good thing about House is how flummoxed they often are when it comes to what the hell someone's got, and how often they're sure it's one thing when it turns out to be something else. And he's the expert. :)

They also do a very good job showing the methodology on how the doctors arrive at the diagnosis. The thought processes are dead on.

Since the discussion has turned to House. I thought this was pretty accurate.

Not quite as good a name as "7"

For television characters named after numbers, the discussion starts with Blossom's best friend.

...what, you know you watched that show.

I watched her ass, I'll admit that.

BTW THIS IS GREAT NEWS FROM THE BALDELLIS.

WOONSOCKET ROCKET READY TO ROCK IT

update.

His doctor at the Cleveland Clinic has since reviewed further and more sophisticated testing that indicates his condition is a less-severe and treatable channelopathy. With a modification of medicine Baldelli is currently taking and having good results from, he is optimistic about his health and his baseball career.

Rocco's modern life

Who's number 1?

I hate to be the cynic but I can't help but think that word of such an optimistic and unofficial diagnosis would be an enormous boon to Baldelli's efforts to sign a contract this off-season; to this point I haven't heard much word of any significant interest in his services.

Yankee_Redneck Posted: December 17, 2008 at 01:36 PM (#3031737)
I hate to be the cynic but I can't help but think that word of such an optimistic and unofficial diagnosis would be an enormous boon to Baldelli's efforts to sign a contract this off-season; to this point I haven't heard much word of any significant interest in his services.

Perhaps. I'm sure that any team that would want to sign Baldelli would want to consult with his doctor. It isn't as if they are going to make the decision based on news / blog reports.

"It's Olivia Wilde, and she's incredibly hot."

Sure, if you like mannequins. I don't think I've ever seen her show a facial expression.

"Who's number 1?"

I'm not a number. I'm a free man!

I once thought I had mono for an entire year. Turns out I was just really bored.

I had mono once. It was, easily, the single worst illness experience of my life.

First noticed the symptoms in the airport lounge on the way down to Anaheim to meet my parents. By the time I got there, around midnight, I was feeling exhausted and my throat was feeling painfully swollen. Went to the ER, got a useless and inaccurate diagnosis that amounted to "just a cold, stay in bed". Spent the entire visit (three days!) in a hotel room feeling unutterably miserable, while my throat kept getting more and more swollen. Flew back to SFO. Spent the next two days lying on the couch watching television, completely unable to eat and barely able to drink. Finally emailed my ex-girlfriend to come and take me to the ER, where I got an IV full of fluids, a blood test, and a bottle full of liquid Vicodin. Spent the next week lying on the couch drinking Vicodin and intermittently vomiting because there wasn't enough in my stomach to keep the stuff down.

Mono is not boring.

I don't think I've ever seen her show a facial expression.

She's not much of an actress, but those eyes...

If Rocco's ailment is treatable, and it looks like he can handle playing fulltime, he's the 3rd best free agent outfielder after Manny and Bradley.

I had mono once. It was, easily, the single worst illness experience of my life.

First noticed the symptoms in the airport lounge on the way down to Anaheim to meet my parents. By the time I got there, around midnight, I was feeling exhausted and my throat was feeling painfully swollen. Went to the ER, got a useless and inaccurate diagnosis that amounted to "just a cold, stay in bed". Spent the entire visit (three days!) in a hotel room feeling unutterably miserable, while my throat kept getting more and more swollen. Flew back to SFO. Spent the next two days lying on the couch watching television, completely unable to eat and barely able to drink. Finally emailed my ex-girlfriend to come and take me to the ER, where I got an IV full of fluids, a blood test, and a bottle full of liquid Vicodin. Spent the next week lying on the couch drinking Vicodin and intermittently vomiting because there wasn't enough in my stomach to keep the stuff down.

Mono is not boring.

I had never heard of mono until I got to boarding school and because it was something my wealthy classmates always came down with and us poor financial aid babies never did...it must be made up. I sort of still stand by this view, medical evidence be damned.

Angels should get in on the Rocco bidding. He's even the type of guy who fits into the team's style of play.

Assuming everything verifies in his medical reports, and regardless of whether Tex stays or goes. If the Angels signed Bradley and Baldelli, I'd be perfectly OK with Tex leaving.

She's not much of an actress, but those eyes...

She just signed on to be in Tron 2.0

If he's at all healthy, I think Baldelli would be a great option for the Yankees. They have enough pseudo-CFers (Damon, Swisher, Gardner) that they could easily keep his Gs down around 100.

On an incentive heavy 2 year deal, with team option, he doesn't really block Jackson (when he's ready) and could have good trade value if he recovers. The Yanks can afford to risk the $.

Who's number 1?

Smithy Werben Yeeger Man Jensen

If he's at all healthy, I think Baldelli would be a great option for the Yankees. They have enough pseudo-CFers (Damon, Swisher, Gardner) that they could easily keep his Gs down around 100.

It might be worth kicking a tire or two. The Yankees are really only looking for a short-term solution in CF, one or two years at the most until they feel Austin Jackson is ready to inherit the slot. If Baldelli is healthy enough to start 100+ games in CF and put up an OPS+ of 105 or so, it would probably be a better fit than Mike Cameron and a decent improvement over the Melky/Gardner default the team is looking at now.

My roomate in college got mono from being broke. He had no money to buy drinks at bars so he would just grab a glass off a table and drink it. The first morning it looked like he got hit in the face with a shovel and was really sick for about two weeks.

Assuming this is all fully treatable ... it's still not clear Baldelli is someone you should sign. Illness or no, he's played just 150 games over the last 4 seasons. He would appear to be an average hitter at best for a corner and probably worse ... though really who knows given he's played just 150 games over the last 4 years. If he can still play a decent CF (who knows) then he should be a good signing but I wouldn't sign him with the intent of making him the starting LF/RF.

The point being, even if he can be relied on to play a full season, you're still buying a pig in a poke. On a cheap contract for a team that has depth, that's fine. I'm not sure he's a great idea for the Angels.

My roomate in college got mono from being broke. He had no money to buy drinks at bars so he would just grab a glass off a table and drink it.

No, your roommate got mono from being a dooshy alcoholic. Blech.

I'm annoyed that I have to change my screenname again.

Mono is not boring.

Then party on Wayne!

Oh, and all the people advocating signing Rocco as a full-time outfielder are obviously forgetting the fact that he could never stay on the field BEFORE he started experiencing any symptoms of his illness. To the best of my understanding, his elbow and knee issues were completely unrelated to his fatigue issues, other than why the last injury took so long to heal.

"He would appear to be an average hitter at best for a corner and probably worse ..."

Probably true, slightly above average hitter but average for an OF corner. But his D is well above average for a corner. He's an above average all around player. Not too many of those left on the free agent market.

Depending on a team verifying his medical condition, of course.

Damn, I saw someone mention Bradley and I asked myself if Phil made a comeback before I realized that they were talking about Milton.

Probably true, slightly above average hitter but average for an OF corner. But his D is well above average for a corner. He's an above average all around player.

Maybe. My point is that we have virtually no data with which to measure him. 150 games over 4 years is nothing. Once upon a time, he seemed a pretty good defensive CF. Once upon a time maybe he was breaking out as a hitter (122 OPS+ in a half-season in 2006). But we really have no way of knowing what he is now just because of all the missed time before we even start to wonder about the effects the injuries and illness might have longer-term. He could be a young Johnny Damon, he could be Pat Burrell, he could be Matt Murton ... and not in the sense that almost any player could range over those outcomes but in the sense that we really don't have much of a clue where on that spectrum he's likely to fall. And of course, no matter the talent level, I'm assuming we don't really have an idea of how treatable this disease is in terms of keeping a world-class athlete on the field playing to his ability.

Or to put all that another way, you're most likely better off with the opinions of doctors and scouts than you are with analysis of the performance.

If you get a good price, he's a good gamble, especially if you only need to rely on him for 300-400 AB (and let him play his way into more). But signing him for, oh, 3/$24 to be your starting LF sounds like a bad gamble to me.