Church's Brain Damage

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Snooze today sez he was quietly shipped to NYC yesterday to have his head examined, Church pretty grim, and concern for his whole season.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Mets need to make a deal this month for an outfielder. A real one, not a Trot Nixon. A guy who can be a starting corner outfielder on a contending team.

What's the worst that can happen? Alou and Church are both healthy the rest of the way, and there's a glut in the outfield. That would be a nice problem to have.

I can't see the Mets winning anything this year with Beltran flanked every day by guys like Endy Chavez and Chris Aguila.

[soupcan]

Church says it was a migraine. Says he's been getting migraines his whole life and that he is certain it is unrelated.

From the radio cast of yesterday's game: Only reason Church didn't play yesterday was because Jerry Manuel has an unofficial policy of not starting a player in the following game after that player was removed from a game for a physical reason.

[Benjamin Grimm]

N.Y. Daily News wrote: Worried Ryan Church is headed for more tests BY ANDY MARTINO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, July 6th 2008, 10:20 PM PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Church slumped on a stool in the Mets' clubhouse Sunday morning, his shoulders hunched and his eyes glassy. The tangle of emotions - anger, fear, relief - combined to make him feel exhausted. Concussions have been the unwelcome theme of his season, and after Saturday's migraine, the subject isn't going away. In fact, it will now intensify: the Daily News has learned that Church was likely headed to New York after Sunday's game to be examined. Church did not play in the 4-2 win over Philadelphia, and now he's poised to miss even more time - after spending much of June on the disabled list with post-concussion symptoms. His season seems in question. This latest round of concern began when Church left Saturday night's game in the eighth inning with dizziness. He phoned Anita Wu, the neurologist at New York Hospital for Special Surgery who has been treating him. Wu told Church his symptoms were consistent with the migraines he has experienced since the ninth grade, and Church was relieved. "I called my wife (Saturday) night and told her I was glad it was only a migraine," he said early yesterday. "She started laughing, like, 'You used to hate migraines.'" But relief had turned back to fear and frustration after Sunday's win, as Church, appearing distraught, quickly left Citizens Bank Park without speaking to the media. Church has suffered two concussions on the field this year, the first on March 1 during spring training and the second on May 20 against Atlanta. After continuing to experience effects of the second injury, he went on the DL June 10. He returned last Sunday and started every game until Friday, when he complained of fatigue. Church also felt tired in San Francisco in early June, the week before the Mets shut him down. At that time, the Mets were criticized for relying on Church to decide whether he could play after the second concussion. Jerry Manuel said yesterday that the team would no longer allow the patient to dictate treatment. "I'm just going to take it out of his hands," Manuel said. "It's so frustrating," Church said, shaking his head while pointing to it. "I'm fine, except for this." With Adam Rubin

[Guest AG/DC]

="Benjamin Grimm"]What's the worst that can happen? Alou and Church are both healthy the rest of the way, and there's a glut in the outfield. That would be a nice problem to have.

Well, to be imaginative, the worst that can happen is we get a guy who is a load the rest of the way, as the team staggers across the finish line, and he's let go in the middle of some cold November night, while the guy(s) we dealt him for --- Kunz and Niese maybe --- go on to have stellar careers while historians wonder what the Mets were thinking.

I mean, you know, the worst.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, yeah, that would be worse.

I guess my point was that the Mets shouldn't let the possibility of a glut prevent them from making a deal.

I'm less gung-ho about trading Oliver Perez than I was a week ago, but I'm also thinking this his trade value may not be as high as it is now by this time next week.

[smg58]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm less gung-ho about trading Oliver Perez than I was a week ago, but I'm also thinking this his trade value may not be as high as it is now by this time next week.

Before the last two starts, you might not have gotten anything for Perez. A couple more good starts, and you might get plenty for him but not want to give him up. It's a Catch-22. I'd still consider dealing him for somebody who could help us next year, though.

[Centerfield]

No one else has any mention of this. Hopefully he'll be back soon.

The lineup looks anemic without him in it.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Raul Ibanez (B: L, T: R) wouldn't be anyone's idea of a longterm solution but he's quietly racked up season after season of 280/350/450. Plus his baseball card says he was born in NYC. Seattle's going nowhere.

[Gwreck]

What could we give them that they'd want?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I will offer them my middle son, Class AA all-star Bobby Parnell.

[nymr83]

i said over a month ago that Ibanez would make a nice target, and he's not THAT good of a player that we need to deal a top prospect like F-Mart or Niese, a couple of lesser guys may get the job done.

[smg58]

Ibanez would help some, but he'd have to come fairly cheap for me to bite. I don't think two months of him would be worth a top 10 prospect.

[Centerfield]

Any update? There must be something about this in the pre-game for those watching.

[soupcan]

Gary just said MRI of Church's neck and head came back negative.

[Guest sharpie]

He also said that the MRI taken after Denver also came back negative so who knows if this is that encouraging.

[Frayed Knot]

soupcan wrote: Gary just said MRI of Church's neck and head came back negative.

So they examined his head and found nothing?
That's not a good sign.

[Gwreck]

sharpie wrote: He also said that the MRI taken after Denver also came back negative so who knows if this is that encouraging.

It is encouraging in the sense that an MRI would likely show the life-threatening things (aneurysm, hemorrhage, cerebral contusion). Doesn't mean necessarily that he's not suffering the after effects of the concussion(s).

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: ="soupcan"]Gary just said MRI of Church's neck and head came back negative. So they examined his head and found nothing? That's not a good sign.

They didn't even find a neck, which is really disturbing. No wonder he's having pain.

[Frayed Knot]

Eh, players have played without necks before.

[Frayed Knot]

Church was checked out at The Cleveland Clinic [insert joke here about the link between that city and headaches] and was told that his recent problems are migraine related and not the lingering effects of his concussions.

[soupcan]

Good news.

Coupled with Pagan returning, our boys might be in fairly good shape after the break.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Not so fast

] Church's slow return clouding Mets' plans BY ADAM RUBIN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, July 18th 2008, 4:00 AM CINCINNATI - Ryan Church won't be activated Tuesday, when he's eligible to return from the DL, muddying the Mets' trading-deadline plans. Mets officials insisted Church didn't have a setback with what they have concluded was migraine-related dizziness and fatigue. Still, they don't want to take any chances in case what Church experienced was post-concussion syndrome. "They're being real cautious, but he's champing at the bit to play," Jerry Manuel said. Getting Church in the lineup before the July 31 trade deadline would allow Mets officials to know whether they need to acquire a corner outfielder. Endy Chavez, Fernando Tatis and even 19-year-old Fernando Martinez could man left field if Church is fine. Moises Alou is expected to have season-ending surgery Tuesday on his torn right hamstring. And the Mets won't be getting help from Angel Pagan, who experienced a setback with his left shoulder Wednesday while rehabbing with Brooklyn.

[Guest AG/DC]

Maybe we can change the name of "rehab assignments" to "setback assignments."

[Guest Number 6]

]Getting Church in the lineup before the July 31 trade deadline would allow Mets officials to know whether they need to acquire a corner outfielder.

They need one regardless.

There's probably another thread for that discussion, but whatever.