So, I saw the news about Cam Leiter needing Tommy John surgery. Man, that’s tough stuff. Especially for a young guy like him, right in the thick of things with FSU baseball. You never like to hear about things like that hitting athletes.
It really got me thinking, though. Not about the medical side, I wouldn’t know the first thing about that stuff. But more about how we follow these players, you know? You see them perform, you get invested in their season, their team’s success, and then something like an injury just pulls the rug out.
My Own Little Ritual
I remember this happening a while back with another player I followed closely, won’t name names, but it was a similar situation – key player, sudden injury, long recovery ahead. And I kinda got caught up in tracking the whole recovery process. It became this weird little routine for me.
- Morning Check: First thing I’d do, often before coffee, was grab my phone or laptop. Had to check the main sports sites, see if there were any official updates.
- Deep Dive: Then I’d head over to the team-specific message boards. You know the ones. Sometimes you’d find little nuggets of info there, maybe someone saw him doing light work, or a reporter dropped a hint.
- Social Media Scan: Occasionally, I’d brave scrolling through Twitter feeds, searching for mentions. Mostly noise, but sometimes a beat writer or even the player might post something small.
- The Waiting Game: And mostly, it was just waiting. Waiting for that next tiny update: “started physical therapy,” “began light tossing,” “threw off a mound.” Each step felt like a huge deal.
Looking back, it was kinda consuming. Why did I get so wrapped up in it? Maybe it’s just rooting for someone facing a tough challenge. Maybe it mirrors struggles we all face, not physical injuries necessarily, but big setbacks at work or in life where you just have to put your head down and grind through a long recovery or rebuilding process.
It’s a Grind
It’s weird being a fan sometimes. You ride the highs and lows, and an injury feels like a low for everyone involved – the player, the team, even the fans tracking along. You get hopeful with positive news, then maybe there’s a setback and it’s disappointing all over again.
So, hearing about Leiter, it just brought back those feelings. You really hope he has a smooth recovery. Tommy John is a beast, the rehab is long and demanding. It’s a stark reminder of the physical toll sports take and the mental strength needed to come back. Makes you appreciate the effort these athletes put in, far beyond what we see on game day. You just gotta hope for the best and respect the process they have to go through.
