There's an interesting article in WIRED magazine about
the possibility of ELECTIVE surgery for athletes
who may be seeking alternate means of performance
enhancement in the wake of all the heat focused on
steroids.
Specifically, they mention that some of the pitchers who
have had the Tommy John procedure on their arms, actually
come back with greater velocity, because the operation can
actually increase the strength of their elbow joint.
This is confirmed in a USA TODAY story about the operation:
"These players typically perform as well, if not better, after the operation
and have stronger arms, with radar gun readings to match."
"I hit my top speed (in pitch velocity) after the surgery," says Wood,
the Cubs' 26-year-old All-Star. "I'm throwing harder, consistently."
"It felt so good when I came back, I said I recommend it to everybody ...
regardless what your ligament looks like,"
Chicago White Sox reliever Billy Koch says jokingly.
The article raises the
possibility that, with literally tens of millions of dollars
on the line, the next frontier of performance enhancement
might be elective surgical procedures.
Sure, you might think who the hell is going to sit out
18-months, and put themselves through all that rehab crap
to go under the knife when they don’t have to?
On the other hand . . . if your career is in the toilet,
and you’re on the verge of having to actually go out
and work for a living. . . what have you go to lose?
Tommy John surgery may be a bit extreme. But you wonder
If there's some BALCO-esque ortopaedic lab out there somewhere
looking into it.