White Sox manager has a lot in common with Schwarber
As the Chicago White Sox were dealing with horrific weather last weekend at U.S. Cellular Field during their first homestand of the season, reporters were asking manager Robin Ventura about the horrific knee injury that ended Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber's season.
Asking members of the White Sox about the Cubs - or vice versa - is typically taboo.
But Ventura has unique insight, considering he suffered the worst injury I have ever seen in person.
The year was 1997, and it was late in spring training.
During a typically nondescript Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox, Ventura tried scoring from second base on Ray Durham's single.
It looked like a routine slide into home plate, but Ventura's right leg immediately popped up and his right foot was literally dangling.
A woman in the stands at Ed Smith Stadium fainted at the sight, and I remember feeling nauseous myself.
The prognosis? Ventura, a 29-year-old star third baseman for the Sox at the time, broke his right leg and severely dislocated his ankle. The White Sox announced Ventura was out for the season.
Nearly 20 years later, Ventura sat down with the Daily Herald and spoke in depth about the gruesome injury.
"I just remember it happened and waking up pretty much the next day," said the 48-year-old Ventura, who is off to a rousing start in his fifth season as the Sox's manager. "I kind of remember having surgery that night, but it was a blur."
As time passed and reality set in, myriad thoughts ran through Ventura's head.
"In a lot of ways, I was disappointed," Ventura said. "We had just signed Albert (Belle), Harold (Baines) was back, it looked like a good lineup. As far as the excitement level, being able to score runs and do well, it was all there. That was the biggest thing, and then it happened late in spring training.
"I can't remember if I had the 'Why me?' attitude. You're almost mad at yourself for doing something that silly. The next day, sitting in the hospital bed and thinking, 'What happened?' you don't really know what to think. You're angry because it was all out in front of you.
"For me, I was in a cast and I wasn't able to do anything for about six weeks. So there was time to sit around, I guess be angry with yourself. You're just bummed out because you can't play."
As his leg and ankle slowly healed, Ventura admitted feeling disconnected from his team and his job.
"That was the first time you really understand that the game goes on without you, players laugh without you, players win, have fun without you," Ventura said. "It does hurt, but in a weird way it was kind of the best thing that ever happened to me personally. You're in the big leagues and everything's going good, everything kind of comes your way when you're in the big leagues.
"When you're removed from it, kind of in the middle of your career, at that point I didn't know if I was going to play again. I mean, I had a limp forever. But you notice baseball continues without you, no matter what, and you appreciate it a lot more."
Even with the limp, the broken leg and the two screws holding his shattered ankle together, Ventura embarked on an improbable comeback.
"Probably in some ways, I shouldn't have done that," Ventura said. "But you get in there with (White Sox trainer) Herm (Schneider), the doctors, it was like a team effort. There were little milestones along the way - can you learn how to walk, can you walk, can you walk straight? All those little things, that's when you really got a wake-up call.
"You're learning how to walk, then you get strength back, there were a lot of questions. I wondered, 'Is this really going to work?' It was painful and the leg and ankle were weak. It wasn't like you just knew you were going to make it back because they were worried about cartilage growing back, which it never did, and there were other question marks.
"You just dealt with it."
Turns out it wasn't a season-ending injury. Ventura returned to the Sox lineup on July 24. And he was miffed one week later, when veteran pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin were sent to the San Francisco Giants for six minor-leaguers in the "White Flag" trade. The Sox were only 3½ games behind first-place Cleveland when the deal went down.
"I didn't know the season ended on July 31," an angry Ventura said at the time.
Ventura left the White Sox as a free agent after the 1998 season, and it's astounding he was able to play six more seasons with the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers before announcing his retirement. Two years after the injury, he drove in a career-best 120 runs and played in 161 games. He averaged 25 home runs per season for five years after the injury.
"When I stopped playing with the Dodgers, two months later I needed a cane to walk," Ventura said. "You play on it until you can't play on it anymore. I knew it was bad, I needed cortisone shots to play. You just do it."
Still in pain when his playing days ended, Ventura had two options. "Cut the leg off, that's how bad it was, or find something else," he said.
After doing some research, Ventura found Dr. William Bugbee, and the San Diego-based surgeon performed an ankle transplant in November 2005.
Now, he walks without a limp and barely notices the ankle.
"The rehab after the surgery was about six months, and it wasn't really pleasant," said Ventura, who got his new ankle from a cadaver. "But it was definitely worth it."
As for Schwarber's injury, Ventura said he's "sick to his stomach."
"It's the start of his career," Ventura said. "Me, I was kind of in the middle of mine when I got hurt. I had already played a little bit. I think it's a crime it happened so early in his career. You want him to have his career."
• Follow Scot on Twitter @scotgregor.
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus Friday; WGN Saturday; Comcast SportsNet Sunday
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Chris Sale (2-0) vs. Jake Odorizzi (0-1) Friday at 6:10 p.m.; John Danks (0-1) vs. Erasmo Ramirez (1-0) Saturday at 5:10 p.m.; Jose Quintana (1-0) vs. Matt Moore (0-0) Sunday at 12:10 p.m.
At a glance: At 7-2, the White Sox are off to their best start since 1981 (8-1), and they are 6-1 on the road. Sox starters are 6-2 with a 2.80 ERA. White Sox relievers are 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA. The Rays have lost four of five. In eight career games (6 starts) vs. Tampa Bay, Sale is 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA. Closer David Robertson has converted all five save opportunities and hasn't allowed a run in 5 innings. Leadoff man Adam Eaton leads the Sox with a .394 batting average; he has hit safely in seven of eight games.
Next: Los Angeles Angels at U.S. Cellular Field, Monday-Thursday
- Scot Gregor