Rotoworld says Braden had shoulder surgery

by 31Boots on Feb 26, 2006 2:38 PM PST

"Athletics prospect Dallas Braden won't be ready for the start of the season following offseason shoulder surgery.
Braden, who used his screwball to win 15 games between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland last season, is expected to miss the first couple of monthsat. He'll probably head back to Midland once healthy."

Was this known and I just forgot? Or did the A's keep it under the radar? Either way, that's not an encouraging sign at all. There's a good reason why not many guys use a screwball, but I imagine the guy has little value without it.

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Braden's surgery confirmed by A's official site

...which also says that Barton had arm problems last year, which was another reason that the A's moved him to 1st base...funny, I don't remember reading about that last year.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060225&content_id=1323288& ;vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

by OaklandSi on Feb 26, 2006 2:42 PM PST reply actions

re

Wash likes Barton's defense. That's encouraging.

by 31Boots on Feb 26, 2006 2:49 PM PST up reply actions

agreed

it's the first time I've read that anyone liked his defense...and coming from Wash that's a compliment.

by OaklandSi on Feb 26, 2006 3:10 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah but

would Wash really single a guy out and trash his defense to a reporter?

Why yes. I am a ray of Fucking sunshine.

by grover on Feb 26, 2006 3:35 PM PST up reply actions

Didn't he do that with Durazo?

by OaktownTribesman on Feb 26, 2006 4:09 PM PST up reply actions

After

Durazo blew out his elbow and was done for the year.

Wash knew Ruby wasn't coming back.

Why yes. I am a ray of Fucking sunshine.

by grover on Feb 26, 2006 4:12 PM PST up reply actions

Still

he doesn't go out of his way to complement people, so even if he wouldn't single a guy out and trash him, he wouldn't necessarily talk about him at all if his D wasn't getting somewhere...

Even if it isn't a sign of the existence of God (who is Barton's closest comparison) a Wash complement can't be bad

by Alon on Feb 26, 2006 5:59 PM PST up reply actions

that's true

once when asked about DJ's defense he said a few sort of nice things, then gushed about Swish at first base. Wash doesn't bad mouth anyone, but makes it pretty obvious when he especially likes how someone is playing.

by OaklandSi on Feb 26, 2006 7:41 PM PST up reply actions

Both Braden and Windsor...

were over-worked last year after pitching basically a full-season at Single-A Stockton and then moving up to AA-Midland to help with the Rockhound's championship run.

Both guys were shut down early for having tired arms. I hope Dallas can bounce back from this surgery and be as effective, if not more effective, when he gets back. He seemed like such a unique pitcher.

by Taj Adib on Feb 26, 2006 6:17 PM PST reply actions

I wouldn't necessarily say over-worked

Braden pitched 141 innings over both stops with 40 coming in 7 single A starts. Windsor only pitched 102 innings combined with 55 coming in 10 single A starts. Neither of these numbers is all that high for a starting pitcher so its a little alarming to see them both breakdown.

Now with Braden missing considerable time to start this year it leaves even more questions as to whether he can handle being a starter. This might hasten his move to the bullpen.

by OkayJay81 on Feb 26, 2006 8:48 PM PST up reply actions

If he moves to the 'pen,

he won't have to do much to become the best reliever in baseball named Braden.

by Nico on Feb 26, 2006 8:54 PM PST up reply actions

I guess its true

Every cloud has a silver lining.

by OkayJay81 on Feb 26, 2006 8:58 PM PST up reply actions

And every rose

has its thorns.

Why yes. I am a ray of Fucking sunshine.

by grover on Feb 26, 2006 9:02 PM PST up reply actions

Like

gambling against its own team?

by Nico on Feb 26, 2006 9:09 PM PST up reply actions

Alright

That was good.

Why yes. I am a ray of Fucking sunshine.

by grover on Feb 26, 2006 9:18 PM PST up reply actions

Thank you

<bows, retires, pulls a "Clemens" and unretires, sort of retires and unretires again but now can't post on AN until May 1st>

by Nico on Feb 26, 2006 10:05 PM PST up reply actions

and...

are you gonna return that Cadillac we gave you as a retirement gift?

I've seen the error of my ways... MaElLuvR

by Poppy on Feb 26, 2006 10:52 PM PST up reply actions

shouln't we

have gotten him a pony?

while I'm GM, I'd get the black uniform tops back into the mix, make high socks mandatory and add a beer tap in the press box-Mychael Urban

by jb on Feb 27, 2006 8:36 AM PST up reply actions

They weren't overworked.

Braden's arm picked up a twinge late in the year, he tried to play through it, it didn't get any better, they shut him down to take a better look. The surgery will hopefully fix the issue.

As for Windsor, he was overworked, but not by the A's. In actuality they've gone easy on him, pitching him out of the pen in 2004 and sending him out for light starts for much of 2005.

Windsor's problem is his pitching style lends itself to injury (see http://www.calleaguers.com for a scouting report that echoes that), and his college coach basically rode him hard to the College World Series, throwing him out there three times in nine days and racking up unholy numbers of innings - which is why Oakland have gone so light on him since.

I don't see Braden's injury as being any sort of threat to his long term future. Windsor's, however, will be something to keep an eye on.

by Ozzz on Feb 27, 2006 10:16 AM PST up reply actions

Where I can see

legitimate concern with Braden is if it is the screwball motion that hurts his arm. It is a pitch whose awkward angle can be make it on the arm, but minus the scroogie Braden is not a prospect.

by Nico on Feb 27, 2006 7:02 PM PST up reply actions