Duchscherer has been diagnosed with clinical depression
by Dub_TC on Aug 21, 2009 7:36 PM PDT
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PrintJustin Duchscherer has been diagnosed with clinical depression and will miss the remainder of the 2009 season.
Duchscherer didn't throw pitch in the majors this year. He was lined up to make his 2009 debut last Tuesday, but was mysteriously scratched because of a non-baseball issue. We now know exactly what that issue was. "Justin has been battling this for quite some time, and it's kind of reached the apex where he made a really tough decision and owned up to the problem,'' agent Damon Lapa said Friday. "He wants to take a step back and really focus on addressing his personal issues off the field."ESPN Link
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i dunno he might have hurt his value enough to make him affordable on a 1-year deal
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Diagnosis is the first step to getting better
Hang in there, Justin.
It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.
Just sayin
To all those complaining about the A’s being secret about Justin now we know why. Just hope he gets better.
Yup. I was one "complaining" and now I know why. Not a horrible invasion of privacy, was it?
We don’t need to know details, don’t wanna know details. But as fans I think we deserve to know why someone isn’t going to be able to pitch, that’s all.
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
To an extent
But if the player in question makes the request that the team doesn’t say anything at all, they’re obligated to do so. I’m guessing that’s what happened here, Duke didn’t want anyone to know (yet), and all the FO could do was say “He’s out with a non-baseball related issue” and leave it at that, as frustrating as it was.
Depression is an extremely debilitating affliction. Why on earth do you think that “outing” someone with depression would not cause them further harm?
exactly
But let’s hope for Duke’s sake, accepting it is the start to getting better.
Oh my gosh
this is the kind of “high intensity drama” that makes me cringe. Nobody got “outed”. Seems pretty obvious to me that Duke and his agent felt a responsibility to be upfront about his condition.
Why on earth do you assume that being forthright and upfront about his condition will cause further harm? This shows a lack of understanding regarding clinical depression …it goes way beyond “feeling bad” because of what someone thinks or says … waaaaayyy beyond that. Having the public “know” will have very little to do (if anything) with his condition and/or recovery. This is probably a great step in the right direction.
We all need to remember that it is ok to feel concern for someone and hope for good results without turning these things into some sort of Defcon 5 panic situation. Duke will bounce back with the proper treatment – he’s gonna be fine.
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
Agreed
If anything, his stepping up and “outting” himself, if that’s what we’re calling it, is a step towards recovery. Not necessarily a big step (though in some cases it can be), it’s just a sign that he recognizes what it is, which is very important.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
Just a further reminder of how trivial baseball is compared to life's tribulations.
Best of luck to you, Justin.
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
now the team needs to help him get the help he needs
poor guy, he must be suffering really bad, his wife split, he must be in his own personal Hell right now. Athletes and sports can’t be the easiest people and place to suffer with this kind of thing, macho jocks and all that.
If you get a moment, let’s all send him good vibes, get him on the healing path; he is treasured by all of us and I think I speak for everyone here in wishing him the best of absolutely everything in these troubled times.
Hey, I just bought the team from Lew Wolff... who wants to play third?
by emperor nobody on Aug 21, 2009 11:08 PM PDT reply actions
one of my favorite players
one of the few guys that would come talk to me in the stands in boston last time I went. hope he recovers well.
Save Rajai Davis
so have i, but i didn't miss work...
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
You win the insensitive comment of the night award
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Aug 22, 2009 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I guess 9Custs doesn't know whether it hurts to miss work...
AFLAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I agree, insensitive
but not unexpected.
Since everyone gets “depressed” now and again on a recurring basis, it is easy to say, “depression didn’t cause me to miss work”. So, it’s not unexpected. Kind of like saying, “I’ve been exhausted, physically, so why not just get some sleep, and recover from being exhausted?” So I suppose it is more ‘ignorance’ than ‘insensitivity’.
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Aug 23, 2009 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Not only is it insensitive,
…but, you sound like one of those stat guys who thinks players are automatons, obliged to perform no matter what — and perform the way your stats say he should. While he could pitch, he’d easily groove one, two, or three, and they’d end up in the bleachers. Then what?
Rickey has spoken. Keep the Athletics in Bump City.
Well to be fair
If anyone would be aware of this, it’s the stat people. And I bet they’re hoping just as much as the rest of us that he he figures things out.
As for A’s fans, he’s been our all-star twice during hard times, and obviously deserves our support.
Outman, fighter of the Hitman, champion of the K, he's a master of scoreless innings and friendship for everyone.
by walk off bunt on Aug 22, 2009 1:03 AM PDT up reply actions
yep
I met both Duke and his wife on a few occasions. Both very, very nice people. This is actually the first I heard of their divorce and I was shocked because they just seemed so good together. Anyway, I really hope for the best for both of them. Who cares if Duke can’t come back this year – he’s hurting himself more than he’s hurting the A’s, anyway, so its not like he’s being selfish here.
Well that was an unnecessary (and inaccurate) swipe.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Yeah, us stat guys also cause plagues and natural disasters.
And we’re currently working on a giant computer to take over the world because WE HATE HUMANS11
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Aug 22, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Like most of us, you probably couldn't afford to miss that much work.
Would you have chosen to do so if you could have swung it?
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
yes!! that's my point.
in all honesty i hope he gets better, but i guess deep down it bugs me that if you’re a MLB pitcher, and you’re still depressed, then there’s probably no hope. bring on the next wave of angered comments
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
…bring on the next wave of well-earned angered comments.
Fixed.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Aug 22, 2009 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Are you asking for angry comments?
Depression is depression. When I was a teenager I went through my father trying to kill himself by overdosing on pills because his depression was so bad. It’s not your place or mine to say “Well, Duke should just get over it and pitch already.” You were able to work. Maybe you had to. It’s not the same for everyone.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
but i didn't say duke should just get over it.
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
That's what you're getting at, though
“so have i, but i didn’t miss work…”
“deep down it bugs me that if you’re a MLB pitcher, and you’re still depressed, then there’s probably no hope”
You’re implying he shouldn’t be missing games because he’s depressed and suggesting that because he’s a highly-paid athlete getting to play a game he shouldn’t be depressed in the first place. You may not mean that, but that’s how it’s coming across.
These guys are people too, you know. They go through problems the same as anyone else.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
In fairness
I think the second quote is more a sign of 9Custs personal angst towards Duke’s situation. It suggests if playing a kid’s game for a living can’t save you from depression, then there’s little hope for anyone else.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
Try using this.
It’s slightly faster.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Aug 22, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Well, that's the point, isn't it?
if you’re a MLB pitcher, and you’re still depressed, then there’s probably no hope
Undoubtedly, Duke has thought the same thing. And it probably “bugs” him a lot more than it does you.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Depression is a complex thing
It hits you out of the blue, and utterly debilitates you – it can be brought on by a number of things, not just personal circumstances – the biochemistry of your brain, hormonal changes, lots of things.
It’s really not as simple as saying ’you’ve got a great life, why are you sad?’
again i never said he "shouldn't have depression, just that someone with the resources he has should have a much easier time dealing with it than someone who say works two jobs and is uninsured and cannot afford treatment.
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
So can't we just all agree that people with money and resources
have a better chance of solving X than people who don’t, and that regardless it can stink to face X no matter who you are, and move on? Don’t we all agree? Next.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
i heart nico
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
Yes, we need to remember that there is a Grand Canyon sized difference
between being clinically depressed and simply grieving or “sad” over personal circumstances. One does not necessarily equal the other. In fact, they rarely do. Clinical depression is a medical condition …. it rarely happens because someone is sad regarding a divorce, death, etc.
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
Well said
Being “clinically depressed” can be chemical as well, or concurrent with, a psychological root cause (like a divorce).
Duke simply cannot perform at baseball, or much else (probably). Why not simply take his word for it? Or, by extension, his agent’s word. We should all be so lucky as to afford an agent to deal with the “Q&A” of our personal issues and problems.
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Aug 23, 2009 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions
In my situation, no
But then that just falls into what the underlying cause and what’s best for recovery or helping you get past through. But then too often with these sorts of things people want to see their specific case and apply it to everyone else which sort of sounds like the sentiment in his non-comment.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
What's the sound that Brett Wallace's bat makes when he hits a homer?
DOUCHE, right? Something along those lines?
Anyway, I hope Duke gets back to where he once was; he’s a special player and seems to be a pretty cool guy both on and off the field. Shit happens in life and sometimes those things become extremely difficult to deal with; I feel for the guy and wish him the best of luck in his recovery.
I propose some sort of Duke-related sign to be taken to games for the remainder of the year. Lets do ittt.
"You're just jealous. You wish you had a rally animal..." -CardinalWraith
Best of luck Duke
Glad it’s been diagnosed, and can be treated now. I hope he gets to continue his career.
Outman, fighter of the Hitman, champion of the K, he's a master of scoreless innings and friendship for everyone.
Glad he came forward.
His announcement had the Bay Area’s Best scrambling for the wikipedia.
I suspect there’s gonna be a whole lot of learning going on — in this thread and elsewhere.
And here’s a start: folks: it’s real. If you ain’t got it, please (please) don’t take the “rub some dirt on it” tack. Just count your blessings, shut up and read.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Aug 22, 2009 7:50 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Amen, brother...
"The only way I'm going to get a Gold Glove is with a can of spray paint." - Reggie Jackson
by the_rozeboom on Aug 22, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Nowhere to go but up
Good luck getting back on an even keel, Duke. I have seen the effects of clinical depression in two close family members, and for those who think it’s just a case of the blues, it ain’t.
If Duke doesn’t want to eat or get out of bed because he basically wants to die and is weeping all day, then he can hardly take the hill and throw cheese.
The good news is that now it’s out in the open. It’s my hope the revelation has a freeing effect on him, and he allows himself to find a really great shrink/psychopharmacologist combo. In the end, it’s usually weird brain chemistry, and the right balance of mood altering drugs is the answer.
Good luck, Duke. We’re all pulling for you!
Duke
Class Individual. If anyone can get out of this situation and become better for it… It’s Justin Duchscherer. Get well soon, Duke.
get better duke.
and to all those “fans” who state that they have a “right” to know a players personal issues?
get. a. life.
Best of luck Duke
Get well.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Aug 22, 2009 11:19 AM PDT reply actions
This Is Truly Sad
It is a common illness that affects millions of American’s yearly. Many sport figures have come down with it. Deion Sanders attempted suicide after coming down with clinical depression, Joe Montana while injured and out for the season also did. Successful individuals are not immune to this. In fact Laura Bush had her bouts with depression as did Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton. With treatment and the “right” kind of drug a long with support from friends and family this illness can and most likely will be treated and beaten. I call on the A’s organization, the players and everyone around Duke to stand by the man as he goes through this tough time in his life. I also call on the A’s fans and MLB observers alike to support Duke as he faces this long and tough crisis. I have not doubt that the A’s brass in representing the class they have will do whatever is necessary to aide Duke in this time of need.
My heart goes out to you Justin and i hope everything works out for the best as all you have done throughout your A’s career is show class and selflessness alike.
by nocal81(Vincent) on Aug 22, 2009 1:11 PM PDT reply actions
I agree with that, short and sweet!
We all pull for you, Duke, as a person, to get relief from this problem.
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Aug 23, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Poor Duke...
Depression is a bitch. If by chance you read AN I wanted to say that I am sure that we are all wishing you the best. Take care of you and don’t fret about baseball…it’s not as important as you getting well.
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