The Phillies hoped to have Cole Hamels return to the mound today in Miami, but their ace lefty suffered a setback in his recovery from a tender elbow and is expected to miss another week of the National League pennant race.
Meanwhile in Atlanta, Tom Glavine will start today for the Mets against his old team, the Braves, and his old friend, John Smoltz.
Hamels is 23. Glavine is 41. Both are lefthanded. Both have great changeups.
Unfortunately, the similarities don't go much beyond that.
Hamels' latest trip to the disabled list - his fourth in as many professional seasons - is a reminder of just how fragile a pitching arm is, not to mention how remarkable this Glavine fellow is.
In 21 big-league seasons, the 302-game winner has made zero trips to the DL.
How has he been able to avoid the DL through his 20s, 30s and into his 40s?
Glavine chuckled - and feigned anxiety as he knocked on his wooden locker stall - when discussing the topic in the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park the other day.
"Nothing can guarantee you won't get hurt," he said. "But I believe I have a good [conditioning] program between starts, and I think that helps. It might not be the most rigorous program in baseball, but it works for me, and I'm extremely dedicated to it.
"So is it a coincidence I've never been on the DL? Probably not."
Glavine believes his textbook mechanics have also helped him avoid the DL.
"And I'm sure there's been some luck, too," he said.
Glavine runs, lifts weights, stretches and throws, either in the bullpen or on flat ground, every day between starts.Hamels has a rigorous between-starts conditioning program, designed to keep his problematic lower back healthy. Hard work is not an issue for the young pitcher. He strained his elbow during a between-starts bullpen session.
That kind of stuff happens. Ask Glavine. Just because he's never been on the DL doesn't mean he hasn't been nicked up a time or two.
He said he pitched with a broken rib in 1992. He had gotten food poisoning, and excessive vomiting caused strain on his torso. The next day, he cracked a rib while throwing in the bullpen. He could have gone on the DL but wanted to keep pitching and ended up with 20 wins. A year later, he said, he pitched with a partially torn rotator cuff and won 22.
"I was assured in both situations that I wouldn't do more damage to myself, so I pitched," he said. "I had to learn pain tolerance and the difference between being hurt and not feeling good."
