And that’s all we know. Why? Because the new CBA has an interesting provision, one that went into effect after the Winter Meetings. The new HIPAA policy does not allow any medical information to be divulged except a) at the consent of both the player and the team and b) by a designated member of the team. In most cases, this will be the team spokesmen, but in other cases you may see this as a GM or AGM.
As this new regulation takes hold, it will be interesting to see the public stance of teams. Will some try to go NHL-style on us and say “hand injury” while others will realize that there’s no advantage to be gained and give better, more consistent information? I think it will be a mix, but smart teams might look to the Brewers. They’ve been ahead of the pack in a lot of things, but they’ve operated this way for years. AGM Gord Ash is the de facto medical director, leaving Dr. Bill Raasch and head trainer Roger Caplinger and their staffs to simply do their jobs. Ash understands the process and the press enough to give clear, concise information. Look back at how they handled the Ben Sheets series of injuries. Along the way, they never hid the process, never lied, never tried to cloud the water, and in the end, did a nice job getting Sheets back to effectiveness.
And if you think this ends next season’s “Guess The Griff” injury pool, check your calendars. The 2007 version doesn’t start until training camp.
0 comments have been left for this post.
