These days I’ve been channeling Buster Posey in 2018. While probably feeling worse.
In case you don’t remember the name, Buster Posey was an outstanding catcher for the San Francisco Giants for a decade early in this millennium.
He was National League Rookie of the Year when the Giants the World Series in 2010, and NL batting champion (.336, best in both leagues) and Most Valuable Player when they won it all again in 2012. He became a three-time World Series champion when San Francisco won again in 2014.
He was a seven-time all-star and recipient of five Silver Sluggers (as the best offensive player at his position, by vote of opposing managers and coaches) and a Gold Glove in 2016 (as the best defensive player at his position), and finished with a lifetime batting average of .302, which is seventh all-time among catchers in both leagues.
I caught some when I was young, but I was no Buster Posey—as much as I wish I could have been.
I do have one or two of Posey’s traits, though: a bad hip and determination to return to action.
Recalling Buster Posey in this space is my way of telling readers of my column that it will be missing for several weeks while I recuperate, beginning next week.
This ordeal—canes, a wheelchair, an electric scooter, handicap parking, sometimes-uncomfortable sleeping, etc.—began for me a few days before Christmas. An x-ray a couple weeks later found “severe osteoarthritis” in my right hip.
You may wonder, understandably so, why I waited until now, more than three months later, to get it fixed.
Let me explain.
I received a call in January, offering April 10 for surgery.
“Can’t you do it any sooner?” I responded, exasperation in my voice.
“Oh, this is a cancellation opening,” replied the nurse. “Otherwise, we’d be talking sometime in June.”
I thought, but didn’t say, “How do you have a cancellation for this surgery? Does the patient die first?”
Turns out there are several ways, none of them good.
When I met in late February with my surgeon (a former quarterback for the Air Force Academy Falcons), he told me it was a good thing I hadn’t waited until our meeting to schedule the procedure.
“I’m into September now,” he said.
He does only hips.
In a classic example of a superstar perk, Buster Posey had his surgery within days of ending his 2018 season prematurely and announcing he needed the operation.
It wasn’t a full hip replacement, but the surgery—at the Steadman sports medicine clinic in Vail—revealed a microfracture that required repair.
Recovery time was put at six to eight months.
I’ve been through this once before (left hip, a few years ago), so I have an idea how it should go.
Since at this stage I don’t hope to do anything more athletic than occasionally play golf with my wife, I expect to be fine in much less time. (My wife, by the way, is a stellar caregiver, along with being a pretty good golfer who is capable of beating me on occasion.)
I had not yet had my first hip replacement when Buster Posey underwent his surgery.
Even then I was awed that someone could go through that and return to the rigors of crouching behind home plate in Major League Baseball games.
Buster Posey did that on his surgically repaired hip 101 times in 2019 (846.1 innings), hitting .257 with seven homers and 38 runs batted in in 445 plate appearances.
Just remarkable.
He opted to sit out the abbreviated Covid season in 2020 but came back strong in 2021.
In 113 games that year (behind the plate for 106 games/892 innings) he hit .304 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI, was voted a National League All-Star for the seventh time, and won the Silver Slugger for his position.
Then, at the age of 34, he retired.
As for me, I intend to return, too—just as soon as I can sit at my keyboard again for as long as it takes me to write a column.
To cover part of my absence, I’ve interviewed Dave Logan for a Q and A that will run in parts. I found our conversation very interesting, and I appreciate Dave making time for me. Hope you enjoy it.
See you soon.
Denny Dressman is a veteran of 43 years in the newspaper business, including 25 at the Rocky Mountain News, where he began as executive sports editor. He is the author of 16 books, nine of them sports-related. You can write to Denny at dennydressman@comcast.net.