Cards Notebook: Drew will get another opinion on how to treat his tendinitis
BY RICK HUMMEL
Of the Post-Dispatch
09/13/2002 09:52 PM
HOUSTON - When the Cardinals travel to Denver for the start of a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies next Tuesday, outfielder J.D. Drew will take a two-hour side trip to Vail. He will not be on the slopes.
Drew, however, will meet with Dr. Richard Steadman, a noted knee surgeon who has handled skiiers among other athletes. With the blessing of George Paletta, head of the Cardinals' medical staff, Drew said he would get Steadman's opinion on whether he needs offseason surgery to address the patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
Today marks three months since Drew's eighth and most recent stolen base. That is just one part of Drew's game that has been missing this season. He opened Friday's play with a lowly (for him) .264 average and 91 strikeouts in 390 at-bats. He had driven in five runs and had only three extra-base hits (two doubles and a homer) since July 28.
Drew probably won't steal any more bases this season and manager Tony La Russa said he didn't want Drew to force the issue unless the steal was there. "If the base is there, to help us win, it's worth the risk. But it's not worth pushing it," La Russa said.
For the immediate future, Drew is a part-time player. "It's so far gone now," said Drew, "you just play as many games as you can. I don't know if it gets worse the more I play on it or not.
"I'm looking forward to finishing this year up, hopefully sneaking through those playoffs and doing the best you can at winning the Series," said Drew. "When all that wraps up, I'll kind of look at my options.
"I think the (injury) has had more impact than I thought. I know it always bothered me defensively and running the bases. But it's been really frustrating. You get a good stretch going and then that thing acts up and you have to take a few days off. It puts you in a funk and you get out of rhythm.
"I'm looking forward to getting that thing taken care of and getting my legs healthy again so when spring training rolls around, I can actually start running like I used to."
Drew stole 19, 17 and 13 bases in his first three seasons in the league.
At bat, Drew said he finds himself doing things differently because of the pain and fatigue in the knee, trying to take the pressure off. "Watching the tapes from last year, the way I approached it is not even the same as this year. Not that I don't work on it but (the injury) has kind of taken a toll all the way around," Drew said.
"A month into the season, I felt it and it wasn't too bad. But two months into the season, I started feeling it more and more.
"But I have no doubt that when once I get it fixed in the offseason, it's going to make a huge impact, not only defensively and running the bases but at the plate."
Surgery is an option, said Drew, but it is the last one, he said. Drew said Paletta had told him there might be a laser procedure that could be used.
"I don't think my (tendinitis) is as far gone as (Mark) McGwire's was," Drew said. "I want to weigh every possible option because surgery is by far the last option."