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Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball Started In 1958 At The Request Of Our Nation’s Baseball Coaches Vol. 63, No. 10 Friday, May 15, 2020 $4.00 Elbow Surgery Epidemic Doesn’t Stop Important reasons exist Trio Of Great Coaches Rarely why numerous surgeries Had Injuries To Their Pitchers are being performed on To minimize surgeries in baseball, every level of baseball. researchers should closely study world class pitching coaches Don By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. Rowe (Milwaukee Brewers), Tom Editor/Collegiate Baseball Dunton (Stanford) and Leo Mazzone (Atlanta Braves). See pages 6, 8, 11. OS ANGELES — The study of Tommy John surgeries over the past and analyst Jon Roegele. L47 years in baseball is fascinating. Since 2014, pro baseball has had over The first experimental surgery was 100 Tommy John surgeries five of the last performed by Dr. Frank Jobe on Los six years. Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Tommy John in Roegele keeps an active database for September of 1974. tracking such numbers at: https://docs. During a 24-year-period from 1974- google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gQujXQ 1998, there were never more than 10 QGOVNaiuwSN680Hq-FDVsCwvN- Tommy John surgeries performed in pro 3AazykOBON0/edit#gid=0 baseball on a yearly basis. It even tracks college and high school Then a dramatic increase took place Tommy John surgeries through the years over the next eight years as Tommy John as well. surgeries jumped to 58 in 2006. The question begs to be answered. From 2006-2015, another incredible What has changed that has caused such a spike took place as the numbers in pro massive increase in Tommy John surgeries baseball jumped to an all-time record 121 Tommy John surgery on elbows won’t slow down for baseball. in 2015, according to data tracked by writer See AVERAGE MLB, Page 3 Forced Out Of Baseball For 430 Excruciating Days Alcohol Nearly Destroys Louisiana’s Matt Deggs A broken man, he Kathy and the separation of his Never Give Up remarkable children Kyler, Klaire wanted to die and This is a special story in our and Khloe. He was booted out of didn’t know how to continuing series about great the house multiple times. stop drinking problem. comebacks in life. Collegiate “Nine years ago, I was fired at Baseball knows the coronavirus Texas A&M as the associate head By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. will be brought to its knees in the coach,” said Deggs. Editor/Collegiate Baseball future just as every other serious “I was broken, and I was drunk, bug has over the years such and I wanted to die. AFAYETTE, La. — Alcohol as polio, the bubonic plague, “I was unemployed and couldn’t abuse nearly destroyed smallpox and many others. get a job. I would have done anything Louisiana-Lafayette Head to get a job back in baseball.” L Deggs said his life was a Coach Matt Deggs nine years ago. kids crying. Deggs passed out on It had a vice-like grip on him that the couch and woke up early the shambles. wouldn’t let go as it caused him to next morning not knowing where “There are two people in the be fired at Texas A&M University his truck was. world — people who are humble as the associate head coach by He called Childress and asked if and those who are about to be,” said his best friend Head Coach Rob he could pick him up for work since Deggs who is a devout Christian Childress in 2011. his truck was at the area the hunt now. His drinking problem all came to took place the previous day. “I was arrogant, cocky and a head on a hunting trip on Jan. 3, When Childress arrived, Deggs conceited, and I was humbled as 2011 with Childress and his son just got in the vehicle. everything was stripped from me. outside College Station, Tex. “Rob looked at me with “Gather your wife and three kids Deggs brought a backpack full heartbreak, disappointment and and inform them daddy is going to of whiskey and beer along with disgust in his eyes,” said Deggs. rehab. That will humble you. hunting gear. “He said two simple words I will “As you try to walk out the door, Childress and the ranch foreman never forget: ‘You’re done.’ your kids, ages 10, 4 and 2 are found Deggs passed out drunk in a Deggs was fired from his position grabbing your pant leg begging you deer stand. There were empty beer at Texas A&M and would go 430 not to go as they are crying. That cans everywhere, a whiskey bottle days without a job in baseball. will humble you. and a loaded rifle in his lap. He went from being paid hundreds “Spend 430 days away from the He was driven home by the Texas of thousands of dollars at Texas only thing you know — baseball A&M skipper, and Deggs stumbled A&M to being unemployed. — because nobody will hire you onto the driveway which led to an The addiction of alcohol nearly Photo by Ben Massey argument with his wife and left his resulted in a divorce with his wife See DEGGS FACES, Page 2 Louisiana Head Coach Matt Deggs Inside Collegiate Baseball Web Site: www.baseballnews.com Incredible Power Of The Brain Greatest Coaches Of All Time Time To Adjust Infield Fly Rule Gary Ward explains how working Nobody had the powerful tool Rob Nelson has a great fix to knowedge of this organ can pay set that the famous John Scolinos this rule which has caused many dividends in performance/Page 10 had to get points across/Page 13 issues over the years/Page 4 Page 2 Collegiate Baseball Friday, May 15, 2020 Deggs Faces Alcohol Demon Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of And Beats It Into Submission Amateur Baseball Continued From Page 1 “I tell everyone that I have been around the block not once, but because you are unemployable. twice. What I mean by that is I have Collegiate Baseball (ISSN 0530-9751) is published twice a month That will humble you. been to the top of the mountain in January-May and once in June, July, September and October “Put a for sale sign in the front college coaching. However, I have (14 total issues) by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Inc., 2515 yard of your house and then not fallen butt over teakettle all the way N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705. Periodicals postage paid at have the house sell for 17 months, down the mountain and landed with Tucson, AZ. and you have to live in the same a resounding thud. city you were fired from. That will “How many people can say that Postmaster: Send address changes to: humble you. you have worked for hundreds of Collegiate Baseball “Have your children change thousands of dollars with your best P.O. Box 50566 schools in the middle of the year friend in one of the best baseball Tucson, AZ 85703 because daddy can’t afford a private conferences in America? I had that school any more. Your children privilege at Texas A&M (with Rob Overnight Mail: 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 now won’t be with all their friends Childress). I threw it all away for a Past Publishers: Abe Chanin, Lou Pavlovich, Sr. because they are forced to change beer bottle. Single 1-Year Subscription Rate: $28 for 14 issues. schools because of my actions. That “I’ve been a part of teams Single 1-Year First Class U.S. Subscription: $45 will humble you. that won five Big 12 Conference Single 1-Year Foreign Air Mail Subscription: $50 “I want to tell you something championships and also the SEC. Special Team Subscriptions: 11 papers each issue sent to one that will really knock you to your Winning the SEC is probably address — $110 (save $198 off the single subscription price), and knees. Sit down with your kids and harder than going to the College 21 papers each issue sent to one address — $189 (save $399). Other Multiple Subscription Offers: Please inquire with sub- explain to them that this is how you Photo by Brad Kemp World Series.” go through the lunch line now. MATT DEGGS Many of the recruits Deggs scription department at (520) 623-4530. “You have to sign your name excruciating 430 day wait. landed were at center stage for to a sheet, and they will give you Head Coach Tony Robichaux Louisiana-Lafayette during the Directory lunch for free. That will humble you hired him after an interview Feb. 2014 season as the Cajuns posted because daddy has blown through 18, 2012. a 58-10 record and were one win Area Code (520) all of the family’s savings. “When I met with Matt, he never from qualifying for the College Publisher: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530) “Daddy has a $400,000 house really talked about getting back World Series. Editor: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530 to report stories) that he can’t pay for anymore. in baseball,” said Robichaux who After hitting just .263 with 18 Advertising Director: Diane Pavlovich (Call 623-4530) Daddy is unemployable because he talked to him for several hours. home runs in 2012 when Deggs Subscription Department: (Call 623-4530) is a drunk. My kids and wife have “If all he talked about was arrived, UL-Lafayette was ranked Fax Machine: (Call 624-5501) lost everything because of me. getting back in baseball, I probably in the top five in eight offensive E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.baseballnews.com “I was living on my very last wouldn’t have hired him.