News On Mike "Big Mike" Zagurski

First, an Animal House quote:

Neidermeyer: The following charges are brought: First, that the Delta house did knowingly violate the rules governing pledge recruitment by serving alcohol to freshmen during pledge week and after established drinking hours. Second, that for the fifth consecutive semester, Delta has achieved a deficient aggregate grade point average. Third, that the Delta fraternity routinely provided dangerous narcotic diet pills to its members during midterm examination week. And most recently...that a Roman toga party was held from which we have received two dozen reports of individual acts of perversion so profound and disgusting that decorum prohibits listing them here.

Otter: Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be brief. The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests - we did.

I got a case of March Sadness reading on the Phillies website that rookie reliever Mike Zagurski will probably have to get that Tommy John surgery, and that if he does, he’ll miss the entire 2008 season. For those of you who remember, he left the team in August last year with a hamstring injury, for which he also had surgery. He was back for Spring Training this year, competing for a pitching spot with a few other guys, but after leaving an intrasquad game favoring his elbow, what was originally thought to be a strain turned out to be nerve damage. Now, I’m no M.D., in fact, other members of the 2-1-5 may remember I barely graduated high school, but from what I understand Tommy John surgery has something to do with replacing a ligament in your elbow, which sounds fucking serious.

Zagurski started out his professional baseball career much like Ryan Dunn in Summer Catch pitching for the Batavia Muckdogs. He started out the 2007 season in single-A, and quickly graduated through double-A and triple-A, and when Brett Myers went on the DL May 25^th, Zagurski got called up to the Show. Although he was only in the bigs long enough for a cup of coffee, he recorded one win (against the NY Mets), no losses, 21 Ks in 21.1 innings pitched, and a devil-may-care, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ERA of 5.9. On August 18, 2007, while attempting to field a ground ball off the bat of Ronny “Pauly” Paulino in Pittsburg, Zagurski tripped himself up and injured his hamstring, ending his ‘07 season.

Bottom line, I’m gonna miss him. Six-foot, 225, with an unkempt appearance, he was an unlikely hero. Which is why I mention Animal House…he was more of a Delta House member than a pro athlete, and all the members of the 2-1-5 enjoyed watching his blue-collar efforts on the mound last year. If he gets his surgery, I hope he recovers fully to play with the Fightins in 2009. Now, to end with another quote from Animal House…

Greg: What do you intend to do sir? Delta's already on probation.

Dean Wormer: They are?

Greg: Yes, sir.

Dean Wormer: Oh. Then as of this moment, they're on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!

Greg: Double Secret Probation, Sir?

Dean Wormer: There is a little-known codicil in the Faber College constitution which gives the dean unlimited power to preserve order in time of campus emergency. Find me a way to revoke Delta's charter…the time has come for someone to put their foot down. And that foot is me.