That destroyer of championship dreams in Major League Baseball has reared its ugly head early this year. The grueling wear and tear the Major League ball players go through usually begins to take its toll in the late summer, but not this year. The New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins have been bit the hardest by the injury bug as they have each already had 9 different players on the disabled list (DL) and we’re only two months into the season. The New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics have also had more than what should be their fair share of injuries as they have had 8 players each on the DL to date. The Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have each had 7 players on the DL so far, while the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers have all had 6 players go down. Two of the five oldest teams in the league have pretty much avoided the injury bug up until the announcement this morning that the Boston Red Sox will lose David Ortiz for at least a month with a wrist injury. Ortiz becomes the third Red Sox player to land on the DL so far. The oldest team in the league right now, the Houston Astros, only has one player on the DL. Is it the water? In Houston???
Key everyday players that have visited the DL so far this season besides new arrival Ortiz include the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, the Mets’ Moises Alou, the Tigers’ Gary Sheffield, the Dodgers’ Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal and Andruw Jones and the Blue Jays’ Vernon Wells. The biggest hit the Yankees have taken though has been among their pitching staff where seven are currently on the DL. The Red Sox have been without the services of Curt Schilling since the beginning of the season and more recently, Daisuke Matsuzaka, two of their preseason starting pitching rotation. Other top pitchers who have seen the DL this year include the Rays’ closer Troy Percival and their pitcher of the month in May, Scott Kazmir who missed all of April, the Padres’ premier starter Jake Peavy, and the Mets’ Pedro Martinez, who is just back from a long stint on the DL.
Here is a look at all the MLB teams, their average age by category and the number of players they’ve had on the DL this season to date…
Arranged by oldest to youngest everyday (Position) players:
Team Ave. Age- Positions Bench S. Pitchers R. Pitchers DL
Houston Astros 31.1 33.8 28 31.2 30.3 1
SF Giants 28.8 32.9 24.4 25.4 29.6 6
Toronto Blue Jays 30.3 32.2 28.3 27.4 31.1 6
New York Yankees 30.8 31.9 30 31.4 29.4 9
Detroit Tigers 29.5 31.1 26 29 29.9 6
Chicago Cubs 30.2 30.9 29.4 28.2 31.4 3
Seattle Mariners 29.9 30.7 29.8 30 29 1
Boston Red Sox 30.2 30.6 29.2 31.6 29.5 3
Chicago White Sox 29.5 30.6 30 28.8 28.4 0
Pittsburgh Pirates 28.4 30 30 25.4 27.7 2
Philadelphia Phillies 29.9 29.9 31.6 29.8 28.8 4
San Diego Padres 29.8 29.9 28.6 31.6 29.4 8
New York Mets 29.8 29.8 31.8 29.2 28.9 8
Baltimore Orioles 29.2 29.8 28.5 28.8 29 7
Los Angeles Angels 28.4 29.3 26.3 26.6 29.6 3
Florida Marlins 27.8 28.9 30 26 26.9 9
Texas Rangers 28.5 28.8 25.8 28.6 29.6 6
Colorado Rockies 27.8 28.6 25.3 25.8 29.6 9
St. Louis Cardinals 29.3 28.5 29 30.4 29.7 9
Oakland Athletics 27.4 27.9 24 26.2 29.6 8
Cincinnati Reds 29.6 27.8 31.6 26.8 32.4 5
Kansas City Royals 28.3 27.8 29 27.8 28.9 3
Milwaukee Brewers 30 27.5 32.8 27.8 32.3 5
Cleveland Indians 28.7 27.2 28.5 28.6 30.9 2
LA Dodgers 28.6 27.1 29.8 29.4 28.9 6
Washington Nats 28 27.1 28.8 27.8 28.5 7
Minnesota Twins 27.7 26.6 29.5 26.8 28.7 4
Tampa Bay Rays 27.6 26.6 28.8 24.6 30.6 3
Atlanta Braves 28.6 26.5 29.5 29.2 29.8 7
Arizona D’backs 27.4 25.4 27.4 30 27.9 1
I put this in terms of a comparison in age since I believe that plays a key role in whether injuries will dominate a team’s performance. Yes, the injury bug is indiscriminant, but the age factor has got to weigh in at some point. Let’s face it, younger bodies can handle the grind better and if hurt, they will mend quicker, it’s just nature. This is part of the adversity that these teams are confronted with. How well they deal with it may lead them to the playoffs or drop them into the ranks of the also-rans.
Here are some other statistics that you won’t find on the sports page:
For more insight into the significance of these numbers, cross reference them against the current league standings with a third of the season in the books.
If that isn’t a real eye opener I don’t know what is!
I won't forget what this Yankee tried to do...
As I post this article, the Tampa Bay Rays along with the Arizona Diamondbacks are in first in their divisions while the Florida Marlins, Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins are all running close seconds…
That last photo is from a PRESEASON game between the Rays and Yanks and that guy was intentionally trying to hurt the Rays' second baseman Aki Iwamura... Not cool...
It's hard enough to go through a season and avoid injury without some jerk trying to hurt you on purpose...
Many teams are paying way too much for some of these guys. I guess it's just human nature... You work hard, build a good reputation, advance pay wise and finally get the top dollar. You kick back, maybe it's imperceptable, but you slack back just enough and then it becomes too much... I can think of many that are resting on their laurels...
So i guess if your young and under paid you win, and if your old and over paid your the Mets and Yankees and Tigers ??? Sounds about wright..
Please refer to my friend Bosox61 as RaySox61 since he cant seem to pick one over the other, i dont think i got an answer to that we both wanted the answer to about his pick for the sox-rays
And on another subject, i see your closing the gap on Pod Squid and myself, im feelin the heat...
Last edited by blue@orange on June 4th at 3:13 PM.
Your blog is interesting for DL stat purposes, only.
It doesn't tell the whole story. Teams have lost players for multiple games with non-DL aches and sickness. The Bo'Sox are in this category.
You might add the 'Loss of player games' to complete your effort.
Ultimately, team bench, farm and managerial strength makes the difference come October.
"I won't forget what this Yankee tried to do..."
how about remembering what the red sox coco successfully did? not only that, but when shields hit him in the leg (which everyone expected) he charged the mound for their ace, and got his #### KICKED! ha.
by the way "other statistics that you won’t find on the sports page" yeah we NEVER hear about age or how the yankees have a high payroll, and tampas in first place (the brewers of 2007 anyone?) this should be breaking news
by the way, how about a 10 games suspension for mr johnny gomes?
first running in from right field for an unsuccessful tackle of shelly duncan, that was sad video to watch. then charging from the dugout, jumping on coco who was already being held down and giving him cheapshots?
then mr carl crawford coming in on coco, who was held down by navarro, being hit by gomes, and carl got his shots in. then mr. iwamura getting in for some more cheap shots.
i dont have a problem withs shields throwing the first punch. hes got a guy running at him who used to be an amateur boxer with a 17-0 record(if im not mistaken), its self defense.
so lets see:
gomes - 10 games
coco - 5 games
crawford - 4 games
iwamura - 3 games
anyone else who was caught throwing punches - 3 games
shields - X games (not sure how they suspend starting pitchers becaues of their 5 day rest)
You don't think team age plays into the injury deal? I think it's very important, if not for becoming injuried, but for recovery time after an injury...
Thanks for all the comments... Must be a little disconcerting to have a good young team appear in your division. The Rays are going to be trouble for many years to come... You better get used to it!
and way to just skip over how your team is full of thugs, and your manager had no problem with how his players acted in boston. that should be the disconcerting part here, not a young team playing well.
I'm a sports fanatic living on the west coast of Florida. I'm a rare bird that moved here from the left coast a couple of years ago. I advocate an even playing field in all of life's endeavors.
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hardest by the injury bug as they have each already had 9 different players on the disabled list (DL) and we’re only two months into the season. The New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics have also had more than what should be their fair share of injuries as they have had 8 players each on the DL to date. The Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have each had 7 players on the DL so far, while the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers have all had 6 players go down. Two of the five oldest teams in the league have pretty much avoided the injury bug up until the announcement this 
morning that the Boston Red Sox will lose David Ortiz for at least a month with a wrist injury. Ortiz becomes the third Red Sox player to land on the DL so far. The oldest team in the league right now, the Houston Astros, only has one player on the DL. Is it the water? In Houston??? 
