Tropical Diseases great minor league motivator!!

December 22, 2008

Wow, now it’s not uncommon to read about the rigors of minor league ball and all that goes into it. Mrs. Lisa over at http://gotmilb.mlblogs.com can tell you about it in her coverage of the minors. You can hear about low wages, second jobs, tough bus rides and such as players try to break into the majors but what I read today topped the cake.

Today I have crossed the knowledge threshold when I caught a story by mlb writer Thomas Harding at Colorado Rockies.com. I would link the story, but I’m not sure how to do it so I’ll just describe the THING that stuck out most to me. Dengue Fever. Recently acquired Rockies minor league prospect, Carlos Gonzalez, playing in the Venezuelan Winter Leauge play is recovering from DENGUE FEVER.

Harding writes:

Gonzalez had been out since Nov. 21 with Dengue fever, which has been something of an epidemic in Maracaibo, where the Zuila Aguilas play. The illness, which includes the sudden onset of headaches and muscle and joint pain, is known in some circles as bone crusher disease.

Bone crusher? Are you freaking kidding me? Dengue Fever?

Ok I have heard of Dengue Fever and I know it was transmitted by mosquitos but didn’t know more much about it so I consulted the folks over at www.webmd.com and read the following:

Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, usually Ae. aegy…Dengue, a rapidly expanding disease in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world, has become the most important arboviral disease of humans.pti.

Carlos can you hear me man? That sounds pretty serious bro! You are outside playing ball quite a bit. Let’s see what Webmd say is the best time to contract it:

There are two peak periods of biting activity, in the morning for several hours after daybreak

 and in the late afternoon for several hours before dark.

Hey Carlos, we might have a problem here! I’m going to put out a collection for some serious repellent!

 

So without a doubt I would have to say  to get to the confines of Coors Field would motivate any player suffering from Dengue fever. You may suffer from mile-hi lack of air or grass that’s grown higher to slow down balls in the rare air, but not Dengue fever. We have our fair share of mosquitos and even a rare case of West Nile now and again but definetely no outbreaks or anything the occasional spray of deet can’t protect you from.

I can just imagine it now as players might groan in the Pacific Coast League playing for the Sky Sox and long bus rides and scant meals but all they’ll have to do is look over at Carlos and say “well, at least I haven’t gotten the bone crusher disease.” 

 

 

 

Written by mlblogsrockymountainway Posted in Dailies Tagged with Carlos Gonzalez, DENGUE FEVER, minor league motivation, prospect