Harold Baines, 1996 Score #408

Ouch. I'm feeling creakier than Harold Baines' knees today, and I only have myself to blame. After months of near-total inactivity, I recently realized that I should get in better shape. I've spent the last few weeks doing a half-hour of aerobic workouts in front of the TV, but I knew that wouldn't offer much of a payoff. So yesterday, I bit the bullet and went for a two-mile run on the track at the nearby high school. You'll notice that I said "run" as opposed to "jog". For whatever reason, I find it difficult to pace myself when running solo. Maybe it's the dormant competitive spirit from my cross country days. Maybe I just want to get it over with.

Either way, I'm paying for it today. Several muscles in my back and legs are reminding me that they exist, and that they haven't been taxed like this in quite some time. Every time I cause myself physical pain by engaging in a fairly simple activity, it gives me a renewed respect for athletes like Harold Baines, who fought through numerous injuries and surgical procedures to perform at a high level for many years. I'm not quite 30 yet, and I haven't suffered any significant breaks or sprains over the past 25 years. I can't imagine being on the verge of 50 like Jamie Moyer (who I suspect to be featuring often on this blog in the coming months) and fully rehabbing a surgically-repaired elbow in order to compete for a 28th season of pro baseball. I think we take the physical abilities of even the least successful major league players for granted much of the time. I know I do, anyway. So it's just something to keep in mind the next time you or I shout at the TV or click away on the keyboard during a blown save or a costly error.