Nine Innings, Nineteen Strikeouts, at 41 on a 21-Year-Old Hip

On Wednesday, 30 September, I threw a complete game for the Phillies in a 25-and-over weeknight men's division.

Nine innings. Two hits. No walks. Nineteen strikeouts. The team named me a player of the game.

I'm 41. The hip I did it on was replaced when I was 19.

What I'd like you to take from it

It's a weeknight game, not a pro game. I'm not claiming otherwise. But in 2004 a college team's doctor told me to stop playing competitive baseball. Last Wednesday I threw nine innings without a walk.

The hip

It still feels better every day, at 41. That surprises people. I'm extremely good at taking care of my body, and I think that's the biggest reason.

Twenty-one years of paying attention to one joint adds up.

The part you can use

That self-care is what my coaching teaches. A replaced hip isn't a reason to stop. It's a reason to get good at the basics, and to stay good at them.

I'm not a doctor and I work alongside your medical team, never around it. If you want to find out what yours can do, that's what the 1:1 coaching is for.