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Medical Problems KO Rocco

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By MARC LANCASTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Rocco Baldelli did his best to provide answers Wednesday morning, laying out what he knows about the elusive medical problems that will keep him from opening the season with the Rays, but the biggest questions remain.

What can he do to get fully healthy again? Is his baseball career finished?

Baldelli and the Rays won't know how to respond to those questions or many others until they learn more about the "metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities" that have sapped the 26-year-old's strength. Baldelli said the problem stems from his body's inability to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which keeps his muscles from recovering like a normal person's during exercise.

Even that diagnosis is somewhat murky, the result of Baldelli visiting numerous doctors from New York to Texas and beyond throughout the offseason in search of an explanation for his chronic leg problems. Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Baldelli underwent "very invasive procedures" just to get to this point, but a wide-ranging team of doctors still can't unequivocally pinpoint the problem or what can be done to treat it.

That continuing search will be the focus for Baldelli and the Rays' training staff in the coming weeks and months. Baldelli will open the season on the 15-day disabled list and the Rays have no idea when - or if - he will return.

He surely would have preferred to have more concrete answers by now, but was relieved to get what he knows about his condition off his chest. In an informal 13-minute news conference at Progress Energy Park, Baldelli spoke openly about the problems tormenting him for the first time after doing his best to brush off inquiries throughout the spring. His eyes welled up several times during the session, and those in the clubhouse after the news conference said Baldelli was overcome with emotion.

"Whether it be coming from the media or every day from people on the street or my own family," he said, "only I know how my body feels and it's difficult sometimes for me to convey that to other people, whether because I literally can't explain it in words or because I don't want to explain it. Dealing with that every day has been probably the most difficult thing for me because I want people to understand what I'm going through for both my sake and their sake."

Baldelli did his best to explain how he feels, nebulous as it can be. He talked about the "jelly-leg" feeling you get after running for a long time.

"It's not like that 24/7, but when I get out on the field I get that feeling well before my body should be feeling that," he said. "I really sometimes have a tough time even performing because I get that feeling. It's tough to perform when you have no strength."

Baldelli welcomed spring training in mid-February, saying he felt fine but would take it easy in drills to conserve his energy for the regular season. But his condition deteriorated the more time he spent on the field. His last appearance in a Grapefruit League game came March 4, when he had two at-bats as a designated hitter, popping out in both and jogging slowly to first base.

As things stand today, that may end up being Baldelli's final appearance in a major-league uniform. He hopes that won't be the case, saying he isn't retiring and later adding, "I'm going to do everything in my power to get out there and play again."

The Rays said Baldelli will continue to have their full support and their first priority is his quality of life, with baseball "absolutely secondary," according to Friedman, who called the situation "gut-wrenching."

There are practical matters to be addressed on the baseball side in the short term. With Baldelli out indefinitely, the Rays are expected to seek a replacement through trade or free agency. The Rays also will decline their $6 million contract option for 2009 by the April 1 deadline and pay Baldelli a $4 million buyout. Friedman said the team considers that merely a procedural move and expressed his hope that Baldelli would remain with the Rays as long as he is in the game.

Most importantly, all involved want to see him healthy and back on the field.

"I think all of us are cautiously optimistic," Friedman said. "Now, I don't have a medical reason to feel that way, but I know with Roc's determination, with our training staff, with modern medicine the way it is, I just refuse to believe there's not a way that we can figure this out. It may prove to be naïve, it may prove to be right - we don't know yet."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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