If you don't love David Ross, you're wrong

©Kayla Chadwick 2013

Sadly, the Red Sox were without David Ross for a good chunk of the glorious 2013 season; the veteran catcher was recovering from concussions (and because MLB takes concussions more seriously than certain other professional sports franchises, he missed two months getting totally healthy).

Though this was technically Ross' second stint with the Red Sox, he had exactly nine plate appearances  with them in 2008, so you're excused if you've forgotten.

Ross only played in thirty-six games for the Red Sox this year - but somehow it seems like many more. Perhaps it's because of his nearly ubiquitous presence in the dugout, or how enthusiastically he embraced the beard-growing trend - indeed, his beard might be among the greatest of the bunch.

Last night was the premier of the 2013 World Series DVD in Boston, and Ross was one of just two Red Sox players reportedly in attendance (the other being third baseman Will Middlebrooks).

He spoke about the strangeness of being recognized in public (not an everyday occurrence for a career backup catcher), and the efforts of the team to convince its free agents to come back for 2014.

Whether or not cajoling his teammates works, Ross will get to enjoy another year in Boston. Hopefully it will be concussion free.

Stephen Drew, concussions, and responsible journalism

I was listening to sports radio this morning in the car when the topic of Stephen Drew came up. The hosts thought that being kept out of the lineup with minor concussion (which is a league rule), proved that "he really is  JD Drew's brother." Get it? Because JD Drew was obviously fragile and wimpy, and minor concussions are totally no big deal!

Well, first of all, JD Drew was one of my personal favorites - can't we just let him enjoy his retirement without making him the butt of jokes all the time? But more importantly, concussions are not a joke. Stephen Drew got hit in the helmet on Thursday while batting, didn't show any symptoms immediately, but later that night his vision began to blur. The team took action as required by Major League Baseball.

It is a Major League Baseball rule that any player exhibiting signs of a concussion must be cleared before returning to regular play:

Protocols for clearing a concussed player or umpire to return to activity; prior to the time that a concussed player is permitted to play in any game (including Major League, Minor League or extended Spring Training games), the Club must submit a "Return to Play" form to MLB's Medical Director; submission of the form is required irrespective of whether the player was placed on the Disabled List.

You can read the rest of MLB's concussion regulations here.

More importantly, concussions are a serious and growing problem among younger and younger athletes, many of whom hide or downplay their symptoms in an attempt to stay on the field - to the serious detriment of their health and cognitive function. When radio personalities (and any other media members) downplay the seriousness of concussions, when they equate professional athletes who sit out when concussed to wimps, they send the message to kids that concussions are no big deal, that they should be able to play through them.

Playing through concussions is dangerous and irresponsible, and insinuating otherwise is likewise dangerous and irresponsible. Not only is Drew simply following the rules, he's being smart.