Here is a segment of an article in the Trojan Times by Ryan Kartje of the LA Times. Kartje was interviewing Grant Govel who is coming back from TJ surgery two seasons ago. Govel's comments regarding the impact of the surgery are enlightening. Andrew Painter might be going through some of these issues as well.
"Govel: Going back to last year, I came into this program around 175 pounds, and I wasnât really doing a lot of weight room stuff on my own. I felt good after Tommy John, but I felt like I only had two pitches after â I had a fastball and a cutter. I lost the feel of, you know, a curveball and the changeup, right? So I gave up a lot of home runs last year. I think I gave up 11, with a lot of walks, and our [pitching coach Sean] Allen said, if you give up hits, you better not give up walks. So this year, you know, Iâve been good with both, but Iâm trying to choose one, you know â either give up hits or give up walks. âCause thatâs the only way you get beat as a pitcher is either you beat yourself or they beat you, and so every game, Iâm â Iâm telling myself, and Iâm writing [in] my journal, âDonât beat myself, you know.
I think with Tommy John, it was hard to come back from all this because you lose feel. And especially for me, I was at home for an entire year. I didnât go to school. I was away from an athletic program, and I almost â I would say â lost my competitive edge over hitters. I fell into the thought last year that itâs an even game. But I really have the advantage, you know? Hitting a baseball is pretty darn hard. So, with getting that mentality and that thought process back, that Iâm the one people fear, you know? Like, I control everything â Iâm the pitcher, you know?"
