Mark DeRosa In Chicago For Heart Tests

Mark will be fine and everything turns out okay.  However, and I HATE to bring this up, does this change anyones mind about acquiring Roberts? I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I hope for Mark's sake and the Cubs' that this doesn't turn into a major issue that drags into the season.

please, no... he's an integral part of the team...

but didn't DeRosa say that it was something he was aware of in the past?

especially on the poor guys birthday.  Hope all goes well

Look, I know this is not a trivial matter by any means.  Even though Mark makes it sound pretty straightfoward, there's always potential for something to go wrong in any kind of surgery.

That being said, I think it would be absolutely hilarious if right before the procedure, while he's hooked up to whatever equipment is going to be used, Mark picks up the phone and calls Hendry to talk about an extension.  Would definitely ease whatever tension might be being felt by the rest of the players and Cubs mgmt.

to Mark. I hope he has a speedy recovery and joins the team soon.

like it's too serious, but of course, when the heart is involved it's always best to take no chances whatsoever.

And the only way this would make me change my mind on Roberts would be if this somehow made the Orioles lower their asking price.

I expect Mark DeRosa to be the Cubs starting second baseman on Opening Day.

One of my former players had this condition.....uncontrolled racing heart..... up to 180 beats a minute.....had to try to shock the heart back by sticking their whole head in a bucket of ice water. Doctors go in and actually burn back the receptor that fires the heart muscle chambers. The danger is they can only burn it so many times because the first time may not take. My player was down to the last burn and they got it. Never had any problems after that. Anyone that is not medically challenged could explain this better but this is what he COULD be having done.

(and this is purely a guess-timate)...that DeRosa has a cluster of renagade cells in the heart tissue that is taking heartbeat control from the cluster of cells that are suppose to have control.  

The electical activity of both clusters vying for control create the abnormality.  "Surgery" in this case is to thread a catheter into the heart and obliterate the renagade cells.  Sorta like Ramirez did against Milwaukee with his stellar homerun.

Recovery shouldn't be too bad, but it does cause a little scaring and inflamation at the heart tissue site. DeRosa should be in good shape and he is young so healing fast is favorable.

(I am not a doctor.  Do not try this at home)

The surgical procedure for something of this sort is commonly done by cardiologists.   It shouldn't put a damper on DeRosa being ready to play by the start of the season.  

I'm sure he was expecting something more along the lines of a shaving-cream pie in the face for his birthday than a trip to a cardiologist in a snow storm, but...

Happy Birthday DeRo!

Get well soon.

got my copy of 2008 Wrigley Season Ticket this morning. Looks pretty slick....

... for the kind words about Wrigley Season Ticket. I thought all the writers did a great job on their topics and I was especially pleased that Bruce Miles agreed to write two articles. I really enjoyed learning about how he does his work on a daily basis.

...in Dec. 2003 and was told to not exercise for a week.  I was actually in and out of the hospital before dinner.  Rather Amazing.  In other words, this is not a serious medical concern and Mark will be fine.  

Sounds as if he will be fine, but still wish him all the best. He is one of the "good guys" in the game. Happy Birthday to him as well.

As was posted above, I too expect him to be the Cubs starting second baseman on opening day. I think if we have to make a deal, it would be better to wait until the season started and wait to see how things shake out first. Things have a way of working themselves out, and it may prove that a second baseman isn't what we need.

by the end of the week.  DeRosa said in an interview (Comcast Sports Nite on Monday night) that he expects to be back on the field by the end of the week.  I just hope this is not another one of those "damage control" PR stories that we got so accustomed to concerning Wood and Prior.  If he's back out there and playing in S.T. games by this time next week, then I guess there is nothing to worry (too much) about.  But as someone once said, "The only kind of minor heart procedure is when you're talking about someone else's heart."  Prayers for DeRo.  A good ballplayer and a good guy.