Recently LA Dodgers manager Jim Tracy and Pitching coach, Jim Colborn, have watched Park Chan-Ho`s pitching with some level of anxiety. It is because that Park has made painful gestures that signaled a waist injury.
Park took a mound in the game with New York Mets in Shea Stadium for his fifth win.
At the bottom of 2nd inning, Park, who encountered Shinjo Tsuyoshi with no-out and a runner on the first base, knelt down with his right knee, throwing a sliding curb(`slurb`) ball. Stunned Chad Kreuter ran to the mound but Park signaled `OK`.
But Park could not deliver powerful pitches because of the waist problem after that. He surrendered three runs allowing three consecutive hits after two outs. Even though he shut out four innings since then, his pitching was far from his best.
He allowed three runs with seven hits, but took a no-decision game because Dodgers got the lead with five runs in eighth inning.
Park began to feel malfunctioning symptoms in his waist from the game with Chicago Cups on 5th. Park who had stopped the bullpen pitching before the game because of waist malfunction, had to leave the mound after throwing a `slurb` in 7th inning, expressing pains in the waist. At the moment, Stan Johnston, Head Athletic Trainer of Dodgers, told that ``it is a simple spasm which is not to concern over. Park Chan-Ho`s spine is curbed naturally to the bottom so that it often causes pain in the waist.``
At the next game with Florida Marlins on 10th, he pitched perfectly allowing no run for 7 innings, which signaled there was no problem in the waist. But pains came again when he stepped on the base running to the first base in the third inning of the game with Montreal Expos on 16th.
Park normally pitches using his waist and lower body, and thus it is somewhat natural to feel some tension in the waist. He had acupuncture treatment after the game with Arizona Diamondbacks on April 8, 1998.
However this season is very crucial for Park. Because he will be a free agent after this season, he can have multi-year contract of astronomical figures. Therefore his possible waist injury will have a tremendous effect on the contract. With consideration for this situation, Park may pitch in spite of the pains,.
Park does not mention about his condition. Only he knows how it goes.
Meanwhile Shinjo Tsuyoshi of Mets became a hero with a game-winning hit in the bottom of ninth inning. But he could not hit Park`s ball during his three batter.