On May 25, 2011, in San Francisco, Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins collided with Giants catcher Buster Posey in a play at the plate. Posey’s leg was broken. He was out for the rest of the season.
(You can watch it here, though I wouldn’t recommend it.)
On January 1, 2017, in Orange, Virginia, in what I think was some sort of weird performance art recreation, Editor/Husband played the role of Buster Posey. Scott Cousins was played by my Yoga Studio floor.
For those of you who were so quick to believe that 2017 couldn’t be suckier than 2016 … you are wrong.
Editor/Husband fell and “bustered” his leg on New Year’s Day.
That is, he fractured the neck of his femur which is the fancy pants way to say, he broke his hip. (But having a broken hip sounds like something a frail grandma would do, so we’re going with broken leg which sounds more “Posey-an.”)
Nope.
Well, not quite. But, close enough.
The fracture has been knitted back together with a rod and a pin (and a handful of wound-closing staples that makes the side of his leg look a little like a football).
Hospital room toys.
Editor/Husband will be on the DL for awhile.
And, so to New Year’s Resolutions.
I hate New Year’s Resolutions.
That is, I hate most New Year’s Resolutions. Because they are stupid and impossible.
There is only one perfect list. Six perfect resolutions.
You probably know them. If you’re as smart as I think you are, you know them by heart.
Satchel Paige pitched professionally for 40 years — from 1926 to 1966. He was so well-conditioned, it’s said, he could warm up his arm with just five or six pitches.
Embed from Getty Images
“I’m Satchel,” he was known to say, “I do as I do.”
Satchel Paige had six rules for “How To Stay Young.”
They were first published in 1953 when he was 47. (He played professionally until he was 60.) I’ve put them on here before. But, they’re worth repeating.
- Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
- If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
- Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
- Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain’t restful.
- Avoid running at all times.
- Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.
It’s so Yoga, these rules, that I often say Satchel Paige is my guru. And, I mean that.
It’s so Yoga that THIS is the actual cover of the 1953 Collier’s magazine that these rules first appeared in:
For now our lives have settled into a strange new normal. For me it means unhurried showers in the middle of the morning. A second pot of coffee. Thinking about what to make for dinner. Lingering and staying close.
Editor/Husband has the much tougher road. He’s home now, but moving is hard. I gave him a little bell and he rings it when he needs to get up or wants a snack. But, the leg is sore and stiff and heavy. Healing will take awhile.
Hospitals and broken legs and bedridden-ness are uncharted territories for us.
Buster Posey’s leg healed. He was back playing the next season, 2012. That season he was an All Star, won a Silver Slugger, and was the National League’s MVP. His Giants won the World Series.
Editor/Husband will be fine. I’m sure of it.
Sunday, January 8 ~ Here’s an update: The Only Broken Hip In Baseball
The Baseball Bloggess 
Best to both you and your hubby. Having broken my own leg (doing something stupid, as usual) I can honestly say “I feel his pain.”
v
Thanks v. Not the best way to start the year, but it could have been worse!
Wishing gentle rest to both of you, speedy healing to Editor/Husband! I love Satchel’s rules…especially #3, which has a decidedly “Trager-ish” feel to it…so I will encourage both of you to explore a bit of light-hearted, juice-flow-inspiring jangling as you move with your new (and temporary!) reality…
Thank you, Carrie! I have used the “jangle around gently as you move” as a direction in Yoga class … a reminder for people not to hold things so rigid. “Avoid running at all times,” always makes me smile. :)
And the hits just keep coming…
Sorry to hear the news, and I join the rest of the crowd in expecting E/H to bring home his own slew of awards next season. Which, I trust, he’ll schlep in a carrion bag.
Thanks, Casey … Randy was quick to say his MVP days are behind him … but, on the upside, his break was minor compared to Buster’s.
P.S. Thanks for Seth Smith! We’re always delighted when we trade with the M’s!
Love this…we have explored that hospital thing more than we ever wanted…so I will wish for you buckets on endless patience. It wears thinner and faster than expected. Long showers that give you time to recharge. And to E/H, this is a gift of appreciation that you married the right person!😃
Thanks, Sharon! His spirits are good, but we do anticipate some frustrations along the way. Best of all, aside from a little achiness, stiffness, and swelling, the pain isn’t too terrible. He’s just taken a few regular tylenol and that seems to do the trick.
And what “pose-y” did you have Randy in when he bustered his leg. Is there a “sliding in to home pose” and is he rehabbing at the Wildlife Center? Get well soon, Randy.
If Randy actually DID Yoga he might not have slipped and fallen. He’s rehabbing at home … the next few weeks will be interesting ones! :)
I know what it’s like to have a loved one break a leg … I felt like I was hurting right along with him! Give your husband my sincerest sympathy. And try to find ways to make him smile – below are a couple of my favorites. :)
http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/10/12/205818298/javier-baez-bobbles-and-catches-gum-that-fell-out-of-his-mouth
Love these … thank you!!
Ah, shoot. I’m sorry to hear about this. I once spent a summer of discontent on the couch, just me and The Cast, after a moment’s inattention on the back stairs. Can’t say it was character building, but I am proud of how good I got with the crutches (if I do say so). Hopefully, your guy will be able to catch up on his reading, and this is a great time to watch Ken Burn’s “Baseball” again. Just keep him away from the news feeds.
Thank you, John! A rod and a pin were knitted in on Monday and he was putting full weight on the leg within 24 hours of surgery. How about that! He’ll be using a walker for awhile, and is pretty limited in his mobility, but will graduate to a cane hopefully in a few weeks. I hope he’ll be mobile by the time college baseball season arrives … we have some steps to get to our seats!
I do believe a total hip replacement is much easier than a broken hip. My sympathy to both of you. The new year can only get better from now on. Hugs to you on this Little Christmas day. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
They had him up and about — with full weight on his leg — within 24 hours of surgery. He’s moving slow with his walker, but he’s dealing. Your hip replacement “bling” has been a god-send. Especially the booster seat and leg lifter! Thank you!
I’m so sorry to hear (through WCV first) about Randy’s broken femur. It already sounds like he is progressing rapidly since he is out of the hospital. My husband broke his femur in 2014 & spent much more time hospitalized & in in-patent rehab but he wasn’t in the best of shape to begin with and was older than Randy. I wish you both a speedy recovery!
Thank you, Nancy … it was a small fracture and they pinned it quite easily. So, he had surgery on Monday, was walking on Tuesday, and sent home on Wednesday. He’s moving slow, but he’s moving!
Oh no! Hoping for an all-star type of recovery for your husband. I’m so sorry to hear he got Buster-ed up, and I’m sending wishes for a speedy recovery.
Thanks, Wendy! 2017 is not turning out the way we expected it, so far anyway. But, on the plus side, we still have 51 weeks left in the year for it to get better! :) I hope you’re healing up, too!
Good grief! That’s a pretty miserable kick-off to the New Year. Here’s hoping he heals well and quickly, and that the months ahead are sunnier for you both. And thank you for the Satchel Paige resolutions. I’ve always had a heartfelt belief in #5, but I’ll definitely put the others into rotation this year.
Thank you, Kate! As I often tell my clients and students … the hardest part of the healing process is patience. College baseball season starts in mid-February, so I have a month to get him healed up just enough so he can make it up the steps up to our seats! :)
Wishing him speedy healing!
Thanks, Lisa … not how we planned to start 2017 … but, all things considered, he’s doing a little better every day. :)