EVERY-THING SPORTS (AND NOT)
For men, trips to the doctor - even for elective procedures - are not a sign of weakness
Oct 30, 2018, 7:03 am
At least the TV was on. Jermaine Every
There’s a stigma with most men. We often times don’t want to go to the doctor. Let me rephrase that: we never like going to the doctor. Whether it’s fear of what they’ll tell us, or fear of what may happen as a result, we don’t like going. Most of us would rather fall out and die than know what’s going on.
That said, I somewhat fall into this category. I only go when I’m forced. A cyst on the back of my neck got infected and grew into the size of a golf ball before I had it taken care of. When it grew back, it took me about a year or so to get it removed. Thank God it was non-cancerous, or else I would’ve taken even longer to get treatment. Yes, I’m hardheaded and tolerate pain or discomfort differently than others.
On March 7, I filled in on The Blitz and co hosted with AJ Hoffman. Beth Liebling of Darling Way was on with us in the 6 p.m. hour. If you’ve ever heard her segments, it can get interesting. The topic turned to birth control somehow. When my method was deemed taking a chance, AJ said vasectomy was the best way to go. His exact words were “it’s like going to the gun range with unlimited bullets.” Took me a while, but I finally decided to take the plunge.
I looked online at their website, read up on the procedure, and made an appointment. I was sent an email, and then got a phone call to confirm. Edgar and Madison were both very nice and accommodating. They explained everything to me in detail, helped me switch my appointment around, and even gave me the price for everything with my insurance.
When I got there Monday, my nerves were bad. I mean, I’m about to literally put my manhood in the hands of strangers! Jennifer helped me get signed in and took my payment. Nicest person I’ve ever willingly gave that much money to. Nathan was the medical assistant that went over the procedure and post-care instructions. He’s a funny guy that made me feel a little more at ease. By the time Dr. Williams came in, I was calmer, but I could feel myself getting nervous again.
Dr. Williams was nervous also. See, I laugh when I’m in pain. So while he was busy working on my nether regions, I was busy laughing and groaning. The stuff he did to numb me initially worked sort of. I also have a high tolerance for meds and stuff. But when something is going on down there, all bets are off. I was worried it wouldn’t work anymore if something went awry. The main reason I was there was to freely use it without fear of making another human tax deduction! My wife had to explain that that’s what I do, but he went to get more anesthesia. After the next round of anesthesia, I was good to go; only a little pain and discomfort.
I wrote as a man trying to get other men to realize that it’s OK to seek medical help. Next up, I’m getting this skin spot biopsied to make sure it isn’t cancerous. There’s no need for seeming weak or less of a man. Sure this was elective, but I wasn’t afraid to get it done. Okay, maybe a little. It’s my balls we’re talking about! Seriously though guys, if you need help, get it. Don’t be afraid. Take care of yourselves.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.