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39 Comments
- Blinker1315, on 07/19/2009, -7/+20I just don't buy it. Social anxiety is real, of course, but there are a few questions here. One, why all of a sudden? Two, athletes at the highest level have performed in front of big crowds and dealt with fans most of their lives, and are introduced to the media at a young age.
- Bunyatto, on 07/20/2009, -0/+10Social anxiety IS a real disorder. It's different from shyness. It can make someone's life so debilitating that it prevents some people from having a proper social life, or from getting a job, or from going to school.
- Monotonousblob, on 07/20/2009, -0/+7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Knoblauch#Throw ...
During one game, an errant throw sailed into the crowd and hit sportscaster Keith Olbermann's mother in the face. - xedd, on 07/20/2009, -0/+6Yeah. Haven't these people heard about alcohol?
/s (...sort of) - kingofinternet, on 07/20/2009, -0/+5no kidding.
just look at chuck knoblauch. - inactive, on 07/20/2009, -1/+5maybe because they are so pressured to perform well, coupled with the plague of their fellow players juicing, which erodes the integrity of any good playing out there.
- Adelhas, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Im no baseball fan but anxiety disorders are real and life-wracking for the sufferers. I think the hate is a little strong here, lets give these guys a chance to get better. Someday it might be you.
- DuneAdx, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Baseball is the only game where they count errors and put it on the scoreboard.
- bryantee, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2You're under contract. If you perform poorly you can be dropped, traded or not be signed by anyone once your contract is up. Of course it's nerve-wracking.
- 5starbabydotcom, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Pressure to perform. I'm sure it's real. The media is always hounding them. But with all this going on, I would give my right arm to be in their position. (I'm left handed :)
- richalot, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2So you're telling me these people with immense talent who can perform flawlessly when they're in their comfort zone, but lock up in social situations because of their "chemical makeup" aren't debilitated by their condition? Brushing this off as not being a disorder is ignorant.
- Quizboy, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Yeah, I really wouldn't call it social anxiety; just anxiety or stress from the pressure.
- bryantee, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Please elaborate because I watch ESPN quite frequently.
- HurricaneDC, on 07/20/2009, -1/+2I think it's a disorder (I had it) but one can overcome it without medication.
- PhoenixTx, on 07/21/2009, -0/+1I agree sinurgy. I can't wait for football season.
- inactive, on 07/20/2009, -2/+3I would be anxious if i had to get paid millions to stand around in a field in my pajamas.
- lundeja, on 07/20/2009, -1/+2They are introduced to the media at a young age, sure, but never before in sports has there been as much national coverage or scrutinization as there is now. 10 years ago a young baseball player might Google their name and find two results, now if you Google any young players name you'll find thousands. Also with the amount of money these players earn now, there is a lot more pressure.
- bryantee, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1At least there aren't excessive instances of dangerous narcotic use, homicides and rape allegations. *Cough* NFL
- freeridstylee, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1He was just saying a lot of people cope with social anxiety through drinking, and I completely agree.
- buddahead9, on 07/20/2009, -2/+3sweet thats the new undervalued "skill", out with the moneyball, in with the socialanxietyball.
Come play in Oakland, hard to get anxiety playing in a near empty stadium. - mdude85, on 07/20/2009, -1/+1Well, even if they are not allowed to play or are pressured to play in front of thousands of people, a small slump in their performance will not cause them to lose their job. And if they get sidelined for an anxiety disorder, they are still on a contract. They will still be getting millions of dollars to do a job they love, which is more than can be said for the other 99% of us. On the other hand, a doctor making 100k per year can be sued for $25 million for making a mistake during a surgery, and corporations are notorious for firing people based on low performance and without much explanation at all.
- johnny28, on 10/29/2009, -0/+0Just found a new site www.anxietysocial.devhub.com
- cbergstrom, on 07/20/2009, -2/+2It's a good excuse for owners to get expensive, underperforming players without physical problems onto the disabled list so insurance pays a chunk of their salary.
- GoodOleBoy, on 07/20/2009, -0/+0I actually buy it, but admit that I have little-to-no knowledge of several of these players. I think the issue with MLB players is that baseball is all-consuming during the season. There are 162 games. They are traveling constantly and always expected to perform at a high level. I think early on, in the minors, there is the same impetus to perform every night but its in front of much smaller crowds with less at stake. In the majors, all eyes are on you and if you do not perform you are either benched, sent back to the minors or traded. There is a lot at stake and these players' lives revolve around baseball. If they aren't hitting or pitching well - that's their livelihood on the line. They have nothing else really in their lives to compensate for the times where their performance is not up to par. All of their eggs are in one basket.
- DangerCollie, on 07/20/2009, -1/+1Ha! More like detox stress. Getting by without the drugs and steroids. Send them to rehab for a couple weeks, let them bang Lindsay Lohan in the stairwell and get Rush Limbaugh's autograph, they'll be fine.
- Atario, on 07/21/2009, -1/+1I bet the answer lies in what drug(s) they prescribe for the disorder, and what the side-effects are. Nothin' like getting a boost, blessed by a doctor!
- Astark, on 07/20/2009, -0/+0Isn't anxiety one of the side effects of steroids?
- kolop1, on 07/20/2009, -1/+1You don't watch ESPN do you bryantee?
- dealdigger, on 07/20/2009, -4/+3Hmmm ... this new disorder seems to correlate nicely with the steroid era ... just saying, maybe the tiny testicles are making them self conscious.
- BadDNA7, on 07/20/2009, -2/+0too much thinking. not enough now. see mr tolle.
- commie, on 07/20/2009, -3/+1Here I thought that guy who injured himself carrying luggage was the most pansy-assed baseball player ever.
- charlie55, on 07/20/2009, -3/+1these guys are getting the DL to save roster spots because they are not performing. the diagnoses is bogus.
- freeridstylee, on 07/20/2009, -3/+1I agree, it's just an excuse to put players on the DL.
- catdawg555, on 07/20/2009, -3/+0Gosh i feel so sorry for them ,but i might have a solution to there problem of social anxiety disorder ,how about a visit to our troops in Afghanistan? You know to boost the morale of the poor baseball players.
- sinurgy, on 07/20/2009, -5/+1lol@baseball...it's funny to go from hockey season where guys get 30 stitches in their face and return in the same game to baseball season where players go on the DL for social anxiety disorder (aw look, the acronym is SAD). Here's another word for it...pussy!
When does football season start?! - FredFredrickson, on 07/20/2009, -6/+1Maybe all those poor millionaires will feel better if we just stop watching them?
- sandersdamnit, on 07/20/2009, -7/+1Baseball: Almost lazier than Golf.
- awtripp, on 07/20/2009, -9/+1http://imgur.com/DYxvL.jpg
- inactive, on 07/20/2009, -10/+1Oh, cry about it.
Social anxiety is not a disorder. Everyone has a different personality. Everyone has a different chemical makeup in the brain. Everyone has different challenges and obstacles, gifts and talents. We can't keep medicating everything.
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