Is C.C. the Next Sid Fernandez?

I got an e-mail from a loyal reader with a simple request: "How about an entry paralleling C.C.'s litany of injuries with those of Sid Fernandez?" Okey-dokey.

Sid Fernandez, as you may recall, was a portly yet talented pitcher and a key member of the New York Mets pitching staff during the late 1980s. He posted some impressive numbers during his stay with the Mets, beginning with his 16-6 mark and 3.52 ERA on that great 1986 team. Fernandez had several good years, compiling a 54-29 record from 1986 to 1989. Sid had tons of talent--in fact, he only allowed 6.85 hits per nine innings for his career, and ranks 4th all time in that category, trailing only Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Pedro Martinez. But he never lived up to his full potential, despite his early promise.

Sid faded fast after 1989, winning 10 games only once more in his career. He was plagued by injuries, beginning in 1987, when he missed three weeks in August due to a knee problem. A broken arm in spring training cost him playing time in 1991, and knee problems would continue to plague Sid, landing him on the DL for extended periods in 1991 and 1993. His 1993 knee injury caused him problems for the rest of his career.

Sid became a free agent in 1994, and signed with the Orioles. He played there in 1994 and part of 1995, but again spent time on the DL with knee and elbow problems. He spent time with the Phillies and Astros, and retired in August 1997. Fernandez had a lifetime record of 114 wins and 96 losses, and a career ERA of 3.36. Not bad, but who knows how much better those numbers could have been if he just stayed healthy.

What's the point of all this? Well, as C.C. starts out this season with his customary stint on the DL, Sid Fernandez should serve as a cautionary tale for him. Like Sid Fernandez, C.C. is a very talented pitcher with incredible potential who finds himself on the DL for reasons relating to more to his status as a fat pig and apparent indifference to conditioning than to the breaks of the game. This is Sabathia's third stint on the DL in the past three seasons. As you'll recall, Sabathia ended 2004 on the DL with a hamstring injury, and missed the first six weeks of last season with an oblique problem similar to the one he's now facing.

The Tribe handed Fatty McLardass a $17.75 million contract extension last year that runs through 2008. I'd love to see him in the rotation every fifth day, but he needs a wakeup call. I hope he takes Sid Fernandez's example to heart, because right now, Chubbs looks less like a #1 starter, and more like a reckless and irresponsible jerk who's willing to put the Indians' season in jeopardy because he's too lazy to haul his fat ass off the couch during the off season.

Hey, Tubby, the truth hurts. Get with the freakin' program, and while you're at it, straighten out your damn hat and climb into a uniform that doesn't fit you like a clown suit. You don't look like a gangsta, you just look ridiculous.