The Case Of Ventura And The Cadaver's Ankle Bone

I've heard stories about Robin Ventura's legs being far from what they used to be, but I had no idea about how bad they were. Check out this story about Robin's battles with his injuries and the unique procedure that presented itself.

I'll spoil the ending by saying that Robin is now relatively pain free for the first time in years. The story includes hardships, a cadaver and a return trip to Spring Training in 2008.

If I didn't know better, I could swear I'm listening to the pitch of the latest Disney film. You know, the schmaltzy ones that they try to sell to families. Hmm, maybe it's a sequel to Angels In The Outfield. That had dead people, baseball, hardships and a return to form by "past their prime" players.

Alas, the truth is less entertaining than the movies, but still can be "feel good". The hardship was walking with a cane five days of the week after cortisone shots lost their desired effect. The cadaver was an ankle bone donor that matched Robin. The trip to Spring Training is just a chance to chat up old friends and watch some baseball. The feel good moment would be that a man potentially could walk again.