Who are three people that have never been in my kitchen?
Well, yes, technically true, but not the point of this post. Rather, now's the time that we Phillies fans deserve some true investigative reporting from some enterprising Philly sports journalist. And the investigation should be into Jeff Cooper and Scott Sheridan.
Who are they? Jeff Cooper was the Phillies longtime trainer until October 2006 when he was replaced by Scott Sheridan. In Sheridan's first year, the Phils have now sent sixteen players to the disabled list.
Certain injuries are in no way even possibly the trainer's fault. Chase Utley's broken hand from a pitched ball is a clear example of that. But the list of injured Phils includes too many sprains, strains, and inflammations; so many, that Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus questioned whether Jeff Cooper's absence has, literally, hurt the Phillies this year. Said Carroll, "The fact is, the most significant guy for the Phillies this year might be former trainer Jeff Cooper. I don't think they realized just how much they'd miss him."
When I emailed Carroll for more information about his statement, he responded with a short retort that basically equated correlation with causation. I expect more from Baseball Prospectus. Maybe Carroll knows more, but he hasn't given it publicly (or even privately in email).
So this is where the Philly sports journalist comes into the equation. The team is in contention again. It may draw three million fans this year. There's excitement brewing. Yet players keep getting hurt. We deserve to know: Is it just coincidence? Or is Scott Sheridan doing something different and causing this team to play shorthanded? Do the Phillies really miss Jeff Cooper and whatever it is he did to keep them healthy/ier?
Inquiring fan minds want, scratch that, deserve to know. Can we get an investigative reporter in here please?