Word: painful
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Sandy Koufax was trying to explain how it felt to lose a ball game. "Have you ever tripped and fallen at a party or spilled coffee on your lap?" asked the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace. "Isn't there something worse than the pain it self? Isn't it the embarrassment? Well, imagine being embarrassed in front of 50,000 people." Last week, Koufax lost - in front of 50,840 screaming fans...
...best lefthander in baseball was knocked out of the box in the third inning; he gave up three walks, four hits, six runs; and it all happened at the hands of the lowly New York Mets. But this time, for Sandy, there was nothing worse than the pain itself...
Like a Log. The pain is in the elbow of his wonderful throwing arm, and he first discovered it two years ago. Four mornings after pitching-and winning-a particularly tough game against Milwaukee, he awoke to find his entire arm swollen "like a log, a waterlogged log." Orthopedist Robert Kerlan told Sandy it was traumatic osteoarthritis caused by the unnatural strain of pitching. From time to time, the liquid could be drawn out with a syringe, and the swelling could be reduced by cortisone and other medication. But every time he threw a baseball, the elbow would get worse...
...season goes on," says Koufax, "and the curve is not as good as it used to be." Retirement has even crossed his mind, perhaps after one more season. "I'm 30, not 24," he says. "It's a matter of how long I can stand the pain...
...Silly Putty. Next, he designed 16-sq.-in. pads of silicone gel, which have the resiliency of flesh itself. Protected by such pads, sores in bedridden patients were not only prevented but also healed. When the gel is used in wheel-chair seats, says Spence, the decreased threat of pain and tissue breakdown even serves as a form of psychotherapy...