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May 10, 2007

Not So Differently 'Abled'

When a Major League Baseball player gets hurt, he's often put on the disabled list for either 15 or 60 days so that a healthy player can be brought in to replace him. When he goes on the DL often, he can severely hamper his team's prospects and can become a target for mockery. Almost 20 years ago, the Los Angeles Times writer Mike Downey wrote that Dodger outfielder Pedro Guerrero was wondering when fellow outfielder Mike Marshall "planned to go on the Abled list." A decade later, Paul Dougherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer chimed in: "No one knows how long Reggie Sanders will stay on the abled list."

Jokes about the "Abled list" have returned infrequently over the years, but they really took off last year, after the folks at The Dugout had Ken Griffey, Jr. (screen name: Elijah_Price) IM that being hurt "sure beats being on the abled list."

The influx of "Abled list" jokes made in the last year include:

Fark.com: "Carl Pavano returns after brief stint on abled list."

Barstool Sports: "His full name might be 'Adrian Klemm, Doubtful,' as his career was occasionally interrupted by short stretches on the abled list."

ESPN's AM Jump: "Eric Gagne begins brief stint on Abled List"

Sadly, the only mention of oft-injured Cubs pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood on the AL comes from a message board posting. Too easy?

Related in Gelf: An interview with The Dugout guys.







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