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Ryan Church told reporters yesterday 
that he has no problem with the way the Mets have handled his recovery from a recent concussion, during which he has not been put on the disabled list has pinch hit on three occasions while being unable to start due to dizziness.
In fact, according to Church, he probably should not have pushed himself so hard, thus potentially making matters worse.
Church, talking to reporters from the dugout at Shea, prior to yesterday’s game, said:
“They didn’t do anything wrong…When it came down to it, they asked. I was the final say and I told them, basically, I couldn’t go out on the field and play, but I could pinch-hit. I told them all it takes is one swing to help this team out…That’s the toughest thing for me to sit here and not be able to chip in and help. That’s where I think I really got caught up in it.”
To watch video of Church speaking to reporters prior to yesterday’s game, courtesy of 
, click here.
…if he’s telling the Mets he can pinch hit, i understand them wanting to keep him accessible – seeing as he’s been one of their best hitters…
…that said, it would have been nice to have the additional, full-time player on the roster, especially last week when all hell was breaking loose…
…this was mishandled, if for no other reason than it seems odd to me that church is getting the ‘final say,’ because, a) he is not a doctor, and b) he isn’t team’s general manager…
Though he is still ‘a little woozy,’ Church played catch in the outfield in Shea Stadium before yesterday’s game, and, according to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, looked much better while talking to reporters than he had earlier in the week.
According to other reports, Church will return to the lineup two days after being diagnosed as ‘symptom-free’ by team doctors.
For more on Church, and how the team has handled, or mishandled, his roster spot, read the Daily News, New York Times, Newsday, Journal News and the New York Post.
As an Islander fan, I remeber how Bret Lindros’ career was over before it started because of concussions. You always hear how doctors/scientists really don’t know a whole lot about them, but I think history shows us a few things: 1. Once you have one, you are probably going to get another, and it will probably be an issue for the rest of your career 2. It doesn’t take much of a hit to trigger another 3. You should never go back to playing until you are clear of all symptoms for at least a week.
The Mets should have DL’ed him because it was his second concussion in around two months. Of course the player is going to say he’s fine, you can’t make that the deciding factor. As for the doctors, you can probably get any opinion you want if you go through enough of them.
I totally agree. You look at players like Troy Aikman (obviously a much more physical sport) and see that once you get a concussion, you’ll probably get another. I actually said this when he got his first one that they should let him take his time getting back. One collision in the outfield, running into the wall, etc. could be disastrous. I understand he’s been probably the most consistent player all year, but thinking long term they should have DLed him.
As an Islanders fan, I remember how our seasons usually end before they begin. Ugh, Bret Lindros. What a disgrace. Perhaps the highlight of his career is fighting with his brother Eric in a game vs. the Flyers.
This was not mishandled at all. There is no set amount of recovery time for a concussion (after a couple of days, at least). There are no x-rays to look at on whether or not the concussion has “healed.” Church does get the final say on whether or not he’s ready to go and what he’s capable of doing…doctors are not mind readers.
Ray Fosse (see: Pete Rose All-Star game collision at the plate), is a prime example of how a concussion can alter a career.
For Church’s sake (whether with the Mets, or another team) let’s hope that this doesn’t become an issue that becomes a part of his career.
yea I remember thinking the second i saw that play “he is definitely going on the DL”. anyone remember the camera shot of him when he was carried off the field? he looked like he had glass eyes. having had a few concussions I can tell you that they are quite scary. for one after I had my first one i felt fine for a day and then had these headaches that made my head feel like it was going to pop. the second one wasn’t as bad as my first (as it seems was the case with church) but the effects lasted a lot longer. I hope he does return to the field soon because he is my favorite player besides wright and reyes but he needs to be at 100% the next time he gets on the field.