Minnesota Twins' Scott Baker: 'I knew I wasn't crazy'

St. Paul Pioneer Press—April 27, 2012

Two MRIs failed to spot a problem with Scott Baker's ulnar collateral ligament, yet the Minnesota Twins right-hander wasn't all that surprised when he woke from anesthesia to find it had been surgically repaired.

"I knew I wasn't crazy," he said.

Baker spoke to reporters Friday, April 27, for the first time since the surgery. The plan was to clean scar tissue off a tendon, but when a surgeon examined the ligament, he fixed it.Baker had been prepared for the possibility, signing a consent form for Dr. David Altchek of Hospital for Special Surgery.

"I knew there was a chance, but I guess you never think about it," Baker said. "I guess you think you're never that guy to have Tommy John until you have it. You don't give it that much thought until you have it."

Altchek wrapped a piece of muscle from Baker's left leg around the ligament, which should fuse to the ligament and restore its elasticity.
"There was no definitive tearing or detachment," Baker said, "but he said what he performed was called 'a pickup.' Basically, you pick up a pair of tweezers and see how loose the ligament is, and he said it was a black-and-white issue to him that the ligament was too loose. It was not a good ligament."

Read the full story at TwinCities.com.