“I honestly did not know what the future of my baseball career would look like. It was the biggest shock and learning experience I had ever encountered while playing.”
These were the words CJ Stubbs said when describing the effects of his Tommy John Surgery last year. Stubbs is from Del Mar, CA down in San Diego and attended the athletically prestigious Torrey Pines High School. He had always wanted to wear a Trojan uniform and take the field here at Dedeaux. His older brother, Garrett, played for the Trojans from 2011–2015 eventually winning a catcher of the year award and getting drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2015 draft. Tommy John surgeries have become increasingly popular amongst elite level pitchers due to the increase in emphasis on pitch velocity. Throwing the ball repeatedly at 90+ MPH puts an immense amount of stress on both the shoulder and the elbow, with off-speed pitches such as a curveball really stressing the elbow joint. CJ was forced to sit out the entirety of his sophomore season to rehab his injury. “Obviously I wanted to be out there on the field with my teammates. It was extremely frustrating not being able to practice or do anything more than just go to the trainer.”
The emotional stress of long-term injuries is a real issue in competitive sports. Knowing there is seemingly no hope of playing other than waiting out recovery time takes a huge toll on a player’s mental toughness. Stubbs understood the physical challenges that laid ahead. He knew that if he put the time in rehabbing is elbow, he would be rewarded. This season, Stubbs has transitioned from being a pitcher to a catcher, a transition not normally seen in baseball. Pitchers typically do not hit in practice or in games and strictly focus on refining their arsenal of pitches and locating them. The battery (Pitcher and Catcher) is the driving force of baseball and following in his brother’s footsteps, Stubbs knew if his arm would not allow him to pitch, catching was the next best option.
“Our coaching staff allowed for this transition from pitcher to catcher and its proven to be a fit. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to hit again and luckily still be able to have an impact on the game.” The highlight of his year, if not career, came early in the season against Arkansas in the final game of a 3-game set. The Razorbacks hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to take a 4–3 lead. After singling in a run, the game was knotted up at 4 with two outs with Stubbs stepping up to the plate. On the third pitch of the at bat, Stubbs cranked a line drive home run to left center field giving the Trojans a 6–4 walkoff victory. “The feeling of the ball going over the fence was like nothing else. It was the biggest at bat of my career and was so happy I could come through for my teammates.”
Watching CJ’s career as a Trojan has definitely been an up and down stretch but knowing how much he enjoys just being back out on the field is extremely encouraging for him and the Trojans baseball team.
