Colorado Rockies Rundown: Injuries, 2016, Asheville Tourists In The Playoffs

Sep 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman J. Morneau (33) catches a fly ball during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Morneau’s best days are behind him

(via MLB.com)

Tracy Ringolsby has an interesting piece up about the Colorado Rockies’ first baseman and his future both in and beyond the game after once again dealing with concussion issues thanks to an injury sustained in Anaheim in May.

Monreau spoke at length to Ringolsby, though these are probably the most telling quotes of the interview:

"“You have to be careful. Junior Seau should have been a wakeup call to everyone. Obviously, football is a different sport. But you are talking about, arguably, the best player in his profession. He did all anyone could do on the field, and he was not able to enjoy what he had done.”"

[ Related: The Colorado Rockies missed the window on Justin Morneau ]

"“You make sacrifices with your family all the time, and we are paid well. But if you can’t remember your kid’s name when you are 50, what’s everything you have accomplished worth? “It’s something not everybody is going to agree with, but you have to trust the strides [sports medicine] has made in an effort to take care of people. As an athlete, you have to come to terms with it. It’s not what you expect when you start [playing sports], but you have to come to terms with it.”"

Ugh. Those issues are no joke, and Morneau is dealing with arguably the worst thing a pro athlete can be dealing with; this isn’t a knee or ankle that can be surgically repaired to last him (or get him along well enough) after his playing days, but rather a (the?) most important piece of the body, of which doctors and scientists know less than they’d like.

We’ll have more on Morneau in the coming days from a contract perspective as we look at whether he could be back for the Colorado Rockies in 2016, but this is obviously a bit different from on-field talk.

Next: Well hello, Kyle Kendrick