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Colorado Rockies: Comparing David Dahl, Paul Molitor, and George Brett

By Noah Yingling

DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 02: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies is carted off the field after being injured in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on August 02, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 02: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies is carted off the field after being injured in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on August 02, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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1990: Paul Molitor #4 of the Milwaukee Brewers makes contact with a pitch during the game against the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
1990: Paul Molitor #4 of the Milwaukee Brewers makes contact with a pitch during the game against the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images /

Molitor’s extensive injury history

For Molitor, even during childhood, he suffered from a lot of freak accidents. By the time he had graduated high school, he had fallen out of a tree, injured his foot after riding a bike barefoot and nearly missed a whole year of baseball in high school after coming down with mononucleosis.

When he reached the majors after just half a season at the minor league level, he suffered numerous injuries and setbacks during the 1980s. He missed six weeks in 1980 due to a pulled muscle in his ribcage and while he was injured, he got hooked on cocaine (it was a big thing in baseball, and frankly, the USA, in general, in the 1980s). He was able to recover from that during the offseason.

Entering 1981, the Brewers moved Molitor to center field but after only a month into the season, Molitor suffered an ankle injury after trying to beat out a grounder. He returned in mid-August after the 1981 player’s strike ended. In 1983, he injured his wrist in mid-May and while he played through it, his offensive numbers suffered tremendously. Due to his struggles and some injuries to other players, the Brewers missed out on the playoffs after going Game 7 of the World Series in 1982 and making it to the playoffs in 1981.

In the beginning of 1984, he partially tore his MCL in his elbow. After trying to play through it, the Brewers shut him down for the season after playing just 13 games and he underwent Tommy John surgery.

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