A Real Journey Back from Tommy John

In 1986 we watched NASA’s Challenger explode on its way through the atmosphere, we celebrated MLK day for the first time, we witnessed Argentina win the World Cup in Mexico, and we cringed at Bill Buckner for letting a ground ball squirt through his legs for a Mets win in the final game of the World Series. Along with these great moments of 1986, a kid by the name of Anthony Gibbons was introduced to the world. I normally don’t refer to myself in third person, but I had to make a GRAND entrance. I am a 21 year old baseball player for Delaware State University and this is my story on how I ended up rehabbing from Tommy John.

In March of 1986 I was born and from then on have had a dream to play Major League Baseball. From the first day I was able to throw I was tossing with my pops in the back yard. Sports in my family were a must; my dad played basketball in high school then joined the military and my mom was an extremely good softball player. My Mom says she is the reason I’m as good as I am; I credit it to my hard work and dedication. That same hard work and dedication is what got me to where I am today, and, with fingers crossed, will take me far beyond anything I have ever dreamed. Baseball has been my life since I can remember and till this day NOTHING has ever interfered. Not until a recent surgery to reconstruct my UCL put a halt to all my Dreams.

I don’t remember too much about my younger years dating back before middle school, but from my parent’s reference and a few videos, everyone could tell I was the better player on the field. I spent countless hours in the backyard hitting wiffle balls tossed by my mom; Countless hours spent working on pitching mechanics, and countless hours working on fielding groundballs. I strived to be the best, no matter the environment, no matter the situation. I always wanted to impress my parents, that was my main motive, but as I got older I realized I may have a shot for the Big Leagues.   No longer was I working to impress my parents, I was working on achieving a lifelong goal.

In 1997 my family moved to a southern part of Maryland called Bryans Road. We were living in Florida until my father got relocated up the east coast, thus dragging me out of possibly the best place for baseball. Out of the heat and into the cold, I had to construct a new image, for what I had in Florida was now gone. After 3 years of county ball and building my reputation, I entered Lackey High School. 4 years later I was the best pitcher to ever walk out of the school.

My freshman and sophomore years weren’t the greatest. I suffered through a few injuries, a broken leg, and some arm pain thus limiting my ability to play 100%. Though they were not bad season’s they fell short of the goals I had set for myself. Playing both years at varsity I had gained plenty knowledge and experience and was ready to pursue my junior year with a standout season; this time falling short of nothing less than great.

The start of my junior year begins in 2003, and I start looking at colleges. This is a big year for most because this is when most colleges start looking at guys to become part of their team. I took this to heart and proceeded to be the first guy on the field and the last guy off. A math teacher at the school took notice and offered me a chance to play at a school he used to coach in Nebraska. Doane College is an NAIA Private Liberal Arts School, and their baseball team was looking to recruit for the following season. I took the trip out to Nebraska; I’ll speak on it a little later.

The upcoming season I set goals for myself to be the best hitter in the conference and to pitch well enough to get into the playoffs; I did one. Batting .475 and going 2-2 as a pitcher on the mound, I was voted offensive player of the year, but fell short of the playoffs. The team had plenty of talent; we just could never string anything together. We were a little inconsistent but had hopes that next year would be our year to shine. I pitched 2 of the 3 games we won that season.

After the season a rival school took notice and made me an offer to play for them. Thomas Stone High was number 1 in our conference and held some of the best baseball players in Southern Maryland. After numerous attempts at transferring we gave up. The school stated that because we didn’t live in district there was nothing that they could do. I stayed at Lackey.

Back to Doane. I took the full ride offered by Doane College in my junior year of 2003. I verbally committed and had $18,000 in scholarship money strictly for baseball. I took a tour in ‘03 and loved the school as well as the players and the coach’s so I committed at the end of my junior year. Little did I know I was going to have the year I had.

My final year, 2004, I had my schedule planned around weightlifting and baseball. I somehow managed to get my counselor at the time, Mr. Hall, to fix my schedule so that I could leave school at 12. I used this extra time to get a gym membership which led me to 4 hours in the gym EVERYDAY. From August 2003 to January 2004, I would leave school, go home and get food, then head straight to Sport and Health, a local gym close to home. My workout contained around 2 hours of basketball, then about 2 hours of lifts and running. After the gym I would proceed to my night job working as a porter at a nearby car dealership from 4-10. This was everyday for 5 months and the rewards for this work would not be comparable.

At the end of my senior season I had gone 8-2 with a 1.5 ERA. I beat the eventual 2A 3A and 4A Champions, and lost a one hit complete game in the opener of the season to the same team who beat me for my second loss in the semifinals of the playoffs. I also beat Thomas Stone, a team we had never beat and the team that wanted me to play for them.

I had offers from BC, Georgetown, Iowa, and Indiana. I didn’t even look at them twice. I was so set on Doane I could care less what everyone else offered; none were going to compare to Doane’s offer. So I took the trip out there and did my thing. To make a long story short I batted .300 went 4-5 on the mound and was the starting SS. Due to arm problems, I lost the last 5 games I started on the mound after starting 4-0. I was topping out at 90 the first month there, and after playing SS for half the year I had dead arm; I could barely throw. But I finished the season and did what I had to get my arm back in shape. With the success I had at an NAIA school I decided to take my skills to a D1 program.

I know Dean Albany who was the head scout of the Orioles. He suggested that I go to a school by the name of Delaware State University because they were looking for a 2 way player and needed help on the mound; I decided to check it out. It was a D1 school and it was a chance to get my feet wet in a bigger program. I took the 50% offer and attended DSU at the end of the fall of 2005. January 2006 I stepped on DSU’s baseball field as a Pitcher. I was recruited as a 2 way player but after a couple tosses off the mound Coach recommended that I be a pitcher as they could develop me into Pro material by the time I graduated from school. I swallowed my pride and went along with the suggestion putting all my work into pitching. It was extremely hard as SS was my first love and that’s all I had ever done. But the fact that all my success came from pitching made the transition a little easier. Come game day 2006 I was informed that I was academically ineligible and would have to sit the year out and wait for the next. I was devastated! I could have stayed at Doane and played another year and then transitioned out as if I was in a JUCO, but because a few of my credits wouldn’t transfer I was in a horrible situation. I had to make up 9 credits by the following year and proceeded to do so with a CLEP Test and summer classes. The team did ok, but struggled with little arms on the mound.

Now we turn to 06-07 and I’m finally eligible. All the hard work and all the waiting had finally paid off. In fall sessions I threw great, and was told by all coaches I had a great offseason and was looked at as being a weekend starter. That year I pitched around 50 innings with I think 6 starts. My best outing being against Navy, holding them to 1 run in 7 innings. By the end of the year I had been kicked off the team because of an argument that I and the Pitching coach had in the middle of practice. I am not afraid to voice this, only because I said things that every player on that field wanted to say. In the end me and the head coach worked some things out and I was put back on the team.

That summer I played in 2 summer leagues, pitching in both, and playing SS in one. My arm problems started again! My father left for Iraq in July and I ended up leaving my Baltimore ball club in order to help around the house now that my pops was gone. I picked up with a local league of high school buddies and began to play on only Sundays leaving time for the family. I threw an extreme amount of innings this summer, 180 pitches in one of the games. Probably the highlight of my career, though it was the stupidest thing I did in my career. At the time I wasn’t thinking about the long term effects. I threw 11 innings, had 14 K’s, and ended up winning 4-3 in the bottom of the 11th. Also had a HR in the 1st! I know you’re like where the hell was the coach? Well in this league you pretty much do what you want, and I wasn’t letting anyone take me out of this game; I was going to win it. DUMB! Several times I was told that I needed to come out, my pitch count was too high, but I wanted this win. I wanted to show these guys up; for whatever reason, I did just that and 6 months later I was having surgery.

The Arm felt good all summer, a little arm soreness here and there but nothing serious, but after that 11 inning game, and without the proper rehab my arm was gone. I showed up to fall sessions at DSU and did what I could but the pain was unbearable. I worked through it, taking balls at 3rd, pitching live, and swinging a bat, but after a few months I couldn’t even toss a ball. I went and saw one of our new trainers, Estaban, and he told me that I needed to have it looked at. We were right at semester break and I told him that I would rehab through the winter and not throw just to see how the arm felt when I got back.

All winter, about a 1 month break, I was working on rehabbing my arm, my mechanics, and just overall strength. I didn’t throw a ball once until I returned back to camp. Our first day back I went out with the team and proceeded to toss. On about the 5th throw my elbow popped and the pain came right back, this time worse. I told coach and he sent me to Estaban. Within 3 hours I was getting an MRI, and after results of a torn UCL I was with DR. Morgan, a premiere Orthopedist Surgeon. He told me that I would need to have surgery in order to ever pitch again and that it was in my best interest to do so. 2 weeks later I was on the operating table having Reconstructive Ulnear Collateral Ligament Surgery.

Now, this summer wasn’t the reason I had the surgery. It was a gradual tear over a long period of time dating back from HS. I always had elbow problems; it was always just the same pain so I never worried about it. I barely ever iced, though I rehabbed fairly well, I didn’t take care of the problems. This is a must. Your arm is a very precious thing, especially if you want to further your career in baseball. You have to do the not so fun part of baseball in order to do the fun things. I had to learn the hard way. I will never take my arm for granted again, and I’m going to work my ass off to get the one I had back. My arm led me to great successes. Though I made some bad moves, I’m where I am now and I can’t turn back. I have to make the best of what I have and I will do so. I won’t complain, and I won’t back down from the obstacles life puts forth. And NEVER will I back down from the game I have grown to Love with every ounce of my beating heart.

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Stay up to date on Anthony’s journey back to the mound by clicking the category Gibbons in the navigation bar, or by visiting www.imwritingsports.com/Gibbons 

He will be making daily entries on his recovery process.