More power to Paramore
April 2nd, 2008, 11:35 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
There are high fives all around for an Arizona State baseball team that is thrilled to have catcher Petey Paramore (in helmet) back from injury.
If his left knee can stay together, Petey Paramore is going to play on it. And the Arizona State catcher on Wednesday showed that he can play quite well.
Just three days after suffering what was at first feared to be a season-ending broken leg or knee injury, Paramore made a surprise return to the Sun Devil lineup, going 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs as the designated hitter in ASU’s 12-4 victory against Wofford at Packard Stadium.
Paramore suffered a subluxation when the tibia fell out of its knee joint, then reset itself. The junior compared the injury to a shoulder separation that pops itself back into place.
He said that he hopes to catch when top-ranked ASU plays at Stanford on Saturday, the second game of a Pac-10 series.
“You hear anything pop, and you fear the worst,” Paramore said. “This was pretty much the best possible thing that could happen. I’m fortunate. I’m really lucky that it wasn’t more serious.”
There is still a risk for Paramore, as another subluxation within the next two or three weeks is “not a good sign,” coach Pat Murphy said.
“But the doctors, trainers and Petey feel like he can continue to go,” Murphy said. “So, we have to respect that.”
“In 14 years here, I’ve never had a bigger outpouring of people wanting to know how a player is than for Petey. And it’s great to see him back. It’s good to know that the guy that leads your team is out there. He made his presence known, that’s for sure.”
In his first at-bat on Wednesday, Paramore — an All-America candidate and potential first-round draft pick in June — hit a home run, his second of the season. He added an RBI double, infield hit and walk before the game was stopped after seven innings due to Wofford’s travel curfew.
“(The home run) was definitely a good way to start the game,” Paramore said. “It put my mind at rest about the knee.
“I wasn’t expecting too much. I just went out and played. I got a few pitches to hit and was able to do something with them.”
Freshman outfielder Matt Newman pitched the last inning for ASU. In his first mound appearance, the Phoenix Brophy product allowed a hit while striking out two.