Chris Colabello set a Twins record for RBI in April, breaking Kirby Puckett's mark. It was a startling beginning to a season from the journeyman first baseman/outfielder, and many figured he would cool off quickly.
He did, eventually landing in the minors. But was there more to it than just the league catching up to him? In a story published at telegram.com, out of Worcester, Mass., this came to light:
Something that happened on April 23 contributed to Colabello's drop off in production. Tampa Bay reliever Grant Balfour jammed him with a fastball, numbing Colabello's right thumb. The thumb hasn't felt right since. The Twins physician told him he had suffered nerve damage and only rest would help, but after taking nearly a decade to reach the major leagues, Colabello tried to play through the pain and numbness. He glued cotton to his batting gloves and tried a thumb protector, but his slump continued. … Colabello didn't tell the media in Minnesota about his thumb injury. "I don't like to make excuses," he said. "I chose to play and I'll deal with the consequences."
Nobody will ever know how much of it was the injury and how much of it was just Colabello cooling off, but it is notable that through April 23 he was batting .346 with 26 RBI and a .962 OPS. For the rest of the year with the Twins, he hit just .157 with a .479 OPS.
