Tigers pitcher sidelined by too much Guitar Hero

While the Wii may be getting most of the attention for video game-related injuries, it's not the only non-conventional controller capable of causing some serious bodily harm -- and as this latest incident shows, not even professional athletes are safe. When Detroit Tigers pitcher Joel Zumaya was sidelined for the first three games of the American League Championship Series earlier this year, the cause of his bad arm was kept under wraps. But now the source of his ailment has finally been revealed, with team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski telling WXYT-AM that too much Guitar Hero was to blame -- after Zumaya gave up the game, his arm improved enough to pitch in the World Series. Of course, this all could have been avoided if he'd rigged up a full-size guitar for Guitar Hero instead of rocking out for hours on end with the bundled pint-sized piece of plastic that dares call itself an axe.

[Via PC World]

[Alcaron @ Dec 14th 2006 7:00PM]

lol anger issues?

[Bryan @ Dec 14th 2006 8:12PM]

Suprised they aren't using the same excuse for John Kitna.

Go Wings

[Josh @ Dec 14th 2006 9:05PM]

Saying Kitna has the same problem would cause a riot. We are already calling for his removal and the removal of Millen. Imagine if they tried to make yet another excuse.

And this is funny as hell. Good thing we still swept the A's.


And I have to agree. Go Wings

[Pacey @ Dec 15th 2006 7:57AM]

This is hilarious. Apparently stress lead him to way to much gaming. It can happen. I know I've use gaming as a distraction.

Leave a QB in Detroit for more than a year, maybe he can adapt.

I'm all for firing Millen. The tool wont let his coaches do their jobs.

Go Wings, Go Pistons.

[Pete @ Dec 15th 2006 9:06AM]

Wow, awesome Detroit love on Engadget - sweet! Aye, Go Wings, Go Pistons, Go Tigers! I'm coming home, baby!

[Ken @ Dec 15th 2006 10:25AM]

Wait, you're telling me they kept playing baseball and actually had a World Series after the Yankees and RedSox dropped out?

[Holly @ Dec 15th 2006 12:43PM]

I've seen several of those modified real-guitars-turned-guitar-hero-controllers up close, at a recent charity auction, and the way you hold them in your hands is identical to the smaller plastic ones -- the keys are the same distance apart, etc. It's just a lot heavier! Plus, the Detroit Free Press said that "Dombrowski said the Tigers' athletic training staff discovered that Zumaya's forearm pain was more consistent with the action of a guitar player than a baseball pitcher." Conclusion? Guitar Hero or real guitar, you can mess your arm up if you overdo it!

[Deathinator @ Dec 15th 2006 6:21PM]

Thats hilarious, I love guitar hero... but not that much :P

[paul @ Dec 15th 2006 6:47PM]

What an idiot. With how much these guys get paid per year, there's no excuse for this sort of thing, especially during an important playoff series.