Posted by: Ray Rosato (rosato62@hotmail.com) on Sat Oct 18 20:38:09 2003

I've torn muscles before, if it bruses you'll know thats the indication of a tear. If it doesnt than your cool. Take 2 Mortin/Ibuprofen 3 times a day and once it starts feeling better you have to stretch it ALL THE TIME!!. If you fouled it off your muscle than there might be brusing regardless, so another indication is you'll really have almost no mobility with that muscle for a few weeks. With a pull you'll have some mobility but a tear hurts 10X worse when you try to use it. I tore my plantar faccia (muscle under the arch of your foot, connects ball of foot to heel) just running to first base, man that sucked.

Thanks for your reply.

The place that I fouled it off was the most sensitive place you could imagine. Since then, I've worn a protective cup. Advice to everyone - don't go into a batting cage without protective gear. Trust me. The pain is not worth it. Regadless, I went beyond my usual stopping point. I've been hitting 90-97 mph fatballs and I tried to do to much. That's when the problems began. Know when to say when. The pain has been subsiding - but it took about 2 1/2 months.